7 indoor movement games for preschoolers

 Kids need to burn lots of energy. Anton and I usually go for very long walks but that's not enough to exhaust him. So in this post, I share our favourite games for gross motor skill development and for parents' well-being.

1. Tape jumping. 

Stick 6-8 strips of painter's tape on the floor.  See how long your child can jump.

2. Who am I? 

Pretend to move like an animal (a turtle, a crab, an elephant, a seal, a snake, a butterfly, a rabbit) and let your child guess who you are. Change roles.

3. Jump over small objects.

Spread little things like massage tiles, sheets of paper, stones etc. Let your child jump over them. 

4. Obstacle course. 

Gather chairs, cushions, and other things for a child to climb over or under.

5. Don't fall into the river. 

Make a "bridge" from toy buckets or other containers. Let your child cross the river. He has to keep balance.

6. Action dice.

Make a big dice with drawings of an animal on each side. A child rolls a dice, sees a picture, and makes a corresponding action. A suggested list of animals and their actions: Stomp like an elephant, jump like a kangaroo, swing like a monkey, waddle like a penguin, slither like a snake, swim like a polar bear. 

7. Transferring balls with a ladle.

Prepare two baskets: one is full of balls and the other is empty. The child should transfer the balls to the empty bin as quickly as possible. I use an hourglass to motivate Anton to run faster.

I hope these games will help kids to chill out at home when it's not possible to go outdoors.