Sometimes, the best indoor fun for kids uses the most simple objects you have lying around the house!
Bed sheets can be used in a bunch of creative ways besides making a bed! They can be the roof of a fort or the costume for a ghost. They are a picnic area or something to hide under to read a good book. Today, we’ll explore a few ways to use a bed sheet to enhance motor skills.
Check out the Ways to Play With a Bed Sheet video!
Indoor Fun With Bed Sheets!
What You’ll Need:
A Sheet…any size will do!
What to do:
1 || Make your own roller coaster!
Use the sheet as a roller coaster or sled! Put one child on the sheet and have another child (or an adult) pull them around the house. SO MUCH FUN! The child riding will get all kinds of great vestibular input to enhance balance reactions! He’ll even get some core strengthening benefits from trying to stay upright. The child pulling the sheet will be strengthening his whole body while getting loads of proprioceptive input, motor planning, balance and coordination.
2 || Make a swing!
Do you have two adults around? Lay the sheet out flat on the floor. Have a child plop down on their back right in the middle. The adults each grab the two corners closest to them and lift up the sheet to wrap around the child like a hammock! Gently swing back and forth, faster and slower. Raise them up and down. End with the count of 3 and a big plop onto the couch. Awesome benefits include proprioceptive input from that sheet wrapping around them, vestibular input, and sensory input. And, of course, a great arm and leg workout for mom and dad! :)
3. Make it into a target.
Again, put the sheet out flat on the ground. Fold it if you want a smaller target. See if your child can kick a ball gently enough that it lands on the target and doesn’t roll off! Or, give them a boundary that they have to stay behind and have them throw a few balls or bean bags to the target. You could also tape the sheet up on a wall as a target with a different view. Target practice is great for motor control and gross motor skills!
4 || Play tug of war.
Roll that sheet up length wise and have a child hold onto each end. Make a line on the floor in the middle of the two teams with a piece of tape. See who can pull who across that line first! More strengthening, proprioception, balance, motor planning and motor control in this activity!
5 || Make it into a jump rope.
A sheet makes a great jump rope for one child or a group of children. Fold it in half and twist it up for one child and have him work on bringing the sheet overhead and stepping over it. As he masters this, move on to swinging and jumping over the rope. Check out these tips for helping kids learn to jump rope!
6 || Build a fort!
Grab a couple of chairs and a bed sheet and you’ve got an instant secret hideout. Perfect for a little calming sensory break.
7 || Light and shadow play
Create a shadow screen with your sheet by hanging it on a wall. Our kids loved making these awesome shadow puppets from Where Imagination Grows! Set up a lamp or use flashlights to create shadows on the sheet!
8 || Play a game!
Check out our picnic blanket games and try them at home with a bed sheet for some easy indoor fun!
For Virtual Sessions:
Try numbers 1, 3, 4, 5 & 6 as described above during your next virtual therapy session. Then share the other ideas with the parent/caregiver to try with the child after your session. Click below to print the cards and pull them out of a container one at a time, showing the child on the screen.
Click here to print the cards!
Skill Areas Addressed:
Gross motor skills, motor control, balance, coordination, sensory integration, endurance, visual motor integration
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