Do the children drive you crazy when they have to play inside on rainy days? Children need active play every day. Taking children outside where they can use their large muscles to run, jump, skip, climb, hop, ride a bike, swing, and slide is the best kind of active play.
What do you do when it is too rainy or cold to play outside? The children still need some active play time. Not many people have gyms in their houses to allow children to run and jump like they do when they play outside. Try planning some rainy day activities to give the children active play time indoors. Here are some ideas:
Puddle jumping
You'll need
newspaper or colored construction paperWhat to do
Cut or tear puddle shapes out of newspaper or colored construction paper. Let the children help you to lay the "puddles" on the floor. Have the children take turns jumping in the puddles, around the puddles, over the puddles, etc.
Variation: Change this game by setting out boxes with low sides instead of paper puddles. Have the children hop from box to box, around the boxes, in and out of the boxes, etc.
Box crawling
You'll need
several large cardboard boxes
What to do
Open the ends of each box. Set the boxes on the floor so the children can crawl in and out of one box and into another.
Move with the music
You'll need
recordings of music with a fast beat
What to do
Turn on the music and let the children dance to the beat.
Run, fly, or swim
What to do
Talk with the children to decide on movements to act out a creature running, flying, and swimming. Call out the name of a bird, fish, or animal. The children decide if the named creature runs, flies, or swims and act it out.
Indoor obstacle course
What to do
Use chairs, boxes, tables, etc., to create an indoor obstacle course. Make sure there are things for children to go over, under, step into, go around, etc.
Action stories
Children need active play every day.
Tell a story. Have the children act out the
parts as you tell it. They may want to wear
dress up clothes as they pretend to play their parts in the story.
Action songs
Sing action songs with the children. They may want to help make up the movements. Start with some simple ones like:
- The Farmer in the Dell
- London Bridge
- Ring Around the Rosie
- Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
- Teddy Bear
Board walk
You'll need
one 2 x 4 wooden board
What to do
Lay the wooden board flat on the floor. Show the children how to walk on the board and let them try it. Once they get used to walking, have them try walking heel to toe. Move on to other ways: sideways, backwards, jumping off the board, jumping over the board, straddling the board. Let the children think of new ways to walk on the board.
Pop-up
You'll need
one large cardboard box
What to do
Ask for one child to sit in the box. Have the other children walk around the box singing "Pop Goes the Weasel" or another simple favorite song. At the end of the song, the children shout "POP."
When the child in the box hears the word "Pop," she jumps up like a jack-in-the-box. Another child goes to sit in the box while the rest walk around singing.
Hide and hunt
You'll need
small toy -- such as a block
What to do
Show the children the toy. Hide the toy in another room, and ask the children to find it. The finder gets to hide the toy for the next game of hunting.
CAUTION:
Young children can choke on small objects and toy parts. All items used for children under three years of age and any children who put toys in their mouths should be at least 1¼ inch in diameter and between 1 inch and 2¼ inches in length. Oval balls and toys should be at least 1¾ inch in diameter. Toys should meet federal small parts standards. Any toys or games labeled as unsuitable for children under three should not be used.
Other items that pose a safety risk and should not be accessible to children under three include, but are not limited to: button batteries, magnets, plastic bags, styrofoam objects, coins, balloons, latex gloves, and glitter.
Activity 1-3
