Gross motor skills are the ability to make movements using the large muscles of our arms, legs and torso. These skills are important for early child development and as a child grows. In order to improve these skills, we have provided your child with a menu of gross motor activities. There will be opportunities built into your child's daily schedule to use this menu to choose activities to help develop their skills. The most important gross motor skills children need to develop include the following:
Practice jumping- how high can you jump? How far can you jump? Can you hop on one leg? Now try the other. Can you jump over something?
Walk on a balance beam- Can you walk across the beam without stepping off? Can you jump over it with two feet? Don't have a balance beam? No problem! Create a line on the ground using painters tape, chalk- anything you have!
Yoga- try some yoga poses. Which is your favorite? Which is easiest to do? Which is hardest to do? Don't know any yoga poses? Try these videos to get you started! Yoga for kids with animals. Yoga for kids- a beginners guide. Nick Jr. Friends yoga video.
Dance- You can dance anywhere! Put on your favorite music and show off your moves! Need a little help getting started? Try these classroom favorites! Party Freeze Dance. Bear Hunt. The Floor is Lava!
- sitting
- standing
- walking
- running
- jumping
- lifting (a spoon, a hairbrush, a barbell — they all count)
- kicking
Practice jumping- how high can you jump? How far can you jump? Can you hop on one leg? Now try the other. Can you jump over something?
- Go for a walk- Take walk outside. While you walk try one of the following:
- -Count how many cars you see.
- - Listen for three different things
- -Find something that is square, a circle, a triangle and a rectangle.
- - Find one thing for each color in the rainbow
Walk on a balance beam- Can you walk across the beam without stepping off? Can you jump over it with two feet? Don't have a balance beam? No problem! Create a line on the ground using painters tape, chalk- anything you have!
Yoga- try some yoga poses. Which is your favorite? Which is easiest to do? Which is hardest to do? Don't know any yoga poses? Try these videos to get you started! Yoga for kids with animals. Yoga for kids- a beginners guide. Nick Jr. Friends yoga video.
Dance- You can dance anywhere! Put on your favorite music and show off your moves! Need a little help getting started? Try these classroom favorites! Party Freeze Dance. Bear Hunt. The Floor is Lava!