Muscle Moving

4 Sides

Supplies:

• Four sheets of paper, each a different colour (ideally focus on the primary colours this unit, so use red, yellow, and blue, plus one more)
• Tape (or some other way to attach the papers to the wall)

Prep:

• Clear an area for running
• Tape one sheet of paper to each wall, ideally in the center of the wall.

Time to Play:

• Explain to your child that you are going to play a game together. When you say a colour, you are going to run to the wall with that colour.
• Call a colour, such as “Yellow!” Then run to the yellow wall, inviting your child to run with you.
• Call another colour and run to that wall together. Continue playing in this way.
• Once your child understands the game well, consider making it more challenging by adding specific actions. For example: “Crawl to blue” and “Stomp to red”.
  • Actions could include:
    • Run
    • Stomp
    • Crawl
    • Tiptoe
    • Take big steps
    • Take little steps
    • Fly
    • Run fast
    • Walk slow
    • Walk backwards (careful about this one in group settings)

Brain Boosting

Colour a Box

This activity is fantastic for your child’s fine motor muscle development (the muscles needed to write with a pencil). The benefit is increased if the crayons are short, though beware of choking hazards.

Supplies:

• One large cardboard box or some other 3D object your child can colour on
  
• Crayons (or washable markers, but crayons are better for development)

Time to Play:

• Invite your child to colour on the box with the crayons. If it is a big box, they could sit inside the box while they colour.
  
• Join in colouring with them.
  
• Discuss which colours are being used as you colour.

Muscle Moving

Soft Challenges

Supplies:

• At least one soft toy per participant, such as a stuffed animal or bean bag

Time to Play:

• Invite your child to copy you in several simple but challenging actions. Potential actions include:
  • Balance toy on head
  • Walk with toy balanced on head
  • Jump with toy balanced on head
  • Turn around with toy balanced on head
  • Throw toy up and catch it
  • Pass toy to a friend
  • Toss toy into a box or basket
• Keep the mood fun and encouraging as you play together.

Brain Boosting

Tell By Touch

Supplies:

• One opaque bag (alternatively use a box or wrap all the items in a blanket)
• Several small items that are hard
  • Example: car, block, spoon, large puzzle piece, rattle
• Several small items that soft
  • Example: stuffed animal, facecloth, headband, shirt, large pompom

Prep:

• Place all the items in the bag

Time to Play:

• Show your child the bag with the items hidden inside. Invite them to reach their hand in to choose one item.
• Ask them if the item they choose is hard or soft.
• For more advanced children, ask them to identify if the item is hard or soft before they pull it out of the bag. This encourages the child to use their sense of touch rather than relying on sight.

Muscle Moving

Wall Wash

Large up and down arm motions strengthen core muscles that are a precursor to bring able to write well.

Supplies:

• Clean sponges – one per child and one for you. Alternatively, use a baby wipe or clean cloth.
  (Do not give your child a Magic Eraser sponge as these contain many chemicals that should not be consumed.)

Time to Play:

• Model how to pretend to clean the walls or an empty bookshelf using the clean sponge.
• Invite your child to join in. Be encouraging and thank your child for helping clean.
• (If using damp baby wipes, your child can truly help clean, but be sure they don’t try to clean surfaces that are sensitive to moisture.)

Brain Boosting

Dish Wash

Supplies:

• One tub such as a plastic 15L container. A large bowl could work, but might tip over.
• Water
• Several small containers (such as clean yogurt containers) or bath toys to wash
• A cloth or sponge to wash with
• A water friendly area (Consider using a bathtub or doing this activity outside. Alternatively, place a large towel beneath the tub of water to catch spills.)
• Optional: dish soap or bubble bath

Prep:

• Fill the tub with 3-5 inches (5-15 cm) of water.
• Optional: Add a drop of dish soap or bubble bath for added bubbly fun
• Place the cloth and containers in the tub
• Place the tub in a water friendly area

Note: Adult Supervision Required – As with any activity involving water at this age, supervision is required due to risk of drowning.

Time to Play:

• Invite your child to sit down and wash some dishes for you. If needed, join in the washing fun to set an example.
• Expect your child and the surrounding area to get a bit wet. Don’t be anxious about this. It is part of the learning experience. If needed, help them change their clothes afterwards.
• Thank your child for washing the dishes.

Muscle Moving

Run, Run, Run

Prep:

• Clear an area for running. Ideally find an area that allows for continuous running in a circle. Otherwise, a hallway or the length of a room will do.
  (The more children you have, the more valuable having a circle to run in can be. This helps decrease incidents of children running into each other.)

Time to Play:

• Run with your child in the space you have cleared for at least a minute or two. Be encouraging as you run.
• Encourage your child to continue running.
• After giving your child some time to burn through some of their energy, join in again, but this time moving very slowly. Encourage your child to move slowly with you.
• Continue moving, alternating between fast and slow.
• For more advanced children, consider adding other movements such as hopping, taking big steps, taking little steps, and walking backwards.
• (When teaching 2 year olds, I love to begin or end each gym time with having the whole class run in a circle. It amazes me how much their endurance increases after only a few days of running.)

Brain Boosting

Ramp

STEM – experimenting with friction and gravity

Supplies:

• One large but relatively flat cardboard box, or one wide board
• Something to prop the box on, ideally about the shoulder height of your child. This could be your couch, a chair, or a half-height bookshelf.
• Toys that roll well – cars or balls
• Toys that slide slowly rather than rolling – stuffed animals, bean bags

Prep:

• Prop the box or board against the chair, or whatever you are using.
• Experiment a few times to figure out what angle works well by rolling a ball or car down the ramp.

Time to Play:

• Invite your child to join in the fun by rolling balls and cars down the ramp.
• Talk about how the balls and cars go fast!
• Encourage your child to try sliding other things down the ramp like a stuffed animal.
• Talk about how the stuffed animal goes slow because it is rubbing on the ramp rather than rolling – that’s called friction.