Movement & music experiences

Balloon Ball

Looking for a wacky way to play ball in the house that won’t breaking any furniture or have the game end in bumps and tears? All you need is a balloon – a blow-up ball can work, too! Line up some pillows to act as a net, and you’re ready to go! (idea from The Genius of Play)

Dance and Follow

Put on your child’s favorite song and let them dance, but you have to follow their moves!

SMART activities

Ask them they know what to do! Alligator crawl have them go under the table, over cushions, etc. Super Man, Popcorn, Mountain Climbers, Burpees, yes, we can do them! Planks, anything to get them moving! Fill a box or laundry basket and have them push it.

“Seek and find” nature walk

Before you leave, make a list together of things you think you might see outside (signs of spring, animals in trees, dogs out for a walk, etc). Bring a small notebook or clipboard with you when you go and have your child make a mark every time they see something they predicted.

Free movement

Yoga stretches and poses, run sprints in the hallway, driveway, or yard, squat jumps, pushups, planks. If you’re not seeing a lot of motivation from your kiddo to get moving…ask them to show you how to do it! We do them all the time here at school so I know everyone can do them.

“Deck of Cards” exercise

(You can use an actual deck and cut it into piles of 13 cards and just do one of those, or cut out as many “cards” from paper as you think your child will be interested in)

Each suit stands for a different exercise. Each number on the card stands for how many times you do that movement!

Example:

Diamonds= jumps

Spades= squats

Clubs=plank

Hearts=spin (slowly! 😊) in place

Pull a card from your pile. If you get a 4 of diamonds, do 4 jumps in place! If you pull an 8 of clubs, hold a plank while you count to 8. And so on! This will not only be a great way for your child to move, but they get to move WITH YOU! Also a great brain break + sanity saver for you, too!