Now that summer is finally here, it’s time to take advantage of the weather and get outdoors! Here are some fun ideas for outdoor activities, games, and equipment that you can try at home with your kids. Most of these activities can be created with a variety of everyday items that you may already have at home. The activities listed below target the development of gross motor, fine motor, visual motor, bilateral coordination, motor planning, and sensory processing skills.
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Obstacle Courses
Obstacle courses are a great way to foster creativity and imagination while targeting gross motor, motor planning, and sensory processing skills. You can create an obstacle course using really anything you have available at home. Here is a really cool idea for an obstacle course using pool noodles, a basketball hoop, and a kiddie pool:
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Car Wash
Having a car wash at home is a great activity to promote gross motor, fine motor, sequencing, sensory processing skills, and more! For younger kids, you can also have a car wash with toy cars, or give toy animals a bath for a fun sensory activity.
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Tunnels
If you don’t have a tunnel at home, you can make one yourself by connecting large cardboard boxes or by placing blankets, pillows, or sheets, over the top of some chairs. Have your child crawl through as part of an obstacle course or roll balls through back and forth to each other.
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Balance pods or stepping stones
Challenge your child’s balance skills by adding balance pods or stepping stones to an obstacle course. You can create your own balance pods or stones at home by turning over bowls and stepping across!
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Bubbles
Bubbles are a great activity to help promote oral-motor skills. You can also challenge your child’s gross motor and body awareness skills by blowing bubbles and encouraging them to pop the bubbles with different body parts!
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By: Ashley Schneider, MOT, OTR-L