GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES: WHEELBARROW RELAY

Kids will get a taste of what it’s like to be a farmer working the fields with this fun relay race!  If you’re looking for fun gross motor activities for kids that build strength and motor skills, you pretty much can’t beat wheelbarrow walking.  Weight bearing on the hands is a great way to promote upper extremity and core strength and also provides great proprioceptive feedback.  So everybody grab a partner and get moving!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: An open space, buckets, beanbags or other object for relay race, cones or other obstacles, a real wheelbarrow if desired.

WHAT TO DO: Assign partners, one person to act as the “wheelbarrow” (walking on hands) and the other to act as the “farmer” (holding his partner’s feet).  Put a bucket of beanbags at one end of your play space and an empty bucket at the other end.  When you say “go,” the farmer has to place a beanbag on his partner’s back and wheelbarrow walk to place it into the other bucket.  When they get there, the partners switch and return for another beanbag.  Repeat until all beanbags have made it into the empty bucket.  If you’re playing with only one child, you’ll be the farmer the whole time.

HOW TO CHANGE IT UP:
-Set up some obstacles between the buckets (e.g. cones, stools) for the partners to navigate around
-Set up your race course where there is a slope or unevenness to the ground to make it harder
-Try having the partners go backwards (Go slow!  This is a big challenge!) to reach the other bucket
-Use a real wheelbarrow and have kids take turns racing back and forth to transport beanbags, rocks, or leaves

SKILL AREAS ADDRESSED: Endurance, gross motor skills, motor control, proprioception, social skills, strength, trunk stability

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Looking for more fun activities for kids?  Try these!

• Child Development: Core Strengthening Activities for Kids
• Feet in the Sand
• Simple Activities for Kids: Cardboard Boxes
• Sensory Processing: Proprioception
• Topple the Snowman!

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Claire Heffron

Claire Heffron is co-author at The Inspired Treehouse and a pediatric occupational therapist in a preschool/primary school setting. She began her career with a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism but quickly changed course to pursue graduate studies in occupational therapy. She has been practicing therapy for 10 years in public and specialized preschool/primary school settings. She is a mom to three funny, noisy boys and relies on yoga, good food, and time outside to bring her back to center.

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