OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: LEAF SCRAMBLE

Looking for fun new outdoor activities for your kiddos this fall?  Try this fun Leaf Scramble game!

Don’t you just love when you can make work seem like play?   I know I do.  I’ve tricked my kiddos into working around the house more times than I can count.  A little of this creative trickery eliminates the grumbling and the complaints of “I’m too tired” or “I need help” and results in some fun and functional gross motor activities around the house!

This scramble will have your little ones moving so fast in order to win that they won’t even notice how much work they actually did!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:  A tarp/garbage can/basket, leaves, possibly a timer, rake, and shovel

WHAT TO DO:  Place a basket, garbage can, or tarp somewhere in your yard full of leaves.  If you only have one child doing this activity, set a timer.  If you have two or more, make it a race.  READY, SET, GO…..see how many scoops of leaves they can get into or onto the target using only their arms.  Have them try to fill up the basket or garbage can or see if they can get enough on the tarp to cover the whole thing.  WARNING…this activity may elicit spontaneous jumping into the pile of leaves (at least that’s what happened at my house!).

HOW TO CHANGE IT UP:
-Have one child rake leaves into a pile while other children scramble to scoop.
-Use a shovel to scoop for added strength training.
-Have a team trying to fill up a target while another team tries to empty it (only with the use of their hands — NO DUMPING!)

SKILL AREAS ADDRESSED:  Coordination, motor control, strength, proprioception, endurance

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