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GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES

Gross motor skills are essential for balance, posture, coordination and movement skills that assist in proper hand and arm stabilization for early writing development.

The Lesson Card PDF is provided for each lesson.

PAINT THE FENCE

Materials:

Paint Brushes (variety of sizes and styles)

Beach Pails (cheap from a dollar store)

Water (free)

Sponges (variety)

Sidewalk, fence, wall, or window area

  • Fill pails with tap water and provide an area for the children to paint with water.  Painting is safe on fences, sidewalks and windows and is a way to clean things up. 

  • Painting on the sidewalk especially can be fun on a warm day when children can watch their work evaporate and can be a teachable Science moment. 

Developmental Focus: For this activity, children use large arm and shoulder movements which aides in postural strength needed for future writing control.

CHALK IT UP

Materials:

Washable Sidewalk Chalk

Sidewalk Area

Large pieces of Bulletin Board Paper

Small Containers of Water

 

  • Spread out large rolls of paper if writing on the sidewalk is not permitted.

  • Allow children to use their imaginations to create their masterpieces.

  • Encourage large drawings such as roadways castles, rainbows and buildings

  • Model how to trace around a friends body and then color in details such as their face, clothing, and hair.  

  • Extend the fun by including toy cars, trucks, animals, blocks and small dolls to bring the a 3-dimensional touch to their chalk creations.

  • Take photos of their creations to display in the classroom or in a Slideshow presentation.

Developmental Focus: For this activity, children use large arm and body movements to crawl along the ground, promoting body strength and the development of cross lateral movements that aides "crossing the mid-line" strengthening reading and writing skills.

LITTLE OLYMPICS

A variety of materials are needed for this large obstacle course.  The lesson includes 11 different events for developing coordination, endurance, and strength. 

Visit LAKESHORE for materials in these lessons.

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Olympic Rings

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Weightlifting

Shoot for Two!

Shot Put

Long Jump

Balance Beam

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Caterpillar Crawl

Rhythmic Dancing

Pass the Torch

Hurdles

Race Walk

Witch's Brew

Materials:

Large bowl or Black Cauldron

Variety of plastic containers

Different types of large serving spoons

Wisk

Basters

Eye Droppers

Water pitcher

Plastic Googly Eyes

Food Coloring

Water

Table covers

Plastic Spiders

Witch's Hat

  • Place containers out on a covered table and fill a few of the larger ones with water.

  • Add different colors of food coloring to containers.

  • Add googly eyes, plastic spiders and bugs to the Cauldron.

  • Lay out droppers, spoons, basters out on the table.

  • Allow children to pour, stir, mix and make a mess.

  • This activity promote large arm and hand development.

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Developmental Focus:

For this activity, children use large arm movements to pour and stir the Witch’s Brew.  This aids in the development of gross manipulative skills in coordinating shoulder, arm and hand movements.

Monster Truck Rally

Materials:

2 Cardboard Boxes

White Butcher Paper

Small plastic containers

Paint

Toy Cars/Trucks

The Set Up:

Use one box as a lifted support. Cut up an additional box to form 3 walls around the top of the base box and allow the fourth side to descend down forming a ramp.  See attached PDF for photo. Attach 3 shallow plastic containers filled with paint to the top box. Roll white butcher paper down the ramp and spread for a great length.  Slightly fold up edges along the side of the paper to keep cars from running off of the track.

  • Children dip the cars/trucks into the paint and let them roll down the track.

  • Children can also use the cars/trucks to write letters, draw shapes, and write their name using the paint dipped cars/trucks.

  • This is a fun way to paint and write or compete with friends.

Developmental Focus:

For this activity, children use hand and arm movements and crawling motions to push the cars/trucks down the track as well as driving the cars around to make letters, shapes and numbers.  

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