Home / We are big fans of tandem boards!

We are big fans of tandem boards!

Author: Sanne Peters & Hanneke Geerts

Founder of brainstimuli

Toys42Hands has some fantastic tandem boards in their webshop! They're fun to play with and also provide excellent motor skills.

There are three different ones in this series, each with a different pattern on each side. Each tandem board comes with two marbles and two wooden pegs.

By first following the symmetrical pattern with your fingers alternately, and then with both fingers simultaneously, you'll become familiar with the pattern and practice the interaction between the two sides beautifully. Once you're comfortable with this, you can use the wooden pen to create the pattern. Show children how to hold the pen. This also serves as an exercise for preparatory writing.

You can use the marble if you want to make it more of a balancing game, or you can roll a marble symmetrically over both patterns.

With these tandem boards you practice:

-          Rhythm

-          Eye-hand coordination

-          Symmetry, cooperation between both hemispheres of the brain

-          Fine motor skills

-          Focus

What is this symmetry then? We'll explain this below;

Symmetry

From the ages of two and a half to about six, symmetry is crucial. During this phase, children practice working together using both legs and both hands by making simultaneous, consistent movements with their arms or legs. Even after this period, it's advisable to continue practicing symmetry. A tandem board is a great tool for this!

Important for development

Symmetry is crucial for the development of the central nervous system. The right side of our body is controlled by our left brain, and the left side of our body is controlled by our right brain. When both hands make the same movement at the same time, these left and right brain hemispheres begin to work together. Through frequent collaboration between the two hemispheres, an increasingly strong connection develops between them.

Strong connections

The stronger this connection is made, the more comfortable a child will feel and the easier it will be for them to learn. Children are also more stable socially and emotionally when the collaboration between both hemispheres of the brain is well-established.

Practicing with a tandem board really gets these two hemispheres of the brain working, they have to start working together!

We are fans of tandem boards!


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