Nothing is better than the beach during the summer (or vacation)! It’s also a fantastic way to work on motor skills. Today we are talking about beach themed gross motor and beach themed fine motor skills ideas. Use these ideas along with the ocean themed gross motor and fine motor activities or on it’s own. It’s a great end of the year or summer theme, but can really be used at any time.
Beach Themed Gross Motor Ideas
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Lifeguard/Beach Ball Stations – Start off your beach theme with a trip to the say hi to the lifeguard at the lifeguard station. This station involves balance work and/or core work. Place the different color beach balls on the wall. Now work on balance with knee taps or toe taps. You can also work in quadruped reaching for the different color beach balls!
You can find these printables as part of the Community Helpers Movement Stations from Pink Oatmeal.
Crab Walks
In the sand you may come across a crab! Add in crab walks to your beach themed gross motor moves. The best part is that you can change up your crab walks from the traditional crab walks.
Crab Rolls
Push a ball with your back as you move across the roll doing a crab walk. A peanut ball or regular stability ball will work with this idea.
Crab Legs
Next up is working those crab legs. While assuming the crab walk position kick out those legs. This can be done by kicking or using a target to kick at.
Beach Gross Motor Games
Think beach balls, kick boards, and pool noodles and make games of them. There are several different ideas in the relay races for kids post that would be perfect for this post.
Try pool noodle and beach ball walk.
Waiter walks are another fun activity. They are done holding a kickboard with an object on top like an empty cup or cup of water. You can also step over hurdles or try walk on a balance beam.
In the video below this activity is done in the water, but it doesn’t need to be. This can easily be done on the ground.
Beach Themed Printables and Games
When you think about the beach, how about surfing?!? Pink Oatmeal has an awesome surfing themed gross motor game that works on one to one correspondence along with movement! Count the number of surfboards, if you answer correctly perform the activity. If you count wrong, no big deal, try again. Try to master the entire game.
This game can be played on your computer, tablet, screen cast onto a television or played on an interactive whiteboard. This game can also be printed and used as printables.
GET THE SURFING THEMED GROSS MOTOR GAME
Beach Ball Boogie
The Beach Ball Boogie is another fun beach themed game that is print and play! Roll the dice and match the number to the activity. Once you’ve performed the move, color in the beach ball. Try to color all the beach balls OR see what row of beach balls gets colored in first.
GRAB THIS IN THE SUMMER THEMED MOVEMENT GAMES
The race to the beach game is another awesome print and go game that is part of the Summer Themed Movement Games from Pink Oatmeal. Roll the dice and race to the beach performing the gross motor moves along the way.
GRAB THIS IN THE SUMMER THEMED MOVEMENT GAMES
Beach Themed Gross Motor Game
Get your hands on the adorable and FREE Beach Themed Gross Motor Game from Pink Oatmeal. This game can be found in the Pink Oatmeal freebie library.
Select from different items on the beach, do the movement associated with that item. Try to get through all of them. This game can be played on a computer, tablet or interactive whiteboard. It can also be printed and used as printables.
GET THE FREE BEACH THEMED GROSS MOTOR GAME
Summer Friends Gross Motor Game
How about meeting some of those “friends at the beach”. The Summer Friends Gross Motor Game is just that. Pick from different beach friends, get to know their name, and perform the activity they ask of you. Make sure to meet all the friends at the beach.
This game can be played on a tablet, computer, interactive whiteboard or you can even print it and use it as printables.
GET THE SUMMER FRIENDS MOVEMENT GAME
Beach Themed Fine Motor Activities
Let’s talk about some beach themed fine motor activities! All of these activities can be found in the Summer Themed Fine Motor Activities Pack from Pink Oatmeal.
GET THE SUMMER THEMED FINE MOTOR ACTIVITY PACK
Start with working on scissors skills and working on creating a very colorful beach ball that is perfect for the beach theme!
Next up, roll the dice and cover the beach balls. This can be done with your fingers or the manipulation tool of your choice.
Try work on pencil control with the fun beach themed pencil control strips. Laminate them and use a dry erase marker so they can be used over and over again.
When you are at the beach, sunscreen is a must! Try this glue dot activity and work on those fine motor skills. Use glitter glue to make it even more fun.
All of the above activities plus many more can be found in the Summer Themed Fine Motor Activity Pack from Pink Oatmeal.
Pink Oatmeal also has another adorable pre-writing game available that goes perfect with the beach theme. When you play the Shark Themed Pre-Writing Game you get to pick a shark, get to know their name, and do the pre-writing stroke asked of you. The game is played on a tablet, computer, or interactive whiteboard. The actual pre-writing strokes take place on the table top. Printable strips are included with the game.
GET THE SHARK THEMED PRE-WRITING GAME
Another great option for fine motor activities with a beach theme is in the Ocean Themed Fine Motor Activity Pack from Pink Oatmeal.
GET THE OCEAN THEMED FINE MOTOR ACTIVITY PACK
BEACH THEMED RESOURCES
Pink Oatmeal has all the printables, games, and resources you need to make your gross motor and fine motor skills planning with a beach theme easy. Explore these resources by clicking below.
SEE ALL THE SUMMER THEMED RESOURCES FROM PINK OATMEAL
SEE ALL THE OCEAN THEMED RESOURCES FROM PINK OATMEAL
Below, is a highlight A HANDFUL (there are plenty more click above) of the resources available that are perfect for the beach theme. Click on the NAME of the resource to get a full detailed view of what is included.
