Two snow days before Winter Storm Jonas even arrived! The kids have already watched six movies, played with legos, finished a craft, and are whining with boredom. How are you going to get through the weekend?? We feel your pain! Here are a few ideas for indoor activities that will promote gross motor development, sensory regulation, and parental sanity.
Found on YouTube, these are 20-30 minute clips that highlight yoga moves into themes like Star Wars, ocean animals, princesses, etc. If you have to resort to a screen, this is the way to go! Kids love the interactive scenes and develop their body awareness, core strength and endurance and overall motor planning skills while immersing themselves in imaginary scenarios.
- Indoor Obstacle Courses
(Image via Teachpreschool.org)
A great way to provide kids some heavy work with supervision for safety! Let them rearrange furniture and pull cushions off of the sofa to set it all up. Line up chairs and have them crawl under the "tunnel," crawl/jump/walk across couch cushions to challenge balance, use painter's tape or jump ropes to make "balance beams", tile floors become hopscotch patterns, and sliding across hardwood floors with paper plates under their feet becomes ice skating.
- Rough and Tumble play with Mom and Dad
What better way to work on strength, engagement and interaction, and just have fun together!
- Dance parties...need we say more!
(Image via yourneighborhoodtoystore.org)
- Animal Walking Games
A great way to travel the house: slither like a snake, crawling like a dog, hopping like a bunny, leaping like a frog, walking like a bear (crawling on hands and feet versus knees), and crab walking. Set up a puzzle on the opposite side of the room and have them travel back and forth bringing one piece at a time.
- Human Bowling
Your child becomes the bowling ball as they log roll or somersault across the room to knock down pins (you can use paper towel rolls or tissue boxes).
There are so many fun ways to keep the kids occupied inside-- don't forget about good l' Hide & Seek. Good luck out there parents! Or, IN there rather...
