Requirements

• Open indoor space, or dry outdoor space with grass.
• Rope, ribbon, or any line on the ground.

Instructions

1. Talk with your preschool child about bears. How do bears move?
2. Show your child how to crawl like a bear. Knees do not touch the ground.
3. Stretch out a rope or ribbon on the grass, or find a line marked on the floor.
4. Crawl along the rope, ribbon or line like a tightrope in the circus. Feet and hands must stay on the rope, ribbon or line.

Variations

• If there are several children present, try having a bear crawl race. Mark a starting line and a finish line 10 metres away.

Benefits

This activity develops coordination, balance, and strength as kids try to imitate the movements of a bear.

Requirements

• Gymnasium or outdoor space with hard ground surface; 3-5 throwing objects per child (e.g. bean bags), 3-5 start markers (e.g. plastic cones or lines on floor), 3-5 goals or golf holes (e.g. hula hoops)

Instructions

1. Place a start marker on the ground with the first hula hoop approximately 3-4 meters away. This is the first golf hole.
2. Place your next start marker near the first hoop with the second hoop approximately 3-4 meters away. This is your second golf hole.
3. Continue to place more markers and hoops to create as many golf holes as you want.
4. Starting at the first marker, participants try to throw their bean bags into the first hoop.
5. If their bean bag misses the hoop, participants retrieve their bean bag, return to the start line, and throw again until the bean bag lands in the hoop.
6. Participants move to the next start marker and play the next golf hole.
7. The game ends when all participants have gotten their bean bags into all the hoops and completed the entire golf course.

Variations

• If you want to add a bit of competition, record each player’s total number of throws at each hole. The winner is the player with the lowest score at the end of the game.

Benefits

This activity develops throwing.

Requirements

• Unobstructed wall with hard floor or pavement in front
• Plastic beach ball 20-40 cm diameter that is very bouncy
• Paper masking tape and string 4-5 metres long
• Chalk

Instructions

1. If indoors (e.g. garage), create a 4-5 metre horizontal line on the wall using the piece of string. Hang it one metre above the floor and tape it every 1-2 metres.
2. If outdoors (e.g. driveway), create a 4-5 metre horizontal line on the wall using long pieces of masking tape. Place it one metre above the pavement.
3. Create a line on the floor 2-3 metres from the wall. If indoors, use masking tape. If outdoors, use masking tape or chalk.
4. Hit the ball at the wall with the palm of the hand, using your hand like a tennis racquet.
5. The ball must bounce off the wall on the line or above the line.
6. One player “serves” from behind the line on the floor.
7. The other player “returns” the serve from either side of the line.
8. Play continues until one player misses a return.
9. When a player misses, the other player restarts play with a new serve.
10. Players can score a point only when they are the server.
11. The ball can bounce once on the floor or pavement before a player hits a return.
12. First player to 5 points wins.

Variations

• Don’t keep score at first – simply challenge your child to return the ball as long as possible in a continuous “rally”
• Make a game where you and your child are on the same team – count how many returns you can do in one rally – with each new rally, try to better your previous score
• If you have more than one child, or more than one adult, try playing a fun family tournament where family members take turns playing each other

Benefits

This activity develops hand-eye coordination and timing for striking a moving object. These skills also transfer to striking with a bat, racquet, or stick.

Requirements

• Bathtub and parent supervision

Instructions

1. During bath time, encourage your toddler to splash in the water by kicking their legs.
2. Remove items from near the bathtub if you do not want them wet.
3. Have your toddler kick as they sit or recline in the bathtub. (Support their head if necessary.)

Variations

• Encourage your toddler to splash with their hands by pushing the water with their hands as paddles

Benefits

This activity develops leg coordination, strength and gross motor control in the lower body. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve swimming or simply kicking an object (e.g., soccer, football, martial arts).

Requirements

• Gymnasium or outdoor space with hard ground surface, basketball hoop, lightweight basketball or volleyball for young children, standard basketball for older children and teens.

Instructions

1. Working with a partner or small group, take turns shooting for one minute, and see how many baskets you can score in that time.
2. Partners who are not shooting are responsible for rebounding the ball for the shooter.

Variations

• If you want to make shooting easier, try using a lighter ball (e.g. volleyball).
• For extra challenge, try to shoot while moving.

Benefits

This activity develops throwing skills together with core strength.