Day one with kids at home and rain: cozy watching movies. Day two with rain: the boys and I are bouncing off the wall. If you have kids at home and it rains where you live, you need this easy kid’s activity. This preschool ball toss will take on any rainy day at home with kids.
Skills your child is learning as they play
I know you come to sites like mine for easy preschool activities to help pass the time. But what if I told you that activity is created to meet your child’s fine and gross motor milestones? Yep, it’s all that and a bag of chips. (I had to go there.)
In this gross motor activity:
- Your child is exploring different weights as they toss each ball.
- Your child is improving hand-eye coordination as they aim for the X.
- Your child is crossing the midline, which improves vestibular input and coordination.
And that’s not all. These activities can significantly improve moods and behavior because they offer sensory input.
RELATED: Kids not only like to move, they NEED to move for their body and brain development. Here are my favorite gross motor activities for kids.
I love it when my kids can get up and move. Regarding 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! It’s a simple setup and lots of engagement. – with a hint of competition.
Gross motor skills
DID YOU KNOW? Having your preschooler move their body wakes up their brain. Did you know Balance Can Improve Reading?
Supplies and Setup
If your house is anything like mine, you likely do not need to purchase a thing! You will need painter’s tape and a collection of balls.
- First, go on a ball hunt.
- Gather what you find and add it to a basket or wagon.
- Next, find a wall in your garage or basement wall. I used painter’s tape to draw a large X in the middle and kept the height and location of the X in mind. I found 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.
More learning skills
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. Be sure to save this idea to your Pinterest board. Your future self will thank you!
Craving a calmer morning?
Breakfast Invitations are simple learning games that begin the day with play.
Ball Toss FAQ
Any balls that are not a choking hazard will work! I like to mix up the size and weight of the balls so my child can explore different variations.
Gross motor activities include movements with large body muscles. They include running, skipping, crossing the mid-line, jumping, hopping, throwing, bouncing, balancing, kicking, and catching.
Having a go-to list of rainy-day activities for kids will save everyone from rainy-day restlessness. Hallway laser mazes, sack races, color hunts, recycled crafts, and forts are easy ideas.