by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Instructions
- Talk with your preschool child about kangaroos. How do kangaroos move?
- Show your child how to hop like a kangaroo. Hands are held in front of chest with elbows bent.
- Practice hopping with your child. Make sure they take off with both feet and land with both feet, bending knees slightly when they land.
- Play “Follow the Leader” hopping like kangaroos.
- If there are trees and playground equipment present, you can hop around and between these obstacles.
Variations
- If there are several children present, try having a kangaroo-hopping race
Benefits
This activity develops dynamic balance, coordination, and rhythm required for activities at older ages such as running, skipping, hopping, and dancing.
by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
- Jump rope or thick string with a beanbag or stuffed animal tied to one end.
- Outdoor space or large indoor space free of obstacles.
Instructions
- Hold the rope at one end, or the string at the opposite end from the beanbag.
- Crouch down and turn the rope around you like a helicopter blade (you must change hands constantly).
- Keep the rope low to the ground.
- Encourage your child to jump over the rope each time it comes around.
Variations
- If this is too difficult for your child, try laying the rope on the ground and wiggling it side to side like a snake. Ask your child to “jump over the snake!”
Benefits
This activity develops rhythm, timing, and spatial perception.
by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
- Small indoor or outdoor space free of obstacles
Instructions
- Teach your child the song “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes”.
- Show your child the movements that go with each of the words.
- Touch each body part named in the song with the fingertips of both hands.
- Make sure your child bends their knees deeply when they go down to touch their knees and toes.
Variations
- After your child has learned the song and the movements, try remaining silent for one body part each time you sing the verse – for example, “Head and [silence], knees and toes”
- Try singing the song and doing the movements at fast speeds and slow speeds
- Words:
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes, knees and toes
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Eyes, ears, mouth and nose
Benefits
This activity develops coordination of legs, arms and torso, plus dynamic balance. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve dynamic balance and coordination for lifting and lowering objects (e.g., weightlifting as a sport, and all daily lifting activities in general, plus combative sports such as wrestling and judo).
by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
- Floor space or open space outdoors
- Music (optional)
Instructions
- Have your child find an open space on the floor or ground.
- Tell your child to crouch into a ball (“seed”).
- Tell your child to start “growing” like a flower. Rise up slowly and reach out with arms as if sprouting.
- Try different plant “actions”:The wind blows: sway and wave armsPlant gets thirsty: droop over forwardNighttime comes: close arms like petals closingThe sun comes out: stretch arms upwardWinter comes: crumble to ground
- Repeat as a different kind of flower, bush or tree.
Variations
- If you have a group, some children can be gardeners who walk around and “water” the flowers – they must make sure the flowers continue to grow – the children who are flowers should bend if they go too long without water
Benefits
This activity develops coordination and balance as kids try to imagine and imitate the movement of a flower as it grows and blossoms.
by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
- Large indoor or outdoor space free of obstacles
Instructions
- Talk with your preschool child about horses. How do horses move?
- Tell your child that you will practice galloping like a horse.
- Show your child how to gallop.
- One foot steps forward, and the trailing foot immediately “kicks” forward to almost touch the back of the front foot.
- Ask your child to gallop with you around the house or playground.Tip: Make horse “whinny” noises as you gallop.
Tip: If you have paper ribbon or streamers, take turns using them as horse reins – you can “pull” your child as you gallop, and your child can “pull” you as you gallop.
Tip: Galloping comes before Skipping.
Variations
- Play “Follow the Leader” as horses – this makes galloping into a game
Benefits
This activity develops dynamic balance, coordination, and rhythm required for activities at older ages such as running, skipping, hopping, and dancing.
