Toe walking is a common gait abnormality. Here are some suggestions on ways to work on this at home. If you have concerns about your child’s gait, please contact Medical Support Services for a physical therapy screening (free of charge) or an evaluation.
Sensory Input Tips & Activities for Toe Walking
Shaving cream is an easy household item to put on the bottom of your child’s feet to add sensory input! The following link is one idea of how to perform this activity but feel free to get creative!
Walking on different textures, preferably barefoot if possible, is another great way to add sensory input that your child may be seeking! Examples could include: bubble wrap, foam, different fabrics–and feel free to get creative! You could even set up a fun obstacle course while walking over these different textures to get your child motivated! Check out this link for some sensory mats that give multiple varying textures that your child can walk across and stand on for added sensory input!
A sensory brush is another great tool you can use to give sensory input to the bottom of your child’s foot!
Stretching and Strengthening Exercises for Toe Walking
Walking up/down inclines is another great way to stretch and strengthen the lower leg muscles most involved when your child is toe walking. Whether this be walking on a slide or ramps in the community, feel free to get creative!
Standing on an inclined surface or wedge is a great way to stretch the calf musculature that tends to tighten when a child is toe walking. You can play a game, play catch, or any other creative activity while stretching on the incline/wedge! Encourage your child to maintain “flat feet” when standing on the incline to maximize the stretch!
Animal walking is a fun and easy way to stretch and strengthen a child’s leg muscles! Great examples to assist with toe walking include bear walking and penguin walking! When bear walking, a child will not only be stretching their calf muscles but also performing a global strengthening exercise for their whole body! Penguin walking includes walking on your heels which strengthens the muscles on the front of your lower leg which counter the muscles involved during toe walking!
Other ideas!
If your child is toe walking when they are excited, upset, or maybe overwhelmed by sensory input – you can try ankle weights or a weighted backpack to slow your child’s body down and improve their body awareness.
Backwards walking is a great way to achieve “heel strike” which is normally missing from a child’s walking when they are walking on their toes.
It is also important to work on core/glute strength with some of the following exercises!
Sit ups – if your child has difficulty performing a full sit up you can prop them up on an incline or a pillow at home to make the exercise a little easier!
Squats – performing squats is a great way to strengthen the glutes and lower extremity muscles!
“Supermans” –see picture for example!