Send them through once, time them, and see if they can beat their time the next time through. Or, if you have more than one kiddo involved, see who can make it through the fastest. Form is everything though!
The goal is to work on skills that are difficult while maintaining control and keeping good form. So, hopping on one foot with arms flailing and body leaning all over the place, just to go faster, kind of defeats the purpose!
What are your favorite gross motor activities to use with older kids and teens? Leave us a comment below! Sign up to receive our newsletter , a roundup of our favorite posts and other great finds from around the web delivered right to your inbox!
I enjoyed reading your creative ideas to get older kids engaged. I look forward to reading more! Hi Rhonda! Thanks for the shout out We got moving with a lot of climbing and running at the park and a swim lesson today!
So many good tips — my little guy loves to get moving and gross motor skill development is something he is naturally drawn to, so big art is one of the few ways to engage him in art and craft activities.
Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Fun ways to achieve a lot of goals. Nice work. Hello, I believe your site could possibly be having internet browser compatibility issues.
Leave a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. What Parents Have to Say… There's always something new for us to discover, as well as old favorites. I am so grateful to have activities handed to us Fun and easy ones that can be put together in a moment's notice!
You're awesome Jamie and I appreciate you sharing your activities and ideas!! It is so easy to just put up the calendar, and glance at it for inspiration when we are in a funk. This is exactly what I have been searching for! Thanks for making something so organized and easy to use. You could also play this game indoors using tape, but chalk is definitely the superior choice for easy clean up. You can hide items and put them on a list for your child to find.
Let your child play with only a flashlight to guide them. Play together inside and leave a few lights on if your child is scared of the dark. The treasure can be small toys, a yummy dessert, or whatever else your child would enjoy.
This would be a fun game before a movie night, with the treasure being popcorn, snacks, and drinks to enjoy during the movie. You can use many of the items that are also used in other activities on this list. Have your child kick a ball into a goal, walk across a balance beam , lay out pillows and hop from one to another, and weave around cones.
Add a tunnel to crawl through, have your child slide down the slide, and ask them to help you think of other fun obstacles. The scooters can be used on any flat surface indoors and out. Link to boards together for partner races. Time how long your child can sit, kneel, or stand on the board. Practice rocking from side to side or front to back. Once your child is more comfortable using the board, have them throw bean bags into buckets, play a clapping game with you while balancing, or reach to catch and pop soap bubbles as you blow them.
Older children can use the ball to bounce, stretch, and exercise. They can also lift, carry, or roll the ball. You can help your toddler sit on the ball and bounce. Add to the fun by singing silly songs when bouncing. Great for kids who crave movement, a Spin Disc can be used while sitting, kneeling, or lying on top of the disc. A beginner kit , is a great starting level for kids. Have your child stand on the band holding one end in each hand and perform bicep curls to strengthen their upper body.
Or have them sit on the ground, legs extended with the band against the bottom of their feet. While holding one end of the band in each hand, your child can pretend to row a boat for arm exercise. Whether your child is just learning to swim and needs to use a life jacket or is an accomplished underwater swimmer, the pool is a great place to have fun and get some exercise.
If your child has mastered swimming, teach them to dive and retrieve diving rings or sticks. You can time them or add swim through rings for an extra challenge. Lay the hearts out in a circle, a fun pattern, or randomly. Create cards with different actions on them like leap, skip, jump, walk, hop on one foot, etc. Start playing music. Pick a card and have your child follow the actions from heart to heart popping bubbles as they go.
When the music stops have your child freeze, pick a new card and announce the new action. Restart the music and keep playing. Go for a walk with your child and your dog. No problem, head out for a walk anyway and let your child pull a wagon or push a baby doll stroller to switch things up. Then, switch to the other leg to ensure you are conditioning both sides.
This is a simple game among gross motor activities that can be modified in a variety of ways. Tape a line somewhere outside or in your household and have your child walk along. Variations could include sliding, hopping, jumping. It could be something you put in front of the door, so they must try it every time you head out for school or to run an errand.
What a fun way to develop gross motor skills! Encourage your child to climb by using the equipment at the park. This will increase their coordination and strength. As they become more comfortable climbing, encourage them to try the monkey bars!
An effective activity for developing gross motor skills is the balloon toss. See how many times your child can throw a balloon to a partner and keep it in the air. Add variations, such as moving closer together and then further apart. Encourage different types of tossing, such as underhand or overhand. Hula hoops are so versatile! You can use them as obstacles for hopping over or into.
You can change the direction, sideways, backward, forwards or all three. You can practice catching them or tossing them to a partner. You can also race your hula hoop, by rolling it and trying to outrun it.
Spinning a hula hoop on your arms or around your waist is yet another effective way to develop coordination and strength. Jumping games are a simple way to increase those gross motor skills. Tape targets on a wall and having them jump to touch it, placing targets along the floor and jumping from one to next or having a jumping contest can be engaging ways to practice this skill. Alternatively, you could purchase a small trampoline and have your child practice different jumping styles star, pike, tuck, etc.
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