Have a child with lots of energy? Did you know you can make the right use of that energy for your child’s development by involving him in some gross motor skills activities? And yes, keep him engaged too!
Gross motor skills are extremely important for the development of children. It helps the development of their big and little muscles as well as helps them gain confidence in their posture and body.
By smartly planning activities for your children, you can help in the development of their gross motor activity as well as burn lots of energy. Here are a few ideas from our side:
#1. Jumping through a maze of alphabets
Mazes are so fun. All it needs is chalk and a sidewalk or driveway and you can keep your child engaged for long. Draw a grid pattern on the road and write alphabets on them. Then all you need to do is tell a word and ask your child to spell it by jumping from one box to another. This is a fun game where you can participate too, and burn some calories as well. Get innovative and make your own rules.
#2. Pretend to be a baby animal
Baby animals are cute, and so is your kid. In this activity, you can write down the names of many baby animals and put it in a bowl. Now, tell your child to pick one and act like that animal. It’s a fun movement game which will increase your child’s knowledge about animals. And burn lots of energy too!
#3. A nature hunt
This super fun game will help your child remain close to nature and also learn new things about nature. Take your child outside for a day and give small tasks – such as “Bring me an orange flower” or “Find a twig in the shape of Y”. You can participate as well to make it more exciting. We promise lots of fun!
#4. A physical activity box
This game is very popular among parents across the world. Take a cardboard box (preferably square in shape) and wrap it with paper. Now write six different activities on six sides – such as flap your wings like a dolphin or jump like a rabbit. Now, ask your child to roll it like dice and then act out according to the activity written on it. In case, you cannot find a square box, take a rectangular one and write a number along with the activity. Ask your child to roll a dice (instead of the box) and match it to the activity on the box. We suggest getting creative with the activities.
#5. Walk on the line
Draw a zig-zag line on the driveway with chalk and tell your child to walk on it, without stepping outside. This will improve your child’s balance and posture. You can keep making different levels and keep treats at the end of each level, to spice things up!
#6. Fly a kite
Spend a day outside flying a kite with your child. Flying kite requires concentration and improves fine motor skills. And who doesn’t love flying kites, isn’t it? Build up the excitement from before by going shopping for kits together with your child or making the kite at home. You will find YouTube videos to learn about making a kite at home.
#7. Fun with balloons
Balloons are always fun! Plan some innovative games with balloons. You can fill a room with balloons and ask your child to burst them without using their hands. It’s tougher than it sounds. You can jump in too, and try to burst a few yourself. Get ready to laugh your heart out.
These activities are very easy to plan and a good idea to keep your child busy during the holidays. At Odyssey The Global Preschool, we plan various activities for our students every day to improve their fine motor skills as well as keep them engaged. You can learn more about it by clicking here.