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Ms. Jeanne
Obstacle Course with Stuffed Animals |
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Yoga with Ms. Jeanne
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Letter Wall Ball
Instructions:
Using paper and tape or post-its, put letters or numbers on the wall or door
Name a letter or number
The child has to hit the named letter/number with the ball then try to catch it
Repeat with variations such as lower and uppercase letters, numbers, sight words
Benefits:
Increases hand eye coordination
Works on visual spatial skills
Good way to practice ball skills
Practices visual attention and scanning to find a target
Ball or Bean Bag Toss with a Target
Instructions:
You can use a ball, bean bag, stuffed animal, or balled up socks for throwing
Be creative and find a target to aim at
Some examples include:
Benefits:
Instructions:
You can use a ball, bean bag, stuffed animal, or balled up socks for throwing
Be creative and find a target to aim at
Some examples include:
- Hula hoop laying down or propped up, hanging from a rope
- Buckets
- Laundry baskets
- Paper Plates
- Large bowls
- Totes or bins
- Large Tupperware
- Fun challenge: How many can you get in with 10 throws?
Benefits:
- Throwing at a target helps to practice hand eye coordination
- Strengthens the shoulder and arm
- Works on visual spatial skills
- Changing the distance from the target helps us to practice how much force to use to throw for different distances
Bunny and Eggs Spring Obstacle Course Challenge
Hey Bobcats! In this week's gross motor challenge include the following in an obstacle course:
Come up with your own sequence and take a picture to share!
Hey Bobcats! In this week's gross motor challenge include the following in an obstacle course:
- Plastic eggs to go over or around
- Bunny hops
- Something green
- Balance a plastic egg on a large spoon
- Curl up like a ball and roll like an egg
Come up with your own sequence and take a picture to share!
Ball Skills
Playing catch, throwing a ball back and forth, may seem like an easy activity to you but there are many parts in play to make this action possible. A child must coordinate information from their eyes, hands, balance, body awareness, and muscles. Subconsciously they take that information in, process it comparing it to what they know, and grade the amount of force and movement needed as you change the task. OT’s love when kids play catch because it is a fun activity that works so many parts of the body and brain.
But let’s keep it simple, play catch and have a ball.
Tips and Tricks to Teach Ball Skills:
Kids work best with just the right amount of challenge so that they feel successful and are still being pushed to grow their skills. Here are some ways to help find the just right challenge for your child.
Different Ways to Play Ball
Playing catch, throwing a ball back and forth, may seem like an easy activity to you but there are many parts in play to make this action possible. A child must coordinate information from their eyes, hands, balance, body awareness, and muscles. Subconsciously they take that information in, process it comparing it to what they know, and grade the amount of force and movement needed as you change the task. OT’s love when kids play catch because it is a fun activity that works so many parts of the body and brain.
But let’s keep it simple, play catch and have a ball.
Tips and Tricks to Teach Ball Skills:
Kids work best with just the right amount of challenge so that they feel successful and are still being pushed to grow their skills. Here are some ways to help find the just right challenge for your child.
- Start with large balls, work your way toward smaller balls as they gain skill
- Start with an activity where either the child or the ball isn’t moving
- Throwing, catching, kicking while standing
- Progress to activities where the ball or child needs to move
- Kicking a rolling ball, running up to and kicking a stationary ball
- Throw slightly to their right or left so they have to move to get the ball
- Start playing catch or throwing at a target from a close distance then increase the distance as they gain skill
- Use larger targets then work towards smaller ones
- Laundry basket
- Buckets other small containers
- Make paper targets
- Having difficulty catching? Try slower moving items
- Balloons
- Scarves
- Bubbles
- Roll the ball instead
- Teach them to step with their opposite leg, look at the target, and follow through with their hand pointed at the target
- Teacher underhand first then overhand
Different Ways to Play Ball
- Throw or kick to a target
- Play wall ball alone or with a partner
- Throw and catch with yourself, how many can you get in a row?
- Bounce and catch with yourself, how many can you get in a row?
- Can you bounce in to the ground, clap, then catch it?
- Use two balls and each person bounces their ball to the other person at the same time.
- Rainbow catch, using a small ball or bean bag, throw it in a rainbow arch from your left hand to your right then back, how many can you get it a row?
- Use items to hit the ball like rackets, paddles, baseball bats, golf club.
- Practice kicking with the inner side of the foot.
- Try dribbling with your hands or your feet.
Ms. Jeannie’s Obstacle Course Challenge!
Directions: Using common household objects make a simple obstacle course inside or outside. Safe choices please, get parent permission first. Create your own obstacle course, take a picture of the obstacle course and send it to Ms. Jeannie. Have questions email: [email protected]
Step 1: Find something you can go over, crawl over, walk over, or jump over
Step 2: Find something you can go under
Step 3: Find something you can go around, crawl around, walk around, jump around
Step 4: Find something you can go through, crawl, walk or jump
Step 5: Make a “floor is lava” part, place objects you can step, jump, or crawl to without touching the floor.
Ideas:
Directions: Using common household objects make a simple obstacle course inside or outside. Safe choices please, get parent permission first. Create your own obstacle course, take a picture of the obstacle course and send it to Ms. Jeannie. Have questions email: [email protected]
Step 1: Find something you can go over, crawl over, walk over, or jump over
Step 2: Find something you can go under
Step 3: Find something you can go around, crawl around, walk around, jump around
Step 4: Find something you can go through, crawl, walk or jump
Step 5: Make a “floor is lava” part, place objects you can step, jump, or crawl to without touching the floor.
Ideas:
- Pillows and couch cushions
- Chairs
- Stepping stools
- Tables
- Hula hoops
- Paper obstacles
- Cardboard boxes
- String or ribbon
- Balls
- Soft toys
- Blankets
- Tape