I have been posting a series about my all time favorite preschool supplies. If you are looking for some ideas for the preschooler(s) in your life, you can see my must have list of art, science, and math supplies as well as sensory and fine motor supplies and manipulatives and puzzles. I find that looking through a colleague’s classroom can help stir the creative powers in my mind, so I hope this does the same for you.
I am very excited to share about movement and music today. Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of preschoolers is their bountiful spurts of energy. So I want to show you the activities that I use to get preschoolers using that amazing energy in a constructive way through music and gross motor movement.
Bean Bags: These are one of my all time favorites for an organized large group activity. We turn on the “Pass the Bean Bag” song, and around the bean bag goes, mesmerizing each child as they hope the music stops while they are holding it. We also love balancing bean bags on our elbows, nose, ears, knees, and head. Plus they are great for throwing into a cardboard box with shape cutouts. Our bean bags are shapes (and used to have shapes labeled and painted on them), and there are some that have letters too.
Ribbons and scarves: Who can resist the excitement of flowing pieces of fabric twirling through the air? Even the the most shy and timid child opens up with the opportunity to bring these colors to flight! Tie some scarves together, and you can create a game for multiple children to participate in.
Musical instruments: Whether it is maracas, a tambourine, drum, microphone, etc. preschoolers love musical instruments! It’s also super fun to make them as well. We will be making some rain sticks later on, and I’ll post about those!
Tunnel: I live in a climate where winter can be extended over eight months, so we thrive on indoor gross motor activities. Crawling through a tunnel is a fantastic way to get those wiggles out, especially if we have a cold spell that keeps us in for an entire week.
Parachute: We also love using a parachute! Our favorite game is to put someone in the middle and run. We also practice shaking it faster and slower, higher and lower. Sometimes we just sit on top of it and have a circle time. We also enjoy putting it over our heads and behind our backs until we’re sitting on it again and all inside, like a turtle inside of a shell.
A bridge and a boat: The picture of the wooden bridge turns into a boat for four preschoolers to sit comfortably. If you are looking for a great gross motor activity for indoors, I highly recommend these! I found the best deal at Amazon.
What are some of your “go to” activities when your little one(s) need to get some wiggles out?
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