Fall Activities: Boot Scoot ‘n Shuffle

Little feet + big boots + fallen leaves = fun fall activities!! (not to mention the benefits of strengthening, heavy work, proprioception, motor planning and balance!).  This is one of our favorite gross motor activities for fall!

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What you’ll need:

Boots and your camera to capture the fun!

What to do:

Find some boots that are bigger than what your child would actually wear.  Set them loose in the yard and encourage them to shuffle their feet to make designs in the fallen leaves.

Can they make a pumpkin?  How about a lightening bolt?  What other shapes can you think of?

Keep in mind that this is a difficult activity for little legs in big boots.  Be supportive and wait for the big smiles when they see the design they created!

How to change it up:

-Create piles of leaves and ask them to shuffle through them for more resistance.  OR, even trickier, step over them like hurdles!
-Change from the big boots to the appropriate sized shoe for your child.  Ask them how it feels different.  Is it easier?  Harder?  What would it feel like to do it with bare feet?  Such a great tactile experience!
-Make a maze by raking a path through the leaves and have kids walk, hop, jump, or skip their way through!
-No leaves?  Use pine needles, sand, grass clippings, hay, etc.
-Let kids use a child-sized rake and wheelbarrow to clean up heavy piles of leaves for some great strengthening benefits and heavy work!

Skill Areas Addressed:

Balance, strength, sensory integration, proprioception, motor control

Check out some of our other awesome fall activities for kids that will let you enjoy every minute of the season with your little one while also targeting fine motor, gross motor, and sensory development.

Or take a peek at these 20 fall books with sensory and motor activities to go with each!

Looking for some other awesome balance activities for kids?  We’ve got tons of great ideas!

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Lauren Drobnjak

Lauren Drobnjak is co-author of The Inspired Treehouse blog and a pediatric physical therapist who currently practices in the educational environment. She has been a physical therapist for 18 years, with 17 of those years specifically in pediatrics. Her drive to make a difference in the lives of kids has led her entrepreneurial spirit in the direction of creating opportunities for play-based wellness and child development. She is a busy mama of 3 who thrives on chaos. To come down from the stress, Lauren enjoys exercising like she’s still 20, yoga, chocolate, a great book, browsing Pinterest, and anything crafty!

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