Physical Activity
Balloon Ball
Find a fairly large, open area of the house where your child won't be in danger of running into anything. Blow up a balloon and show your child how to hit the balloon into the air with his/her hands. Try to hit the balloon back and forth, counting each successful hit. Or, simply hit the balloon to your child and challenge her to catch it...counting out loud ...(read more)
Indoor Tennis
My son invented a great new indoor game when he found a splatter screen in the kitchen and started hitting one of his stuffed fabric balls...indoor tennis! Splatter screens are wire mesh covers with a plastic handle that are made to keep grease from popping out of the pan when frying food. They are very light weight and easy for a toddler to wield without damaging home furnishings. ...(read more)
The Wheels on The Stroller Go...
We all know the old "Wheels on the Bus." Next time you go for a walk, try singing "Wheels on the Stroller." Some sample lyrics: The visor on the stroller goes up and down. The girls in the stroller go whee, whee, whee (or wah wah wah, depending on the day. The doggie by the stroller goes bark, bark, bark. The mommy pushing the ...(read more)
Puddle Jumping
When it rains outside, we put on our raincoats and rain shoes and go in search of puddles. With each puddle comes a story depending on the shape and location of the puddle and at the end of the story we jump into that particular puddle signifying the end to the story. For example, a big puddle might lead us into a story about crossing the ocean, or ...(read more)
Number Line
Create a number line from 1 to 20 on the floor with masking tape and numbers that have been cut out of construction paper. Each number should be about a foot apart. Practice counting up or down, adding or subtracting by having the kids jump and move up and down the number line.(read more)
Balloon Barbells
Kids love balloons, and this is a creative way to mix up the fun a little bit. Blow up two balloons and tie the ends together. Try to make sure the balloons are about the same size. When your kiddos hit one balloon, it sends the balloon barbell spinning. See how long you can keep them up in the air! This activity works even better ...(read more)
Crawling to the ABCs
Go to an educational store or other store that sells alphabet stencils. Then place the alphabet stencils on a tile floor in your home. Place them randomly so that the child will learn the letters individually. Then cover the stencils with clear contact paper. Watch as your baby discovers the fun of crawling over the letters. As they approach or crawl over a letter you ...(read more)
Indoor treasure hunt
Tell the kids to hide in one room of the house. Then take some toy cars, action figures, or other non-breakable toys and objects and hide them in a different room. Once you are done hiding, give each kid a brown paper bag and then have them come into the room and try to find all the hidden objects. A way to make this game fun and ...(read more)
The Magic Number
This is a fun way to entertain young ones on a walk around the block. Have your preschooler pick his favorite number or a letter. As you go on your walk, help him find the number or letter on house addresses, street signs, mailboxes, license plates, or anywhere else. You can even write down how many times you found the magic number or letter. Older kids like learning ...(read more)
Winter Walk
Bundle up, take a winter walk at dusk to look at holiday lights, listen for crisp, cold sounds (snow crunching, dogs barking) and work up an appetite for hot chocolate. We like to pretend we're on an expedition in Alaska, seeking shelter or searching for penguins - let their imagination run wild and don't let the cold weather keep you in!(read more)
Freeze Dancing
Turn on the radio or CD Player and start to dance with the kiddies. Then turn the music off randomly and surprise the kids by saying 'Freeze.' If they don't freeze, they can be out or you can just continue to play without doing the elimination. With more kids the elimination works well and they have fun with it. Loads of laughs for a rainy day!(read more)
4 Hugs and 3 Jumps
Get a stack of 20 index cards. On half of them, write the numbers 1 through 10; on the rest, write action words like jump, kiss, and hug. Have your child draw a number card and an action card, then help him put the two together: "Jump 2 times" or "Hug your teddy bear 6 times." This activity is great for older and younger children -- helping the younger ...(read more)
Twister Cards
This may sound complicated, but it is well worth the effort! You will need red, dark blue, light blue, green, and yellow card stock. Using red for the right side body parts and blue for the left side, cut out a whole bunch of hand and foot shapes. Then cut small circles for elbows and half ovals for knees. These should be approximately 2-3 inches long. ...(read more)
Pillow Mazes
Collect all the pillows and couch cushions you have and pile them in one room. Create mazes with them and have a blast tumbling around the room.(read more)
Mummy Wrap
With a group of children, have the kids choose their delegate to become a mummy by wrapping him or her in toilet paper! Likely, they'll all want a turn and then can chase each other around as mummies!(read more)
Homemade Ring Toss
Next time you're stuck in the house, try this fun game with everyday items. Cut the center out of a paper plate to make a ring, and help your child try to toss it onto a half-empty water bottle. Not only will you have fun, but you'll help your kiddo work on hand-eye coordination and spatial reasoning.(read more)
Walking on Cans
Use large, empty cans (coffee tins are a good choice -- the cans need to be very sturdy) to make stilts for your preschooler. Poke holes on two sides of each can towards the bottom; the top of the tin, with the plastic top, will be the bottom of the stilts. Run string or thin rope through the holes to become handles. It's important to make ...(read more)
Left or Right?
Teach your child left and right with this fun game! Call out a body part such as "left foot," "right shoulder," etc. and then toss a ball or balloon to a player who tries to hit the ball with that body part. That's the only rule. No winners or losers...just fun! (read more)
Indoor Ice Skating
For those long cold winter days when you can't get outside for some physical activity, pretend you are indoor ice skating. Have your child wear his socks and show him how to slide across the floor (any smooth surface..not carpet!). You can play follow the leader by adding in some spinning & jumps.(read more)
Swinging Statues
Best played outside, but can also be done indoors if you clear a big enough space. You are the 'sculptor' and your child will be the 'statue.' Gently swing your child in circles (either by holding under their arms or just by holding hands) 2 or 3 times, calling out the name of an animal or object. When the sculptor lets go, the statue must come to ...(read more)
Sticker Tag
A new twist on the old game of tag - great for all ages and sure to get your blood pumping. Get a bunch of stickers, any kind will work but I use sheets of colored adhesive dots that are inexpensive and can be found at office supply stores. Place the pile of stickers within easy reach of everyone, then distribute one sheet to each person. Spread ...(read more)
Beanbag Balance
Using homemade or store-bought beanbags, see if your kids can balance beanbags on their heads while walking a jump rope on the grass. You can make the line straight or curvy; try to balance walking forward, backwards and sideways. Have a race and see who can walk the most quickly without the beanbag falling. Another fun option is a relay where the kids have to run with ...(read more)
Follow the Snake
Place a jump rope on the floor like a snake and have your child try to keep their balance while walking along the "snake's" back. As they do it you can sing a silly rhyme together: "Two, four, six, eight. Johnny [or the name of your child] saw a rattlesnake. Eating cake by a lake. Two, four, six, eight."(read more)
Jump Rope
Starting at age 4, children can begin to learn to jump rope. Begin by swinging the rope back and forth slowly while they learn to jump over it; then once they get the hang of things, move on to swinging it overhead. If you don't have another grown-up to help you swing the rope, you can hold one end of the rope and tie the other to the ...(read more)
Freeze Tag
A classic game that never grows old. One person is 'It' and he or she chases the other players in an attempt to tag them. When players are tagged, they're frozen in place and can only be freed when another player crawls through their legs. The game gets hilarious when you try to crawl through your 4 year olds legs!(read more)
Go Speed Racer!
A fun game for your little speed demon: Find a large concrete area. The driveway is a good choice, as long as it's safe! Draw a chalk racetrack on your driveway, and then let your child speed around it on her trike or big wheel. If you don't have a driveway (or don't have a safe one), you can draw a long line down the ...(read more)
Indoor Balance Beam
If you have a little gymnast in your house, use this activity to get him or her off the furniture and onto a safer surface. Grab a bunch of throw pillows from around the house and line them up on the floor. Let your child walk across the pillows, as though they're a balance beam.(read more)
Indoor Jump Rope
Here's a clever way to re-purpose your jump rope or even a long piece of yarn. Stretch your jump rope, or other long string, on the floor and use it as a "tightrope"; your child can walk backwards, forwards, eyes closed, etc. For an added "circus" touch, give your child a broomstick to use as a balance. You could also use the jump rope as an obstacle, ...(read more)
3, 2, 1, Blast Off!
In an wide open space, indoors or outdoors, help your child to count backwards from 10 to 1, then yell "Blast off!" Run in circles a few times, with your arms open wide, like a rocketship.(read more)
Jump the River
Using a long rope, form a V-shape on grass or a carpeted area. Use some type of markers for jumping spots, like small rocks or masking tape. Staring at the bottom of the V, have kids jump over to the other side of the rope. Then move up toward the wider part of the V. Keep the kids jumping from one side to the other until ...(read more)
Broad Jump
Set up three or four jump ropes spaced at different intervals. Kids start at one side, deeply bend knees and arms and try to jump to or over the next rope. Between each jump they should stop and prepare for their next jump. You can change the spacing to make it more or less challenging for older or younger kids. Great for expending energy and working ...(read more)
Homemade Obstacle Courses
Using various household or backyard objects, develop a running, jumping, ducking course for children to run around in the backyard. The kids can have a race or run just for fun!(read more)
Sand Tracks
This activity works best at the beach or a large sand area at a local playground. With your foot, trace tracks in the sand in large spirals, waves, swirls, any design you like. Criss-crossing tracks work well; the more intricate the better. Then let your child run along the tracks like a little locomotive. My boys used to love tracing and retracing these "maps" in the ...(read more)
Red means Stop
My one-and-a-half-year old was having difficulty with the concept of 'stop' so now we play a game where we say, 'run and run and run and stop' while we are out, in order to practice. You can also try walk and stop, slide and stop, tiptoe and stop. They learn new vocabulary for movement and also practice the word and concept of stop. She now understands what ...(read more)
Melting Candles Tag
My son plays this at school - a different version of the traditional 'Freeze Tag.' One player is chosen as 'It,' and chases the other players in an attempt to tag them. When tagged, you freeze in place with your arms above your head (fingers touching) and begin to 'melt' like a candle, slowly sinking your body to the ground. Other players can free you by touching ...(read more)
Off to the Races (Indoors)!
Create an obstacle course with masking tape on the floor around various things inside your house. For example, you can have your kids crawl through big cardboard boxes, climb onto the couch, crawl to the end of the couch and then jump down onto a stack of pillows, then race over to a spot for stacking a set of blocks into a tower, and so on.(read more)
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Savvy Welcomes Jacque Grillo's 10 New Year's Resolutions for Parents
TEN PARENT RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR Resolve that one day each week will be a day without television, videos, computers, and electronics of any sort. Shut the things off. Reclaim your homes. Resist the pressure to become your child's
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