Regular gross motor activities should be an essential part of every child’s life. Gross motor skills are larger movement activities such as sitting, rolling, kneeling, crawling, walking, running, jumping, skipping and more!
Through play, through games, and through sport, children can develop their gross motor skills to lay a foundation for school skills such as handwriting, concentrating, following instructions, sport skills and team work.
You’ll need some open space, but this is a great way to get kids using new muscles. Here are some ideas:
Move like a bird (run with arms outstretched)
Move like a snake (wiggle on tummies on the floor)
Move like a bear (walk on all fours)
Move like a frog (get down on haunches and hop)
Move like a kangaroo (take big leaps with arms in front of chest)
Move like an elephant (with heavy stomping)
Move like a penguin (waddle with ankles close together and arms pinned to sides)
Roll up socks into balls then try to throw them into a box/drawer/laundry basket 2 meters away
Create a simple hopscotch board, with numbers, using masking tape on your floor (check it doesn't damage your floor first). Throw a bean bag onto a space and jump to get there. You can change the skill level by putting letters, shapes, or sight words instead of numbers on the squares.
Put a balloon between your knees and walk like a penguin.
Try to keep the balloon from hitting the floor by hitting with both hands.
Balance the balloon on a part of your body (like an outstretched arm) and walk across the room.
If your child likes to dance, put on some music – but give them instructions to dance a particular way. They can dance slow, fast, in a circle, silly, etc.
Using masking tape create different lines on your floor; make the lines zigzag, curvy, straight, or shaped like a circle, square, or other shape. Then challenge your child to walk each line from beginning to end.
Write a list of simple exercises on cards number them 1-6. Using two dice, the first dice will tell you the exercise and the second how many times to do that exercise.
Sing one of these classic songs and add some actions!
I’m a Little Teapot
If You’re Happy and You Know It
The Hokey Pokey
Ring around the Rosie
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around
Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush
Children use their bodies to be different kinds of weather, such as:
rain
snow
hurricane
tornado
wind
Create some action cards and place them in jar. When you're ready pull a few cards out of the jar for everyone to do. Here are some ideas for an at home wiggle jar:
Jog in place while you sing the alphabet.
Touch the sky and then your feet five times in a row.
Pretend you’re playing the drums.
Fly around the room like a bird.
Here are some ideas for the exercise cards:
Touch your toes
Do arm circles
Run across the room
Hop on one foot
Jump forward
Take big steps
Take tiny steps
