This activity will have your kids counting, racing, and practicing all kinds of gross motor skills! The best part? You can actually sit back and watch.
WHAT TO DO: This activity can be as simple or as involved as you would like it to be. Round up any farm-related object you can find around the house. Do you have a stuffed cow? Perfect! A toy tractor? Amazing! I know that in this house, I could round up puzzle pieces, Little People, stuffed animals, tractors, a Pig in a Santa suit, even a crocodile and the list goes on. You could even print out pictures if you’d like. Spread the objects all around the room or the yard. In one area, put an object that will function as the barn (we obviously used the soccer goal!). Have your child start by picking up one object and counting how many steps it takes to get it to the “barn”. Continue until all of the objects are back inside.
HOW TO CHANGE IT UP:
-Change up how the kids get the objects to the barn…how many tip toe steps? Jumping jacks? Single leg hops? Jumps?
-Set up this activity where there are varying surfaces. Hard driveway, soft grass, flat, sloped.
-Set up obstacles (e.g. pillows on the floor) so they have to go around or over them to get to the barn….pretend that they’re “bales of hay”!
-Pair children up and see who can get to the barn with the least amount of steps, hops, jumps, etc. The most?
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Laundry basket or other container, any farm-related objects, pillows for obstacles
SKILL AREAS ADDRESSED: balance, cognitive skills, coordination, gross motor skills activities
Want to take a closer look at the skills kids are using in this activity? Check out our Clinical Closeup page, where we break down the skills listed below in terms everyone can understand.
