32 Fun Seasonal Crossing Midline Activities that will get your Kiddo in the spirit of the season and extra practice in mastering this life skill.
Thinking of fun and creative ways to work on Crossing the Midline can be exhausting. And using the same activity over and over can be boring.
Working with kids as a school-based Occupational Therapists for 15+ years and being a mom of 4, I get how hard it can be to keep your “bag of tricks” full.
If you are looking for a specific season, jump to it here….. although you might find an activity in a different season that can be tweaked for now!
- Fall Themed Crossing Midline Activities
- Winter Themed Crossing Midline Activities
- Spring Themed Crossing Midline Activities
- Summer Themed Crossing Midline Activities
Sometimes a new activity is the ticket to spark interest and excitement to keep working on the same skill!
Why bother with Crossing the Midline Activities?
Being able to cross the midline is so important for self help skills like putting clothes, shoes, and socks on. You also use this skill tearing toilet paper, brushing your hair, and using a belt.
Crossing midline is also used for reading, writing, turning the pages of a book, and putting your back pack on.
Checkout other daily skills that you cross the midline with and what happens if you can’t.
The BEST thing about Crossing Midline Activities is that ALL kids benefit from doing them!
The Key to Make a Crossing Midline Activity Successful
Positioning.
Kids who have trouble crossing the midline will either shift their body or switch hands. If you can position their body and/or their hand to limit movement, then they will be more likely to cross their midline.
If your kiddo keeps switching hands, give them something to hold in their “helper hand”.
Those who shift their body, have them lay down or make it so that it does not matter how they move their trunk in an attempt to not cross their midline.
Fall Themed Crossing Midline Activities
# 1. How Many Candy Corn Fit in the Jar?
Designate one hand to hold the jar. Then put the pile of Candy Corn on the outside of that arm. This way your kiddo will have to cross over the arm holding the jar to pick up one piece of candy…..which will cross their midline!
# 2. Pass the Pumpkin
Have your kiddo’s sit on the ground side by side or back to back. Give one kiddo a pumpkin that is big enough that they HAVE to use two hands to lift it but not too heavy that they can’t lift it.
Put some music on and have them begin passing the pumpkin until the music stops!
# 3. “5 Little Pumpkin’s Sitting on a Gate”
Have your kiddo hold one arm out straight to be a gate. Then start singing the 5 Little Pumpkin’s Sitting on A Gate song, have them place one pumpkin at a time on their arm until they get to 5 going along with the song.
When the song say, “Out go the Lights”, have your kiddo clap their hands and knock the pumpkins off their arm! This is a fan favorite part!
# 4. Pumpkin “Buzzer”
Have your kiddo sit on the floor with their legs straight and spread out. Place pieces of paper with letters around them within their arms length. Hold a pumpkin with both hands and buzz each letter to spell Fall words, sight words, or even their name!
# 5. Scarecrow Dress Up
Putting on clothes is a great Crossing Midline Activity! Have your kiddo dress up as a scarecrow by putting on a flannel shirt, pants, hat and boots!
If you want one more crossing midline task in this activity, have them put on overalls and fasten the clasps!
The key to this activity is to have the clothes big enough that they go on easily but not too big that they don’t have to cross midline in order to wiggle their arm or leg in the hole!
# 6. Sweep Using a Witches or Pilgrim’s Broom
Give your Kiddo’s a “witches broom” or a child size broom, and a pile of leaves and sit back! You might need to show them how to swing the broom back and forth but after that you will be busy finding more leaf piles!
If you don’t have one, don’t worry. This is how I made mine out of a stick, long grass, and a zip tie!
# 7. Fall Treasure Pick Up
Use a re-useable shopping bag with a long handle. Sling it over your Kiddo’s shoulder and across their body so that the bag rests on their opposite hip.
Pick up “treasures” and place them in the bag. If the bag falls forward, use a bag with a shorter strap or safety pin the back strap to their shirt.
# 8. Trace Your Hand and Make it a Turkey!
Have your Kiddo place one hand on a piece of paper. Use their other hand to trace the entire hand on the paper with a pencil! Then add details to make it look like a turkey!
Winter Themed Crossing Midline Activities
# 1. Trace a Stencil of a Star
Make a star out of thick cardboard to make a stencil. Have your Kiddo place the stencil on a piece of paper. Hold the stencil down with one hand and trace it using a pencil with the other hand.
The bigger the stencil, the easier it is for your Kiddo to see around their hand!
# 2. Make a snowball
Have your kiddo grab a pile of snow using both of their hands. Then have them pack it together by pushing their hands together.
Don’t have snow where you live? Try this DIY version!
# 3. Pull a sled
Have your Kiddo load a sled up with outside treasures, or a friend, and then pull the rope with two hands!
The key to this crossing the midline activity is to have your Kiddo walk forward with the rope either over their shoulder or on their side.
# 4. “The Walrus Washes his Winter Coat”
This is a fun song by Brytani Fraser at, the Neighborhood Librarian, that uses arm motions that cross midline! Checkout this video to see the arm movements.
Make sure to read the comments for more verse ideas.
# 5. How many mini marshmallows will fit in the jar?
Pick one hand to hold a small jar. Place a pile of mini marshmallows on the outside of the arm. Have your Kiddo pick up one marshmallow at a time, by crossing over the arm holding the jar!
# 6. Winter Weather Dress Up
Lay out winter clothes that are slightly big like a jacket, leg warmers, boots, scarf, and mittens and have your Kiddo put them on! Make sure you have a mirror ready so your Kiddo can see how they look!
Putting clothes or an item on one body part at a time requires you to cross midline!
# 7. “Snowflakes: A Winter Action Song for Kids” by Intellidance
This is a fun song that incorporates crossing midline with your hands and legs!
Does your kiddo need the song to be slower to keep up with the motions? Click on the gear (Settings) at the bottom right corner of the YouTube screen. Change playback speed to .75!
# 8. Make “Brownie in a Mug” gifts
Have your kiddo help make holiday presents this year while working on crossing the midline! In this recipe, all the ingredients get poured into one bowl.
Use a large bowl and have your kiddo wrap their arm around it to stop it from moving. Then take a large spoon and mix all of the ingredients together!
Spring Themed Crossing Midline Activities
# 1. Easter Egg Hunt with Messenger Style Bag
Use a re-useable grocery bag with long straps. Sling it over your Kiddo’s shoulder and across their body so that the bag rests on their hip. Have them pick up Easter Egg’s with the hand opposite of the side the bag is on.
If the bag slides forward and rests more on their stomach, try a bag with a shorter strap or safety pin the strap to the back of their shirt.
# 2. Swing a Bat
Have your kiddo hold a bat with two hands. Rest the bat on one shoulder. Aim at a ball on a tee or hanging from a string and swing! If its warm enough, replace the ball with a water balloon!
# 3. Throw a Ball Over hand
Have your your kiddo hold a tennis ball near their ear. With their other hand, have them point to their target. Take a step forward with the foot on the same side as the hand pointing at the target. Then throw the ball.
After the ball leaves their hand, their arm should cross their midline in the follow through!
# 4. How Many Jelly Beans Will Fit in the Jar?
Have your kiddo make a guess to how many jelly beans will fit in a small jar!
Put a mark on the table for where the jar HAS to be on. Then have them pick a hand to hold the jar. Next place a pile of jelly beans on the outside of the arm that is holding the jar. Have them pick up one jelly bean at a time and place it in the jar!
# 5. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
While singing Row, Row, Row your Boar instead of pretending to use 2 paddles only use one! Pretend to hold on a paddle with both hands and “pull” the water by moving the paddle on each side of the body.
# 6. Scavenger Hunt with a Clipboard
Complete a scavenger hunt on a clipboard! Instead of resting the clipboard on the floor or their legs, show your Kiddo how to use their other arm to support the board!
# 7. Toilet Paper Flower Prints
Snip the top of a toiler paper holder and then bend the pieces back to create a flower petal. Place paint on a plate on one side of a piece of paper. Your Kiddo will have to cross their midline in order to dip the “flower petal” into the paint.
# 8. Lay on Your Belly Doing Fine Motor Tasks
Have your kiddo lay on their belly and push up their chest by bending their elbows. Instead of keeping their hand straight, have them bend their “helper hand arm” so that it goes across their body.
Once in this position, your kiddo can play a card game, board game, or create a picture! When they get tired, have them switch arms to rest on if the activity does not require their dominant hand.
Summer Themed Crossing Midline Activities
# 1. Rainbow Drawing
Have your Kiddo sit on the sidewalk with criss cross legs or squat. Give them a piece of chalk in their dominant hand. Then show them to start the rainbow by their hip on the opposite side of the hand holding the chalk.
If your kiddo tries to switch hands when they get to midline, give them a piece of chalk in each hand to make two lines at once, BUT their hands need to stay together!
# 2. Paint with Frozen Paint Pops
Place a large piece of paper on the ground that is at least the same width as your kiddo sitting down, but bigger is even better. Then have your kiddo sit in the middle next to the paper and make a picture using frozen paint pops!
Encourage them to use the whole paper! If your Kiddo wants to shift their body or switch hands try having them paint when they are on their hands and knees! Bonus – this position will strengthening their core and shoulder!
Learn more core strengthening activities that improve fine motor skills!
# 3. “Paint” the Fence or Wall using a Paint Brush or Roller
Have your kiddo make BIG strokes using a paint brush or a paint roller on a vertical surface! This is a fun way to make mega shapes, letters, or numbers!
# 4. Bubble Wands
Who doesn’t love bubbles! Give your kiddo a bubble wand. Instead of blowing bubbles, have them move the wand back and forth across their body to make the bubbles!
# 5. Hit a Water Balloon with a Bat
Set a water balloon on a baseball tee or tie a string to one and hang it from a tree branch. Have your Kiddo grab a bat with two hands and rest it on one shoulder. Swing the bat to hit the balloon!
# 6. Drum for the 4th of July
Make a drum by turning a large aluminum container over. The key to this activity is to have your Kiddo walk around holding the “drum” under one arm and banging on it with their other hand!
# 7. Balloon Swat with a Fly Swatter
Blow up a balloon and knot it shut. Give your Kiddo a fly swatter and try to keep it off the ground. Or have them hit it from a start to a finish line. You could also set up targets around the yard and have them hit the balloon to each target!
If your kiddo has a hard time controlling the balloon, tie a string to it and then connect it to a tree branch. Take turns hitting the balloon!
# 8. Dig a Moat for Water in Sand
Going to the beach or have a sandbox? Give your Kiddo a small shovel and have them dig a path that goes across their body. Some kids find it easier to pull the sand rather than scooping the sand with this activity.
This also works great using an under the bed storage container. Have your Kiddo hold the container edge with one hand and the shovel with their other hand.
Not sure which Seasonal Crossing Midline Activity to Pick?
Although the the activities are broken down by season, several of them can be used year round!
Here are even more Crossing Midline Activities that you can download!
My advice to you would be to pick one that you think your Kiddo will get excited about!
But always remember, to meet your Kiddo where they are, celebrate the little accomplishments that they make, and give them the time to learn from their mistakes.
Let me know what you think of these Season Themed Crossing Midline Activities!
If you found this to be helpful, share this post with your friends! All kids can benefit from these activities!
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. I am sure that you are not the only one with the same question! I read all comments and would love to hear from you!
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Kelly is a licensed Occupational Therapist with 15 years of experience servicing school-aged children and Early Intervention. She is the founder of OT Perspective and a mom to 4 children. To learn more about her, check out her About Me page, here.