As the last few weeks of school appropach our kids are just as antsy for summer break as the teachers! I am sure there are times when we will do anything for our students to sit or play quietly, so we can get grades and cleaning done. But as our anxiety and excitement of the school year ending builds up, so do our students. Their little bodies can feel the much needed break. Not to add, that after 5-6 months of being cooped up inside from the winter weather, it is finally nice out and they don’t want to be inside either! That is why you will find everyone’s life will be much easier if we give our students extra time to be active.

keep calm

As a side note, keeping students active throughout the whole school year is just as important. Kids are full of energy and will jump at every opportunity to release all that energy. I can probably speak for most preschool teachers, I have never had a preschool turn down the chance to go play at the park.  I think if my preschoolers could they would run and be loud all day in the classroom!

 Below you will find a list I put together of some FUN activities to do with your students both inside and outside (I know it can be hard for those us of who live in places that experience extreme winters and summers to always find indoor activities). Hopefully this list will help you get through the end of the year :).

Outside and Inside Activities

  • Relay race
    • Hula Hoop: Students stand in a circle holding hands. They have to pass the hola hoop around the circle without letting go of their partners hand. They pass it over their arm and shoulder and then step through the hoop.
    • Jump Rope: Students will jump rope to designated point and then run back to their team. First team that completes the race wins.
    • Sport Balls: use basketball or soccer ball and have the teams dribble the ball to a designated point and run back to their team. First team that completes the race wins.
  • Obstacle course: using cones, hola hoops, ropes, tunnels, and ballons
  • Duck Duck Goose
  • Musical Chairs
  • Moving Hot Potato:  Put a medium sized ball in the center of a circle along with a child chosen to be ‘it’.  The child who is ‘it’ pushes the ball with his or her feet, trying to get it out of the circle. The other children try to stop the ball with their feet.  Once the ball is out, another leader is chosen.  The ball is called the ‘hot potato’ and the children will enjoy trying to keep it in the ‘oven’.
  • Parachute: You can find these at almost any teacher store- here is one you can find at lakeshore learning. Parachute games include: trying to keep balls inside the chute as the students move it up and down,  having students make a dome with the chute and sit on the inside, moving the chute to music.
  • Bowling- using either a toy bowling set or a make shift bowling set, students will love playing this game. It can be a single player or competition

 

Outside Activities 

  • Bubbles- here is a simple recipe for making your own bubbles!
  • Water Bucket Relay Race: Two buckets are placed at opposite ends. One bucket his empty, the other is filled with water. Have teams start at the bucket filled with water. They will dip a sponge into the water and run to the empty bucket and squeeze out the water. The first team to fill up the empty bucket wins.
  • Classic game of hopstoch
  • Ballon toss: Students have a partner and toss a water ballon back and forth. After each person tosses the ballon, each student takes a step backwards. This continues until the water ballon is broken
  • Car Wash: Bring out large toys ie. cars or bikes, and set up a car wash.  Items needed: two buckets (one for clean water and the other dirty), soap, and sponges, and towels. Have students set up an assembly, where each is responsible for a part of the wash,
  • Chalk: Tracing themselves or friends, hopscotch, tic-tac-toe, foursquare, and maizes.

Quick Movement Breaks:

Sometimes our kids need to get up move while inside the classroom or when waiting in line. Here are a few activities you can do when it isn’t gross motor time but we need to get those wiggles out!

  • Popping Popcorn: Have students sit in their designated spots on the carpet. Pick students individually to stand up and “pop” or jump in their spot. The rest of the students sing the following song:
  • Move It or Lose It- Act it Out-  This is a fun activity where students pretend to act out specific movements.  Read more about this awesome resource on the Autism Helper’s Website!    You can also purchase this activity from our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
  • Simone Says
  • Red Light, Green Light
  • Freeze Dance
  • Animal Pretend- have each student pick an animal they want to act out and the whole class will pretend to be this animal by moving and making noises to each animal.

I hope some of these activities will help get you through the rest of the year! If you have other awesome activities to keep our kids moving please leave a comment below!