Bring it on, rain. Garage ball toss is here.
Garage ball toss is exactly what we need.
Does it rain near you? Of course, it does!
And doesn’t it seem like when it rains for one day, that typically leads to three? Add a few preschoolers to the mix, and the days seem to feel longer without outside time.
Well, have no fear! This rainy day’s indoor activity will help get everyone moving. Remember, I have three active boys.
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I love it when my kids can get up and move. In terms of physical development, this is called gross motor control using (and moving) the body’s large muscles.
So when it is not Movement Dice or Run and Sort, we head to the garage for some gross motor fun! Simple set up, lots of engagement. – with a hint of competition.
In terms of gross motor development, here is what we want to practice
Having your preschooler move their body literally wakes up their brain. In fact, did you know Balance Can Improve Reading?
Let’s set up a ball toss.
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- Painter’s tape
- Bouncy ball
Set up this rainy day indoor game for kids in a flash!
First, go on a ball hunt. Gather what you find and add it into a basket.
Next, find a wall in your garage or basement wall. I use painter’s tape to draw a large X in the middle and keep the height and location of the X in mind. I find waist-high was a good spot to add the X.
Finally, add a line of painter’s tape to the floor as a starting point.
RELATED: Need another rainy day activity to get kids moving? Try this indoor golf activity.
Now, step back and watch how fun this is garage ball toss game is!
Want to add some key concepts to the game? Refer to the balls as spheres and three-dimensional shapes.
By Kindergarten, children will be asked to Identify shapes as two-dimensional (lying in a plane, “flat”) or three-dimensional (“solid”). – You can easily incorporate this into your rainy day indoor game!
Remember, kids, learn best by doing. As they begin to throw, try saying things like:
Here we go! Sphere number one is baseball. Let’s watch it go! Ready, set, throw!
Interesting! Your soccer ball is a larger sphere! Let’s see if it goes as fast as the smaller sphere.
These all look like three-dimensional shapes. I can tell that because it is a solid shape. See how you can hold it in your hands? Can you do that with a flat circle?
You can also continue to extend this activity by adding more targets.
