My toddler is obsessed with his stuffed animals. I mean like at least 10 sleeping with him a night. Which animal he likes the best really depends on the day. This week we tried an activity where we could use his stuffed animals in play while building his core strength. This idea came from the …
A super fun activity to do in the winter months is ice skating. Did you know that you can try this activity indoors as well? Yes you can, and it’s a great way to work on balance and strength. You only need a couple simple things that are likely already in your home for indoor …
It is the dead of winter around here. That means snow and cold. Sometimes too cold to even get outside. That can cause a little (or a lot) of stir craziness! To combat against that we try to play games with movement! The snowflake hop is a great winter gross motor game that can be …
We are only about a month away from St. Patrick’s Day! Gross motor games with a St. Patrick’s Day theme are so much fun! They work great for the entire month of March! The clover hop gross motor game was a hit! This time we are talking about the rainbow relay! It’s the perfect game …
Rainbow Relay – St. Patrick’s Day Gross Motor Game Read More »
Conversation hearts have been around at Valentine’s Day for as long as I can remember. I’ve noticed that the “conversations” on the hearts have evolved over time. The hearts for the conversation heart hop game have movement based words as their “conversations.” It’s a simple, fun game that can be enjoyed by all age …
Conversation Heart Hop – Valentine’s Day Gross Motor Read More »
I remember back in elementary school absolutely loving the Valentine’s Day parties! I loved getting to decorate the “mailboxes” and working on writing out my cards at home. I loved getting to deliver them to everyone in the class. This inspired me to come up with a Valentine’s Day gross motor game that incorporated one …
Valentine Delivery Relay – Valentine’s Day Gross Motor Read More »
Basketball season is upon us! Today’s post is all about basketball themed brain break ideas. There are so many different basketball brain breaks that you can do with the basketball theme. These are perfect for your basketball lover, March Madness, ball skills, or the Final Four!
It’s cold around here. It feels just like the arctic! I just checked the temperature and it was 5 degrees. Yep, 5 degrees outside! Yuck! So, we are staying in this week. Although we are inside it is still important to get some energy out. Since it feels like the arctic, gross motor games with …
I’m often asked how to encourage upper extremity weight bearing with a toddler/preschool aged child. It’s not always easy in this age group as they are on the move and busy! We know that weight bearing through the upper extremity helps build strength through the hands/arms/shoulder complex/core. One of my favorite ways to get weight …
This post brought to you by SnowCast. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Pink Oatmeal. It’s that time of the year for snow. During the winter my toddler loves to go outside and play. With a baby and toddler in tow I have to be organized even when we go outside to play …
We know that movement is essential to learning. We know that kids that are physically active perform better at school. Making brain breaks fun and available are important. Adding a theme to brain breaks can make them go with any unit you teach or student’s enjoy! Stepping away from the screen and doing a brain …
The focus around Thanksgiving is of course giving thanks, but also food. As much as I love food I always try to participate in some sort of physical activity to go with it. Most often, we participate in a local Walk For Hunger. Combining Thanksgiving with physical movement can be achieved for the kids too! …
Football season is upon us. It’s in full force at our house. Vikings, Gophers, and the local high school teams are the weekend excitement around here. In the spirit of football season I’ve created a matching game with a football theme. Of course, the football matching game also has a movement component. It’s a fun …
Matching With Movement – Football Themed Freebie Read More »
Halloween is a fun filled holiday full of candy, costumes, and parties. Halloween is also a great time to encourage movement in the classroom, home, or therapy. Adding a Halloween theme can make movement at Halloween fun for the kids. Movement is also perfect to add into a Halloween party or use Halloween themed brain breaks …
I recently had the opportunity to review Sensory Processing 101 (affiliate). As a physical therapist this sparked my interest and I hoped it would give me more ideas to use in my practice. This book is an awesome resource written from a parent and educator perspective as well as a therapist perspective. It gave me …
I’m always looking for fun ways to keep the kids moving. Adding a theme is a great way to make gross motor games even more fun. There are some pretty cool ideas out there! Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorites that I’ve found to try out this fall!
The scooter board is an awesome tool to use for strengthening in kids. It’s so much fun to use with so many different games and obstacle courses that it’s hard to believe that you could be strengthening at the same time! My 2 year old recently received one for his birthday. He really enjoys it, …
I love fall. I am especially looking forward to the weather this year. At 8 months pregnant cool weather is much appreciated! One of my favorite activities to do with my family is go to the local pumpkin patch. My son loves to play and climb on the pumpkins. Pumpkins are the perfect them to …
Movement is a must, and competition is fun! I think a little competition is healthy, even if it’s just competing with yourself to do better. I also think it adds a little motivation. One of my favorite gross motor games to play is a gross motor version of Win It In A Minute! This game is …
I’ve always found that making things fun is the way to go. Whether that be in therapy or at home. I’m very much a “fun” exercise type person myself. I’d rather play an organized sport or game than run on the treadmill. I’m always trying to come up with new ideas to incorporate gross motor skills …