It is important to our overall health and well being to STAY ACTIVE while we are at home.  Here are ideas for motor activities to promote exercise along with core strengthening, balance, and coordination to keep our kids moving!

OBSTACLE COURSES

• Use things around the house to make an obstacle course (e.g. couch pillows, jump ropes, hula hoops, step stools).  Your kids always have great ideas and can make one themselves!
• Incorporate activities that challenge your child such as crawl under, step over, spin around, crawl through, roll
• Put various obstacles around the room (pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, books, etc) and have your child walk through the room and move around the objects without stepping on them

CHORES AND “HEAVY WORK”

• Have your child help you carry in the groceries and put them away
• Give your child  “heavy” things to carry and walk with around the house or outside such as a backpack or purse with a few canned goods inside
• Push and pull activities using boxes, crates, laundry baskets, etc.  Have your child put things in the box or basket and push/pull to another room in the house.  
• Have your child push and pull a wagon with objects in it to make it heavier

ANIMAL WALKS

• Walk like a duck (on heels)
• Crab walk
• Bear walk on hands and feet
• Kangaroo jumps
• Frog jumps
• Penguin walk
• Have your child make up their own animal to copy!

BALANCE ACTIVITIES

• Practice standing on one leg.  See who can stand on one leg longer!
• Tape a line of 6 to 8 feet with masking tape on the floor and do a “tightrope” walk
• Walk along a curb outside
• Play a game of catch while on high knees

ON-LINE RESOURCES

• Go noodle is a website that has various videos that are fun and engaging to get the kids moving.   https://www.gonoodle.com/   
• Cosmic Kids yoga.  These videos on You Tube make yoga fun with themes such as Star Wars, Pokemon, Trolls, Frozen and The Very Hungry Caterpillar     https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga

PLAY OUTSIDE and get fresh air!!!

• Take walks, ride a bike or scooter, play with sidewalk chalk or bubbles, play tag and have relay races, push/pull a wagon