My 5-year-old is a winter sports enthusiast. The kid can stay out in the cold all day long! He sleds, skates on the ice rink in our backyard, and loves cross country skiing. Me? I’m a lot happier cuddled up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in hand :) Usually, I give in and join him for some cold weather fun. But last week, when temperatures went well below zero, I just couldn’t do it. To make it up to him, I made this simple indoor Olympic skiing activity for kids instead! I love learning activities for kids that feel like play! This one kept my little guys busy for hours!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Large foam board, markers, toy people or action figures. Optional: wooden skewers, construction paper, tape (to make flags).
WHAT TO DO: Use your markers to draw a few different paths on your foam board from one edge to the other. Prop the foam board so that it’s on an incline – like a ski slope – with the lines running vertically. Have your child pick out his favorite action figure to use as a skier. Show him how to position the figure at the top of the ski slope and trace each path as he skis down to the bottom.
HOW TO CHANGE IT UP:
-Make your ski hill look more authentic! We made some little flags out of wooden skewers and construction paper. We poked them right through the foam board to mark off the turns of our ski slope!
-Once kids have had a chance to ski their action figures down the slope vertically, rotate the foam board so that the lines are now horizontal. Have kids ski their guys across the snow from left to right for a great midline crossing activity!
SKILL AREAS ADDRESSED: Coordination, fine motor skills, grasp, midline crossing, prewriting skills, visual motor integration
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.
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