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Interactive Bar
Gross Motor Skills
Obstacle Course
Enlist your child's help in setting up an obstacle course in the garden. Get creative with what you have available to make it fun and challenging. Use garden stones or an old 2x4 to create a balance beam, mark a pathway for them to run or ride their bike on, set up a big bucket for them to throw a ball in.
If you don't have an outdoor space, you can still turn a playroom, garage, front room, or even your kid's bedroom into an obstacle course. Set up different stations like pillows for them to jump over, a row of chairs for them to crawl under, or a line made from painter's tape on the floor for them to walk or run on while balancing a cuddly toy on their head!
Keep it Moving Board Game
Superhero Action Training
Paper chain obstacle course
Here’s where the paper chains come in from the fine motor skills activity. Leaving just small gaps for the kids to climb through, see if they can make it through the course without tearing the paper!
Alternatively, you could use long strips of paper or string.
Animal Walks
Here are a few animal positions you could have a go at. I'd love to see some photos of you trying them (or even some brothers, sisters or grown ups)!
Can you think of your own animal walks?
Frog Jump -
- Squat down like a frog
- Jump as high as you can
- Repeat this across the room
Bear Walk -
- Extend legs straight
- Head down
Crab Walk
- Bottom up to try and create a level surface
- Feet under knees
Caterpillar Crawl
- Start in the Bear Walk position
- Walk hands out to plank
- Walk feet back in to Bear Walk position
Kangaroo Jump
- Feet together
- Hands to chest
- Small jumps with both feet, keeping hands and arms still
Superhero Dance
Get your hearts pumping and learn all the actions!
Jumping Rope
This was a classic play ground game which isn't as often played anymore, which is a real shame as it teaches children co-ordination and timing. You can play this with your child using two skipping ropes tied together if one isn't long enough. You can even play it with only two people if needed as each turner can take it in turns to jump in and out while still holding the rope. I have included a link with lots of different ideas but I didn't spot the one I remember particularly from my childhood so I wil include it here are it has lots more actions for you to do while jumping which makes it more difficult. Mrs Burton used to be able to complete this rhyme, can you? Happy jumping.
Oliver Twist
Oliver, Oliver, Oliver Twist,
I bet you five thousand,
You can't do this!
Number 1, suck your thumb,
Number 2, touch your bum,
number 3, touch your knee,
Number 4, touch the floor,
Number 5, do the jive,
Number 6, pick up sticks,
Number 7, look to heaven,
Number 8, you're doing great,
Number 9, you're doing fine,
Number 10 Start again.
(REPEAT)
"Can't Stop the Feeling" Dance.
Did you enjoy the staff's version. Here is a video which will teach you a basic dance which goes with the video. Looking forward to seeing videos of this!
Courtesy of the Premier League Primary Stars, I have attached an activity sheet with lots of football challenges on to master! Have fun!!
Paper Plane Targets
A simple home made projectile can lead to so much play opportunities for developing handeye coordination skills (little tip- put some blutac or playdogh in the nose to get it to throw straighter).
I have shown one way of making the target but you could incorperate measuring by marking out metres and seeing how far you can throw the paper plane or try to get the paper plane into a hoop/ box or marked out bullseye.
The Tennis Ball Game
This game can be played with 2 or more people and relies on hand eye co-ordination and balance.
Take it in turns to throw the ball to each other until the ball is dropped. Each time the ball is dropped the person who has dropped it is handicapped. You can either play the game as the person is permanently handicapped and can only lose more limbs, or you can play it that for each sucessful catch after a drop they gain back a limb.
Handicaps:
1. One arm behind back
2. One arm behind back, stood on one leg.
3. One arm behind back, on your knees (both legs lost), limited mobility.
4. One arm behind back, on your bottom, no mobility.
5. You have lost the game.
This is a good way of introducing a competative element to the game and children love seeing their parents trying to catch a ball standing on one leg!
Hopscotch- This classic is so simple to set up and actually is massively under-rated. Ask a child to stand on one leg and the majority of them wobble. Ask them to land on one leg and balance and most of them fall over. Plus casting the pebble onto the numbers really helps with hand eye co-ordination.
Giant Naughts and Crosses.
This is a really flexible game, all you need to do is mark out the grid indoors or out using masking tape, electrical tape or anything else that comes to hand. In one attempt my husband came up with the idea of rolled up tea towels (this is actually better depending on what you are using for your naughts and crosses as prevents rolling). Then get creative with what you would like to substitute for your naughts and crosses. We found pennies or counters from a connect four worked well. Outside balls work well (tea towel grid comes into it's own here) we also found balled up socks worked well indoors as soft...
Once you have the game set up then its like a normal game of naughts and crosses, apart from the fact that you have to stand away from the grid and rely on your coordination to get your item into the intended square on the grid. Fun and competative for all ages!
