Gross Motor Skills

Gross Motor Skills

Involve the large muscles of the body that enable such functions as walking, kicking, sitting upright, lifting, and throwing a ball.

Below are ideas of how to develop your child's gross motor skills.

Ideas

1. A Tooty Ta Ta (gross motor) This hilarious song and action game will get both adults and kids giggling.
   Watch the video to learn how!
   
2. “Touch” Game – One person gives directions, saying: “touch a tree,” “touch something blue,” “touch something high,” etc. The other person runs as fast as she can to find and touch whatever it is.
3. Follow the Leader – The leader walks, runs, jumps, etc. around, the other people follow and repeat the movements. Take turns being the leader.
4. Ring Around the Rosie – Hold hands and sing the traditional Ring Around the Rosie song.
5. Hopscotch – There are many different ways to play hopscotch. One way is to draw your basic hopscotch grid, then the first player throws a marker (we use a rock) into box #1. The player hops on one foot (or alternating feet, or both feet for some kids!) all the way to the last box and back, stopping to pick up the marker on her way. Players take turns trying to throw in each box in order (1, 2, 3, etc.). A simpler way to play is to follow the instructions above, but only to hop to the first square, pick up the marker, and return.
6. Head Shoulders Knees and Toes – Start out by singing Head Shoulders Knees and Toes at a normal pace. Once your child gets the concept, try it slower, faster, super fast, and “warp speed,” or substitute other body parts in for a change of pace.
   Don't know the song! Watch the video to learn.
   
7. Red Light Green Light – The stop light stands at one end of the room/yard, the player(s) stand at the other. The stop light calls “green light,” and the players move toward the stop light. The players must stop when the stop light calls “red light.” Add variations to keep things fun: “yellow light” can mean walk slowly; “blue light” can mean hop; “purple light” can mean walk backwards, etc. Take turns being the stop light.
8. Charades – For younger children, make the clues they are to act out very easy: reading a book, sleeping, happy, sad, dog, cat. Use picture cards instead of written words (you can cut them out of a magazine), so that you don’t know what the child is acting out.
9. Basketball – Using any ball and “hoop” (a trash can, and bucket, a wagon, etc.), take turns shooting the ball toward the hoop. Let your preschooler start at whatever distance is comfortable for him. Concentrate on having fun – not making it a contest!
10. Hula Hoop Fun – Invest in several different colored hula hoops; lay them on the ground. Give instructions such as “run to the red hula hoop and pretend to be a car,” or “hop over to the green hula hoop like a bunny.”