Going about our daily task and activities, adults are often crossing midline without giving it much thought at all. As we tie our shoes, read, turn the steering wheel while we drive, and reach for various things throughout the day, our brain is hard at work.
So what’s our midline? As you could likely guess from the name alone, someone’s midline is that imaginary line that runs from the tip-top of your head right down to the point between your feet, separating your body into two fairly equal, fairly symmetrical sides. The left side of your body is home to your left eye, left ear, your heart, one lung, your left arm, left leg, and a whole bunch more. The right side of your body houses your right eye, right ear, one lung, your right arm, right leg, and equally, a whole bunch more. When we cross midline, essentially, we’re moving a part of our body (for example, our right hand or right foot) over the midline to the other side (so, in this example, the left side).
Our brain has two distinct and roughly symmetrical hemispheres: the left hemisphere and the right. Interestingly enough, the left hemisphere directs and receives sensory input from the right side of our body – so everything to the right of our midline. Consequently, our right hemisphere controls and receives input from the left side of our body. The two hemispheres of the brain can each work in isolation but also communicate with each other via neural messages along tracts such as the corpus callosum.
Activities that require crossing midline encourage neural communication and fully engage the brain. Strengthening these neural networks can support coordination of movement and learning. And what fires together, wires together. So, these pathways are reinforced and strengthened when a person engages both sides of the brain in a physical, dynamic way. These pathways set the stage for developing higher level skills.
Babies develop these skills as they learn to crawl: practicing, failing, and ultimately coordinating both sides of their body to work together in order to succeed. This is foundational for learning to walk. But beyond the physical milestones these babies, toddlers and children achieve, their brain is developing by leaps and bounds as physical practice creates and strengthens more neural connections!
The inability to cross midline can be challenging for our kids. They may find it trickier to visually track words and images which can lead to reading difficulties. As well, handwriting can become an obstacle when fine motor skills are impacted.
Not to worry! Here are 7 simple ways to practice crossing midline. Some everyday tasks can easily serve two purposes at once – getting things done while reinforcing brain networking! Kids can:
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wash windows by using one hand to clean the opposite side, then switch hands/sides
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similarly, wash a table and be sure to cross dominant hand over to non-dominant side
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practice writing spelling words on a vertical surface
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use one hand to gently brush or massage the other side of their body
And for just some simple fun to cross midline, kids can:
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throw a frisbee
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practice tracing infinity loops in sidewalk chalk, with a finger, or using paint
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sit back to back with another child or adult and pass a weighted ball from side to side
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