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Summer Large Motor Ideas

 

      

 Tricycle Painting

Roll out a long strip of bulletin board paper on a sidewalk or other paved area outdoors.  Place  a length
 of plastic or a large sheet of cardboard at one end of the paper.  Pour a puddle of tempera paint onto
 the plastic or cardboard; then invite a child to ride a tricycle through the paint puddle and onto
 the paper!  Encourage him to make straight, wavy, and squiggly lines with the paint as he pedals. 
 Change paint colors and trike drivers until you have a beautiful mural and lots of large motor practice.

 

Road Obstacle Course

How about a road obstacle course.  We drew roads with chalk-even the dotted lines and yellow stripes.
 We set up the play kitchen for "McDonald's", a gas tank for a service station. The kids created their own stop signs
 and one way signs and placed them where they wanted to go. (They learned direction and road safety this way).

 

Tricycle Fun

Save enough empty and cleaned plastic milk jugs as you have tricycles. Poke a small hole in the bottom of the jugs.
 Tape or tie one to each trike with the top up. Now set up a gas station complete with a hose or buckets
 of water, funnels and something to pour with. Let the children take turns being drivers or gas station attendants.
They really like the idea of running out of gas - kind of real life stuff. You can also have "tow trucks" in case
 someone runs out of gas before they make it back to the gas station.

 

Box Tunnels

I took several boxes (same size) and taped them together making tunnels in different directions. They like to
 hide stuff animals in the tunnels and crawl through to find them. I even made a couple dead ends that they had
 to maneuver their bodies to turn around in a small space.  The boys like to race cars and trucks through it.

 

Bubble Wrap Ride

Fasten your seatbelts, this activity will take your children for a bumpy ride.  In advance, collect a supply of
 bubble wrap with large bubbles.  Use sturdy double sided tape to attach the wrap to a paved area on
 your playground.  Set a few ride on toys near the wrap and invite youngsters to ride over the wrap. 
 If desired, create a bubble wrap path for little ones to drive over. POP!

 

Jumping Rope
(for older children):

Need to have a large jump rope for 2 to hold while 1 other child jumps and does the actions

 
TEDDY BEAR,  TEDDY BEAR,  TURN AROUND,
TEDDY BEAR,  TEDDY BEAR,  TOUCH THE GROUND,
TEDDY BEAR,  TEDDY BEAR,  TOUCH THE SKY,
TEDDY BEAR,  TEDDY BEAR,  TOUCH YOUR SHOE,
TEDDY BEAR,  TEDDY BEAR,  I LOVE YOU.
 
I have used this same rhyme for younger children to do the actions without using the jump rope.

 

Summer Hikes

We take walks of many kinds during the summer.  One is a penny hike.  At the end of each block you
 flip a penny.... heads you go one way,  tails the other.  The kids think this is really funny is we
 go around the same block twice! We also do color hikes and look for items of a certain color. 

 

Summer Olympics

Have a summer Olympics.
Play water volleyball (water balloon as the ball and catch it in a towel or sheet and toss back over the net)

Play water baseball - get one of those big plastic baseball bats and hit a large
 wet sponge off a Tee - have mini pools or shallow buckets be the bases.

 

Tug-of-War

Divide the children onto 2 teams and let them tug-of-war.

 

Roll-a-Ball

Use chalk to draw a circle on the side walk.  Draw a line several feet from the circle.
 If the ball does not roll into the circle or if it rolls out, the child must sit down.

 

Drop the Bean Bag

Have all the children sit in a circle.
Choose one child to be "it".
"it" is given the bean bag and is instructed to walk
 around the circle very quietly.
 "IT" drops the bean bag behind a child oh his/her choice.
That child picks up the bean bag and chases "it" around the circle.
 "it" must sit in the child's spot first.
 The child who was given the bean bag is the next child to be "it".
Make sure that each child is given a turn to be "it"

 

Swing Song

Thread short lengths of twine or sturdy yarn through several large jingle bells; then tie the bells
 to the links on the swings' chains.  As your little ones begin swinging, the bells will begin ringing.

 

Swimmers

Let the children pretend to be swimmers," diving into the water and swimming across the pool.

 

Swimming In the Ocean

Pretend to be swimming in the ocean. Jump over imaginary waves, pretend
 to surf, listen to Beach Boys while doing this.  Don't forget the sunblock!!

 

Summer Classics

We love to play the classics like Red Rover, Red Rover....  Mother May I, etc. I like to put a twist
 on it....I have them line up and ask, "who ever is wearing blue shorts, please take two steps....etc.

 

Obstacle Course

Get the rings that you throw in the pool or for ring toss. Get how many as you can, different colors or the
same. Make an obstacle course. Lay them on the floor (grass preferred). Make them a little bit farther
so they have to jump, but not that far. Make two courses and you cut up them plastic color cloths and
make strips. Get two different colors. The person to relinquish all their colors before the other team wins.
Have a person on each end of the course.

 

Balancing

Have little ones practice balance by carrying a tennis racket out in front of them and balancing a tennis ball on it.

 

Sponge Catch

On really hot days give the children natural sponges, the ones with the big holes
 in them, and a water source.  Then pair the children up and let them play catch.

 

 

Pre-K Fun Theme Pages are for educational reference only! 
No copyright infringement is intended.
I do not claim any of these as my own ideas.  
They are shared from friends and fellow group members.  
Thanks for sharing all your great ideas!
      

     

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