3 metres of absolute fun! This lycra resistance tunnel can provide proprioceptive feedback and help the child develop and/or practice their bilateral co-ordination, motor planning, body awareness, tactile discrimination, gross motor skills and core body strength. Medium resistance can be achieved by a child crawling through by themselves, while a heavy resistance load can be experienced when a child pushes a 55cm ball through the tunnel. Deep Pressure Touch Stimulation (DPTS) can stimulate the release of serotonin in the brain, in turn helping children and adults to become calm, relaxed, concentrate on a task and moderate their sensory input. The pressure provided by the lycra around the child’s body, can give this deep pressure stimulation.
These Lycra Tunnels can be used on a smooth floor surface, or the surface under the tunnel can be varied to include items such as pillows/mattresses/mats etc to provide a different base to crawl over. The children can go through forwards, backwards or sideways and many children looooove to stop in the middle and just chill (great deep pressure when they are positioned correctly here)!
The Lycra Tunnels have 4 large handles at each end for other children or adults to hold while another child is going through the tunnel (for our family, we place 2 of the handles around the dining table legs and stretch the tunnel under the table, with the extra part of the tunnel hanging out the other end of the table. There doesn't need to be any adult assistance with this method.)