Using both sides of the body (bilateral integration)

We need this skill for things like tying shoelaces, getting dressed, cutting with scissors, and driving.

Strategies and advice

Activities

• Start in a sitting position, ask the child to lift their left knee and touch it with their left hand. Progress to left hand to right knee, swap sides and repeat.
• Now standing up, ask the child to lift their left knee and touch it with their left hand. Progress to left hand to right knee, swap sides and repeat.
• Put a large sheet of paper on the wall and draw patterns onto them. Then trace over the patterns with both hands at the same time.
• Tap your tummy with one hand while moving the other hand in a circular pattern above your head.
• Play games such as a jump/skipping rope, obstacle courses, tug-of-war, and Twister. Use hula-hoops to step into, move it up the body and over the head. You can also use park equipment such as swings, slides and climbing frames.
• Play ball games such as catching, throwing and rolling. The bigger the ball the more a child has to use both hands to control it. Build on this by introducing bats to hold with both hands to hit or dribble the ball, add targets to aim at when throwing or rolling.
• Hold onto a sheet of material (for example a play parachute or bedsheet) with someone else and roll or bounce a football around on it. Control the sheet so that the ball doesn’t fall off.
• Play musical games such as clapping to rythmns, action songs such as ‘Heads, shoulders, knees and toes’ and use instruments such as cymbals to bang together.
• Use construction-based toys such as Duplo, Lego, Megablocks, or Sticklebricks.
• Water-based games and toys such as tipping water, wringing out flannels, washing up, bursting bubbles using 2 hands, and swimming.
• Cooking skills that use both hands such as kneading dough and pastry, rolling and using shape cutters.

Last reviewed February 2026