Activity Cards

IntroductionAll kids need structured and unstructured time to move around and get their heart rates up. These activity cards are designed to give you ideas to get the children in your care moving and being active with little supervision or space during challenging times so you can prepare their snacks and meals, change a diaper, or transition to another activity. They require very little preparation, material, or expense. However, planning is critical to success. Have fun exploring new ways to help your children develop their motor skills and burn off some energy.

Jump in the RiverToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials:Chalk or masking tape

Instructions:Make a river using the chalk or masking tape by

making 2 parallel lines on the ground about 12 inches apart for as long as your space allows.

The children can stand on 1 side of the river and jump in and back and forth over the river, jump on 1 foot down the river, swing their arms back and forth as they jump, or count to 10 as they jump.

Chase the Animal TailToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials: Colorful scarves or long strips of fabric

Instructions: Go around the group and have each child pick an

animal. Point out that these animals use their limbs to move, run, gallop, fly, jump, and climb. Mimic one of the animals.

Tell the children to practice moving like the animals they picked.

Tuck a scarf into 1 child’s waistband or back picket. Say “Ready or not…here we come!” and tell the

children to reach and gently grab at the tail. The child who pulled the tail is now “it.” Take turns.

Nature Treasure HuntToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials: Items from nature (e.g., leaves, rocks, acorns, pinecones) and masking tape

Instructions: Take a walk in nature with the children and collect nature items along the

walk. When you return, use the masking tape to create an indoor nature walk.

Hide the items you collected around the room and along the path in places that make the children reach high and low as they search for them.

Call out instructions with different ways to move such as jumping, waddling, stomping, or crawling.

Point out how their heart rate changes depending on how vigorously they are moving.

Variations: Divide the group and have children search for different items as a team. Expand the search to another room or outside. Hide different treasures, such as words that start with the letter “A” or

items related to your curriculum.

Bubble ChaseToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials: Mix bubble solution (1/2 cup dish soap, 2 cups of

water, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup) Items to make bubble wands

Instructions: Make bubble wands with the children. Cut a hole in

the bottom of a paper cup or bend pipe cleaners to form a loop, leaving part of it for a handle.

Dip the wands in the bubble solution and blow some bubbles. Run, hop, jump, wave, and kick with the children to pop and chase bubbles.

Encourage the children to reach up high and bend down low to pop as many as they can.

Catch & Do with Beach BallsToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials:Beach balls

Instructions:Write an action word (e.g., jump, turn around,

shake, skip) on each section of the beach ballHave the children work in pairs and toss the

balls back and forth.When they catch the ball, they should do the

action word where their hand lands.

Moving with Beach BallsToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials: Cones, beach balls, and hula hoops Tape and boxes

Instructions: Set up an obstacle course with materials. Create pathways for the

children to follow climbing up and under and going sideways and backwards over obstacles.

Have the children hold a beach ball and go through the obstacle course. Next have the children go through the obstacle course while they are kicking the ball.

Variation: Pair up the children and have them together carry the ball through

the obstacle course. They can use their hands, kick the ball back and forth, sandwich the ball between their backs, etc.

Toss the Beach BallToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials:Laundry basketsBeach balls

Instructions:Set up laundry baskets around an open space

at varying distances. Toss balls into the laundry baskets.Instruct the children to run, somersault, slide,

hop back, etc.

Musical Beach BallToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials:MusicOne beach ball per child

Instructions:Have children move around as the music plays. When the music stops, have children sit on their

balls.When the music starts again, yell out a different

movement such as walking, jumping jacks, hopping, or leap frog.

Musical Hula HoopToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials:MusicOne hula hoop per child

Instructions:Have children move around as the music plays. When the music stops, have children jump into

their hula hoop.When the music starts again, yell out a different

movement such as jumping in and out of the hula hoop or running around the hula hoop.

Musical Hula Hoop 2Toddlers & Preschoolers

Materials:MusicOne hula hoop per child

Instructions:Put hula hoops together so they are touching. Shout out a movement for the children to do

within their hulu hoop while the music is playing.When the music stops, have children move to

another hula hoop and shout out another movement for them to do in their new hula hoop.

Leap Frog Hula HoopToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials:Several hula hoops

Instructions:Spread out hula hoops.Tell the children to pretend they are frogs and

jump inside their hula hoop. Vary the jumping – tell them to jump as high as they can, crouch low, or jump from one leg to the other.

Have children hop from one hula hoop to another like frogs.

Move Through the LineToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials: One hula hoop

Instructions: Have children stand in a line. Have the first child in line hold the hula hoop over their

head, move the hula hoop down their body, and jump out.

Hand the hula hoop to the next child until all children have completed the task.

Time the activity and encourage the children to move quickly.

Balance BeamToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials:Create a walking board that is several feet long

and several inches wideInstructions:

Have children form a line on one end of the board.

Have each child walk the length of the board.Vary the movement by walking sideways,

backward, and hopping on and off the board.

Buzzing BeeToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials:Cones, fabric flowers, or other items to mark a

spotInstructions:

Tell the children they are bees and they need to visit each flower to get pollen.

Have children visit each station and pretend to eat the polled. Have them fly or jump from station to station.

Stepping StonesToddlers & Preschoolers

Materials:Small towels, bean bags, or socks

Instructions:Spread towels over an open space. Have the

children stand on a towel.Tell them to pretend they are jumping from

stone to stone, but need to be careful not to fall in the river.

Resourceswww.sesamestreet.org/healthyhabitswww.aahperd.org/headstartbodystart/

activityresourceswww.nrckids.org/ScreeFreeMoments/

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