September 15, 2022 //  by Michelle Mandel

Children are creatures of habit and are, in general, couch potatoes and use screens, tablets, and cell phones 24/7. Children will ask for the latest device not to go outside in the fresh air and get moving. Obesity is at its highest peak and especially in children. Let's be good role models and take kids out for some P.E. for toddlers. Have the whole family join in for some healthy activities.

Children love playing this classic game. 2 teams and one caller The caller puts the "dog's bone" ( a white handkerchief) in the center of the two lines and then calls out 2 numbers or 2 names, They have to try to grab the bone and run all the way back home,  A very physical game.

This song is a favorite, and it progressively gets faster and faster. Children are doing an aerobics workout in a fun way without realizing it. Flexibility is so important when children are young and getting into good sports and exercise habits too. Let's  turn up the music and have a go at "Head shoulders, knees and toes."

This is a fun game to make. Take recycled plastic bags, each child gets a flag football belt that has strips of color. There are two teams. The object is to get the ball across the other team's goal line to score. However, at the same time, children try to take off the colorful strips from the opponent's belt. Played indoor or outdoor and promotes teamwork.

Relay races are much more than just games. They teach balance, eye-hand coordination, fine and gross motor skills, and much more. This is a collection of relay races you can do inside or out and children will have a blast trying to complete the "challenges".

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Parachutes are a big part of the P.E. classes for kids. When you play parachute "popcorn" it gets wild and kids burn a lot of calories. It is fun colorful non-stop movement, laughter and everyone can participate.

Learn More: The Genius of Play

Obviously, we are not preparing the children o become acrobats. Our tightrope walking is done on balance beams on the ground, and surprisingly it is challenging for all. Children line up and try to balance themselves to get across the " tight rope" without falling off. It is a fun activity and a great balance game.

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"Duck Duck Duck Goose" or "Musical Chairs "Are all-time favorites for preschool children and there are so many circle games but remember the attention span of little ones is about 5 minutes or less. These games need to be fast, fun, and snappy. Great for P.E.

Learn More: Early Impact Learning

Children and their families need an extra push to get off the sofa and into the park. There are many children under the age that are considered to be obese and this epidemic needs to stop now. One fantastic way is to organize a sports day for preschoolers and families so that everyone joins in.

The Hula Hoop has been around since the 1950s and the benefits are amazing. You can really work up a sweat and use your whole body just trying to keep it spinning. Preschoolers need very small hoops and there are so many games you can play with hula hoops they will love coming to P.E.

Crawling on hands and knees is something preschoolers can do well and quickly. So why not make a labyrinth of cardboard mazes or tunnels for them to go through?  It is cheap and good fun and can be used over and over again.

What was your favorite song to move to as a child?  Was it the "Hokey Pokey" when you were little? Music is an excellent form of motivation, and this is a perfect way to use gross motor movement skills. There are so many fun versions of children's songs and many of them are interactive and will keep them moving.

Learn More: A Music Therapy

Eye coordination is so important when doing physical activity. Whether it's hitting a ball, or throwing and catching, this is a skill that must be learned and practiced. Here are some great activities for preschoolers to help them learn skills for a lifetime.

In this lesson, we are going to talk about our bodies and how they work and the importance of keeping our bodies moving  How to warm up and do some stretching before and after sport. Muscles grow stronger with movement; if we are couch potatoes, we will have weak bodies. So let's get moving!

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Block Stilts, Tin can stilts, or plastic "Zancos" whatever you want to call them, are pure fun and children love to try walking on them. It is not an easy skill to learn and they will need to try it again and again. Patience and practice. Have some fun with DIY stilt walking.

Hopscotch is not something from the past. Hopscotch is back in style and it is perfect for motor activities for preschool children. There are many new versions of hopscotch so it is less competitive and more didactic.

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Many people associate Karate and Martial Arts with violence. Martial arts is actually being incorporated into many of the school curricula due to the fact that it teaches children coordination and to understand their own body and balance.

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Indoor activities can be challenging with preschoolers but children love balloons, and balloon tennis is a great sport for the young and the old. Using new fly swatters children will have a blast trying to play "tennis " with balloons. This can be used as a gym class game because it gets them moving!

Learn More: Little Bins for Little Hands

Kids love challenges, and they also love mazes. Using colorful tape you can make a DIY follow-the-line activity that the kids will want to do over and over again. Children can choose their favorite color and follow that line first. Remember, it is not a race they must go slowly only to stay on their line to reach the end. Some children might need extra time.

Learning how to kick is important in motor skill development for children. Using colorful buckets and kicking rings instead of balls helps to develop their coordination and is perfect for active children. This game can be played in pairs or teams and the object is to kick your deck ring to the center where all the buckets are and in each bucket, there is an activity card that gives another activity to do.

Preschool children love animals and dramatic play, so let's combine them with doing African animal yoga. Children can learn about animal habitats but now let's get into the movement and body postures of the creatures on this planet.  They will love this gym activity.

Learn More: Kids Yoga Stories

These dice are so much fun and DIY. Make your own DIY movement dice. Children work in small groups and roll the die. And then do the movement on the die. You can have a variety of dice so they never know what's coming.

Let's turn up the music and start dancing, but when the music stops "Freeze "! You will have the preschoolers in stitches with this game. They move around, dance, and then take a pose when they have to "freeze". Good indoor recess games.!