Group games for kids are awesome for inspiring teamwork and creativity, all while promoting important developmental skills like balance, coordination, and motor control!
Check out Rabbit Hole – one of our most popular group games for kids here at The Inspired Treehouse!
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Imagination is the key in this fun gross motor challenge! Children think it is hilarious to pack themselves into a tight place, especially when they’re trying to get away from a fox! Group games for kids are perfect for parties and play dates – especially when they require little to no planning!
We originally created Rabbit Hole as a fun, cooperative gross motor game. Jill, a mom blogger with a background in Early Childhood Education, saw the potential to use this activity as a therapy tool to teach kids about personal space!
Check out her post about teaching the concept of personal space at Confidence Meets Parenting. Get ready for some laughs…here’s Rabbit Hole!
What you’ll need:
-A hula hoop
-3-4 cones or other objects to prop your hula hoop off the ground (all the same height, 10-12” high)
What to do:
Balance a hula hoop on top of the cones so that it is elevated off of the ground. Tell the children that they are all rabbits and they have to get into their rabbit hole to hide before the fox finds them.
They must step over the hula hoop with each foot to arrive in the hole without knocking the hula hoop from the cones. One by one, each child enters the hole until as many as possible are inside! When everyone is in, ask them to slowly start exiting the hole, one by one, again being very cautious not to disturb the hula hoop.
How to change it up:
-Jump into and out of the rabbit hole
-Leap into the rabbit hole. Only one foot may land in the rabbit hole and then immediately leap out
-Make this into a game of tag. Designate one child as the fox and have them chase the other children into the hole. If a child knocks the hula hoop down, they join the fox. Continue the game until all of the rabbits have been caught!
-Crawl under the hula hoop into the rabbit hole. This is very challenging and an excellent test of body awareness and control!
-Add a twist to this game by trying our Gross Motor Color Match Game!
Skill Areas Addressed:
Balance, social skills, gross motor skills, coordination, motor control
Check out these other group movement games
Our favorite hula hoop games and activities
Group Facilitation Tips for Teachers & Therapists
12 Games for Fostering Cooperation and Teamwork
[…] HOW TO CHANGE IT UP: -Have your little one decide on point values for the different holes (more points for smaller holes), writing them on the board underneath the holes. Keep track of how many points the kids earn as they toss their carrots. -Need more of a challenge? Move that line of tape further and further away depending on children’s skill level. -Try throwing beanbags in a variety of ways – overhand, underhand, backwards! Can the child balance the beanbag on his foot and then toss it from his foot into a hole? -Feeling crafty? Whip up your own cute carrot beanbags using a little bit of sensory bin filler (dry corn, beans) and leftover scraps of orange and green felt sewn along the sides. -Follow up with our other fun Rabbit Hole Game! […]