Physical Activity

Physical activity is a very important part of all our lives. Here are some ideas that you can use with all the children!!

  • Play Simon Says
  • Balance Beam: draw a line with chalk… use masking tape to tape a line to the ground/floor – ask your child to walk only on the line. Try making angles, spirals and zig zags.  Variations: try it backwards, with eyes closed, jump, hop on one foot.
  • Keep the Balloon Up: Blow up some balloons and have your child use their hands to keep tapping the balloons up into the air and not letting them touch the ground.
  • Dancing: Have a dance party! Try freeze dancing (stop/pause the music and kids freeze like a statue)
  • Scavenger Hunt: specific letters, shapes, numerals, nature items etc…
  • Indoor Obstacle Course: ideas include – crawl under tables, use a balance beam as described above, climb over ottomans, put pillows/cushions on the floor and jump from one to the next, perform various exercises like 20 jumping jacks, toss 3 sock ‘snowballs’ into laundry baskets.
  • Animal Races: hop like a frog, jump like a bunny, run on all fours like a dog, walk like a spider, slither on the ground like a snake, crab walk
  • Tag! Laser tag, Hide and Seek Tag, Freeze Tag, TV tag
  • Jump Rope (see youtube tutorial on how to make one from plastic grocery bags)
  • Hopscotch: (Draw with chalk outside or create one from masking tape inside!)
  • Bowling: use water bottles as the ‘pins’ , grab a ball and roll it to knock down the pins. Count how many have fallen down!
  • Indoor Basketball: roll socks into balls and try to toss them into a laundry basket. Every time you make a basket, take one step backwards and try again.
  • Ride bikes (don’t forget your helmet!)
  • Take a walk
  • Play basketball outside 
  • Go for a run/jog
  • Parachute: use a large bedsheet.  Kids can shake it up and down… try it while sitting, while standing, shake it while jumping.  Turn this into a freeze game by adding music and pausing the music to stop shaking.  
  • Bubbles: go outside and blow bubbles 
  • The Floor is Lava: have your child create an obstacle course on the floor with cushions, pillows, towels and/or small blankets. They will jump from item to item when the parent shouts “the floor is lava!”
  • Catch:  play this indoors with rolled up socks or other soft objects such as a stuffed animal or small pillow.  Play this outside with balls of various sizes
  • Yoga: go to YouTube and search Cosmic Kids Yoga
  • GoNoodle.com
  • Google: Listen and Move song by Greg and Steve
  • Google: Animal Action song by Greg and Steve
  • Google: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (act it out)
  • Google: The Goldfish (Let’s Go Swimming) by Laurie Berkner (act it out)
  • Google: We are the Dinosaurs by Laurie Berkner (act it out)
  • www.cosmickids.com
  • https://youtu.be/2UcZWXvgMZE