Welcome to our guide on 10 exciting movement activities for preschoolers! These fun and interactive activities are designed to encourage physical activity and promote gross motor development in young children.
From simple games to more challenging exercises, there’s something for every preschooler to enjoy. Let’s get moving and have some fun!
Great Movement Activities for Preschool
Finding new and engaging activities for your preschoolers is always exciting. And, what could be better than a classic game that’s been around for centuries? We’re talking about hopscotch! This beloved game is not only a blast to play, but it’s also packed with educational benefits that will help your child grow and develop important skills.
Hopscotch is believed to have originated in ancient Britain during the Roman Empire, where Roman soldiers would practice their footwork by running along large hopscotch courts in their armor. Today, it’s enjoyed by kids all over the world.
Playing hopscotch helps children with:
- Cognitive development: by following rules and playing with a purpose.
- Gross motor skills: building balance and strength.
- Hand-eye coordination: by placing an object in the right square and retrieving it later.
- Bilateral coordination: by coordinating both sides of the body in a coordinated way.
- Mathematical skills: counting squares and experiencing numbers in ascending and descending order.
So, next time you’re looking for a fun and educational activity for your preschooler, don’t hesitate to break out the hopscotch! Not only will they have a great time, but they’ll also be developing important skills that will benefit them for years to come.
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The Zoo Animals Roll and Move Game is a fun and interactive way for children to learn about the zoo and its inhabitants while building important skills. This game is perfect for parents and teachers looking for a way to make learning about the zoo a blast.
The game helps children develop important skills like listening, following directions, and building vocabulary, all while having a blast. Plus, playing the game in a group setting can also help children develop social skills, as they work together to roll the die and move like the animals they land on.
You will need a large fabric cube with clear sleeves for this. Or you can create your own die and tape or glue the cards to the sides.
To play this game:
- Prepare the cube by printing the cards and cutting them apart, and sliding the cards into the die.
- Roll the die, name the animal, read the sentence, and have children move like animals.
- Repeat with different children, or modify for individual learning
- Add music for a fun twist, and play to the beat of the music.
After the game, you can even have a brainstorming session, record a list of other zoo animals, and ask the children how these animals move. This can be used for a fun round of animal charades, adding even more fun and learning opportunities to the game.
The Zoo Animals Roll and Move Game are going to be a crazy and educational experience for your little ones. So, challenge them to get up and get moving!
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This next activity is a great way to get kids up and moving using the novelty of finding and opening sport-themed Easter eggs.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Plastic Easter eggs (any theme will work)
- Paper
- Pen
- Scissors
To start, cut your paper into strips small enough to stuff into the eggs. Write different gross motor actions on the paper, such as jumping jacks, skipping while singing the alphabet, marching in place, crab walking, stomping, touching toes, jumping, singing a song, burpees, sit-ups, and dancing like a maniac. Pop those in and hide the eggs.
Then, have your kids search for the eggs. As they find them, have them open them up and read the action. You can have the finder do the action or join the whole group. This activity can be a quick brain break or a full-body workout, depending on how many eggs you hide and the actions you choose.
So, gather some plastic eggs and prepare for the Sport-Themed Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt! It’s a fun and simple approach to get kids exercising and having fun. Take lots of pictures and appreciate those little ones while they’re still little!
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Are you ready for some indoor fun? Introduce your kids to the exciting world of ‘Don’t Step in the Hot Lava’! With just some simple pieces of colored paper and tape, you can turn your living room or classroom into a lava-filled adventure land. Let your kids pick out their favorite colors and help you tape them to the floor.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Gather some colored paper and tape. Let your kids pick out their favorite colors and help you tape them to the floor, creating a lava-filled landscape.
- Turn up the music and watch your kids hop, skip, and run around, trying their hardest not to touch the floor.
- To add a bit of learning to the mix, shout out a color and have the kids get to that colored piece of paper without stepping on the lava.
This activity not only provides physical activity but also improves color recognition and following instructions. Have fun and enjoy the giggles and laughs with your family or class!
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Get ready for some bean-tastic fun with this next activity! Perfect for indoor or outdoor playtime and great for building those big muscle skills. Let’s toss and roll to our heart’s content!
Introduce the next level of fun by teaching children how to toss a bean bag. Start by having them take a step back and gently toss the beanbag to you or another person. As they get more comfortable with this, you can set up a small bucket, basket, or other container and challenge them to see how many times they can successfully toss the beanbag into it.
As they get better, you can make the target smaller or move it further away to make it more challenging. It’s also a great idea to let them compete with themselves and try to beat their own personal best in terms of distance or accuracy. It’s a fun and engaging way for them to improve their hand-eye coordination and overall motor skills.
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This exciting activity is perfect for kids who love to mimic and copy. It’s a great way to get kids moving, laughing, and having fun all at the same time. It’s like a game of following the leader, but with a twist. You’ll be copying everything from silly dance moves to silly facial expressions. Imagine copying a robot dance or even pretending to be a monkey, the possibilities are endless!
Not only is this activity fun and engaging, but it also helps kids develop their fine motor skills, coordination, and concentration. It’s a great way to get kids out of their seats and moving around. Plus, it’s perfect for kids of all ages, so the whole family can join in on the fun.
Another great thing about this activity is that it can be done anywhere, whether it’s in the living room, backyard, or even at a park. It’s a great way to get kids to take a break from screens and engage in some physical activity.
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Get ready for a fun and exciting challenge for your little ones! Introducing the ‘How Many Can I Carry’ activity – a perfect way to improve gross motor skills and have a blast at the same time. Gather a pile of fun items like teddy bears, empty boxes, or any other soft and light objects and set up two bases.
As your child collects more items and makes their way back and forth between the bases, they’ll be building their strength and coordination. Your child will have to walk, hop, skip, walk backward, or jump between the bases, collecting a different item at each stop. They can carry the items in their arms or balance them on their head for added fun.
It’s a great way to teach them about balance and control. You can make the game even more exciting by challenging your child to collect a specific number of items or by timing them to see how quickly they can collect all the items. Let the games begin!
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Alphabet yoga is a fun and active way to learn the alphabet! Each letter is represented by a different yoga pose, which can be modified to fit the needs of the kids. Whether it’s in the classroom, in morning meetings, in physical education, PT, OT, SLP, or at home, alphabet yoga is a great way to engage kids and make learning fun.
Some examples of alphabet yoga poses include:
Airplane pose for A, Bicycle pose for B, Cat and Cow pose for C, Downward Dog pose for D, Elephant poses for E, Flower poses for F, Gorilla poses for G, Half Moon pose for H, Ice Skater pose for I, Jack Rabbit pose for J, Kite poses for K, Lion poses for L, Monkey poses for M, Night poses for N, Octopus pose for O, Pig poses for P, Queen poses for Q, Rock poses for R, Ship poses for S, Tree poses for T, Umbrella poses for U, V pose for V, Whale poses for W, X pose for X, and so on.
You can get creative and come up with your own poses too! So, let’s get moving and learn the alphabet fun and actively with alphabet yoga!
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Get ready for some shape-tastic fun with the Tape Shape Game! This exciting activity is perfect for kids who love to move and learn at the same time.
All you need is some tape and a few basic shapes, letters, and numbers to get started. Simply use the tape to create a variety of shapes, letters, and numbers on your floor, and then let your child stand on their favorite one. Next, give them some fun instructions to follow, like “bear crawl to the square” or “hop like a frog to the T” and watch as they race around the room, exploring each shape and learning as they go.
Not only is this game a blast, but it’s also an excellent way to help your child develop their motor skills and learn their shapes, letters, and numbers in a fun and engaging way. So grab some tape and get ready for some fun with the Tape Shape Game!
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This activity is a fun way to explore rainbows and build critical thinking skills in preschool. Materials needed are streamers in different colors, chairs, tables, and furniture. The skills developed are strategic thinking, spatial awareness, body control, balance, and creativity.
Activity:
- Read the book “A Rainbow of My Own” by Don Freeman
- Clear the center of the classroom and line up chairs across the room
- Children weave the streamers in and out of the chairs to create a rainbow
- Children take turns crawling, stepping over, or under the rainbow. They have to be careful not to tear the streamers while they practice strategic thinking, spatial awareness, body control, and balance.
- As a final game, invite children to run straight through the rainbow
- Clean up and have children take home pieces of the rainbow to share their experiences with family.
This activity is a great way to explore rainbows and build critical thinking skills in preschool. It’s easy to set up, fun, and educative for children.
For more information about this resource, be sure to check out teachpreschool.org
Conclusion
Movement activities are a great way to help preschoolers develop their physical, cognitive, and social-emotional skills. With these 10 exciting movement activities for preschoolers, you can provide your child with the perfect opportunity to explore and grow!
Let them have fun while learning valuable lessons that will stay with them for life.
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