Here are some ways you can help your children develop large muscle skills.
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BALLS
- Provide you child with lots of balls to play with.
- Balls can be used for throwing, bouncing, kicking and catching.
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KICKBALL
- Stuff a small pillow case with crumpled newspaper.
- Sew or tape the ends closed.
- Let your child use the pillow to kick with his bare feet.
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ROPE WALK
- Set out a piece of rope on the floor.
- Let your child pretend to be a tightrope walker and walk on the rope.
- This activity will help your child with their balance.
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JUMP ROPE
- Have two children hold the ends of a jump rope, while it is lying on the ground.
- Have the children wiggle the rope a little to make it wavy.
- Have a third child practice jumping over the rope while it is moving.
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RIVER JUMPING
- Place two pieces of rope on the floor parallel to one another about two feet apart to represent a river.
- Have your children practice jumping over the “river”.
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WASHING WALLS
- Give your children a bucket of water and some large sponges.
- Have the children wash the walls on the side of your house or school.
Variation: Give the children the water and a large paint brush, to brush water onto the walls to pretend they are painting the building. |
OBSTACLE COURSE
- Set up a small obstacle course for your children.
- Put out low objects for them to crawl over
- Plus some tables to crawl under
- And some open-ended boxes to crawl through.
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BLANKET TOSS
- Set out a small blanket for two children to hold on to, one on each end.
- Place a small soft toy in the middle of the blanket.
- Have the children raise the blanket up and down, so that the object will fly up, while they catch it on the way down back into the blanket.
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MOVEMENT FUN
- Hopping, marching, skipping, standing on one foot, all help young children develop balancing skills.
- Moving arms around in circles, pushing/pulling objects, twirling, all help young children develop balancing skills.
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