Games To Develop Gross Motor Skills
When we talk about gross motor development in children, we are basically talking about the movement of the larger muscles in the body. That is why we talk about actions, such as jumping, running, climbing, dancing, etc. The good news is that there are plenty of games you can play with your children to develop their gross motor skills.
Playing movement games at home is an excellent way to promote your children’s gross motor skills. Therefore, do not miss the chance to play the games we will share with you in this article. Your children will be able to work with several skills, such as hand-eye coordination, balance, jumping, spatial awareness, muscle strength and agility.
Games to develop gross motor skills in children
1. Bowling
This activity can be played with a plastic bowling set or a homemade one of a kind. You can use empty plastic bottles and pour some sand or water into them to keep them stable.
You can also make this a creative activity and paint the bottles in different colors. In addition to this, you can vary the amount of sand or water in the bottles to change how easy or light they are to tip over with the ball. Arrange the bottles in a V-shape and play alternately.
2. Hinke
This game is an old one of a kind, but kids will love it. Hinkeleg is one of the best outdoor games, and you have to draw the squares with lime on a cement or concrete base. You and your child can alternately jump from square to square.
Jump on one leg on the single squares and with two feet where there are two squares (one foot in each). When you reach the end, turn around and return to the start. Learning to jump on one or two feet is an important skill for young children and it is a great game to learn.
Once your child has mastered how to jump, you can vary the doctor. Use a stone and throw it into the first square before you start. Next, your child should jump directly to the other square and avoid the stone. Then your child should jump up to square number ten and return again. When your child reaches the first square, he or she should bend down on one leg and pick up the stone.
3. Balance play to develop gross motor skills in children
For this play you can use a garden beam or temporary beam of wood or another material (brick or low stools). Practice walking on it without falling and make it a breeze. Imagine there are crocodiles under the “bridge” that you walk on. Challenge your child to walk on it, turn around at the end and walk back without falling.
4. Everyone in the tunnel!
Stand at a short distance from your child with your legs spread, and have your child roll a ball through the tunnel – that is, your legs.
With exercise, you can begin to move further and further away from your child and make the tunnel narrower by bringing your legs closer and closer together. You can even use a smaller ball. It is a good game to develop ball skills and coordination between hands and eyes.
5. Obstacle course
Work on your child’s strength and agility with a fun, homemade obstacle course that can be built either inside or outside the home. What matters is that you are creative. Set up several obstacles on a “track” and let your child walk – and even run – through the track.
Create a combination of activities on the course, such as opportunities for climbing, jumping, throwing, etc. Here are some ideas for obstacles and activities:
- Step on or climb on chairs
- Walk along edges
- Put a shoebox on your child’s head to train balance
- Jump on steps
- Balance on the tree branches
6. Run with eggs and spoon
This race is a favorite among young children on sports days. Your kids we love to compete against you in this fun game. Simply balance an egg on a spoon and run from the start line to the finish line.
It’s best to boil the egg first, unless you’re really in the mood for some pig fun! Nothing will sharpen your skills and concentration faster than the danger of destroying an egg!
7. Simon says
Simon says is a game that can be played to develop many of your children’s dignities, including listening skills, concentration, sound perception, etc.
Use this play as a way to stimulate your children’s big muscles. Make it more fun by alternately letting your ban give you guidelines to follow and vice versa. Some ideas can be, for example:
- Imitate a crab and go to the wall and back
- Run towards a tree, jump four times and run back
- Make three buckets, turn around and lie down with your face up
8. Throw balloons to develop gross motor skills in children
The goal here is to see how long you can hold the balloon in the air by hitting it from side to side before it falls to the ground. Once your kids have mastered the way the balloon flies, you can make it harder by trying with two balloons in the air at the same time.
In short, there is nothing better than helping your children develop their gross motor skills while you enjoy playing and spending quality time together. What are you waiting for to put all these activities into practice ?!
