How to do it
You need: A clear floor space, Two soft toys or markers.
Clear a short, non-slip walkway a few steps long and put a marker at each end. Your child can be barefoot or in flat, supportive shoes.
- Show your child 'penguin walking' to one marker: walking on the heels with the toes lifted up.
- At the marker, switch to 'tiptoe walking' back to the start, up on the toes like a tall giraffe.
- Walk beside your child, holding a hand if they need steadying.
- Take turns copying each other, and let your child call out which walk comes next.
- Finish with a few steps of normal walking, landing on the heel first.
Form cues
- On the heel walk, the toes and the front of the foot lift clearly off the floor.
- On the normal walking steps, the heel makes contact first, then the toes.
- Your child can switch between the two walks without needing to stop and think for long.
Common mistakes
- Only ever practising the tiptoe walk - the heel walk and the heel-first steps are the important part.
- Letting your child rush and slip back into their usual toe walking.
- Practising on a slippery floor or a steep slope.
Safety: Stop and message your child's physio if your child has increasing pain, a limp that does not settle, or is much more tired or unsettled than usual.