Rainy Day Physical Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Transcription

1 May 2012 Raiy Day Physical Activities for Toddlers ad Preschoolers The Importace of Physical Activity Physical activity is very importat for the health ad developmet of youg childre ad decreases their chace of becomig overweight, obese, or developig other health-related diseases. To meet the physical activity eeds of youg childre, child care professioals should provide structured ad ustructured play activities. Childre should ever be sedetary or sittig i oe area for 60 miutes or loger durig the day, except durig sleep time. It is importat that toddlers have at least 30 miutes of structured ad at least 60 miutes of ustructured physical activity o a daily basis. Preschoolers should also have at least 60 miutes of structured ad at least 60 miutes of ustructured physical activity daily. All activities should be fu, excitig, ad developmetally appropriate for youg childre. Regular physical activity has may beefits for youg childre. The beefits iclude developig muscular stregth ad edurace; buildig ad ecouragig self-esteem; icreasig stability; buildig strog muscles, heart, ad boes; developig object cotrol skills; developig locomotor skills; ehacig thikig skills; developig object, color, ad shape recogitio; ad developig cardiovascular edurace. What to do whe outdoor play is uavailable? There are a variety of idoor physical activities to get childre movig ad havig fu. Physical activities rage from very simple play for toddlers ad ifats to more challegig, fu activities for preschoolers ad school-age childre. Remember to always esure that all activities are safe ad developmetally appropriate for youg childre whe egagig i physical activities. Natioal Food Service Maagemet Istitute The Uiversity of Mississippi

2 Idoor Physical Activities for Toddlers Fid the Apple Fid the Apple is a fu scaveger hut for toddlers. Childre will walk ad search the classroom for hidde apples. Materials: Plastic red apples (15-20), basket Books to Read: Apples, Apples by Kathlee Weider Zoehfeld Directios: Hide apples i various places aroud the room. Childre will walk, hop, or crawl aroud the room lookig for the hidde apples. Walk, crawl, ad hop with the childre, ecouragig them to look for the missig apples. As childre fid the apples, ask them to place them i the basket. This activity could be used with other plastic fruits ad vegetables to teach childre about healthy foods. Empty the Milk Jug Empty the Milk Jug is a fu, yet challegig physical activity for toddlers. Childre will fill the jug with milk (white clothespis) ad shake the jug util it is empty. Materials: White clothespis (10-15) ad 3-5 empty milk jugs Books to Read: Moo, Moo Brow Cow! Have You Ay Milk? By Phillis Gershator Directios: Demostrate this activity by placig clothespis iside a empty milk jug, shakig the jug util a clothespi falls out. The Sticky Foot Ruway The Sticky Foot is a very simple yet fu game for toddlers. Childre will attempt to walk, but the resistace of the walkway will be a challege. Materials: 4-6 ft. clear cotact paper (2 pieces), duck tape, music, ad music player Books to Read: Wobble Bear by Ia Whybrow Directios: Positio the cotact paper o the floor with the sticky adhesive side up. Tape the cotact paper to the floor to avoid the paper movig or slippig. Assist childre with takig their shoes off. Demostrate ad assist childre as they walk, dace, ad hop across the sticky ruway. Idoor Physical Activities for Preschoolers May 2012, cotiued Musical Bubble Shapes Musical Bubbles is a fu ad excitig game for youg childre. Childre walk, jump, or dace across bubble wrap as music is played. Materials: Bubble wrap (24-36 iches wide ad feet log), duck tape, music, ad a musical player Books to Read: Shape by Shape by Suse MacDoald Directios: Positio the bubble wrap o the floor formig two to three shapes, for example a square, diamod, ad a triagle. Apply duck tape to secure the wrap from movig or slippig. Discuss the differet types of shapes icluded i this activity with the childre. The explai to

3 the childre the rules of the activity. Demostrate the activity by walkig, jumpig, hoppig, or dacig across the bubble wrap while the music is playig. Whe the music stops, stop ad tell what shape you are stadig o. Repeat the activity ad ask the childre to joi i as you play the music. May 2012, cotiued Let s Hopscotch Let s Hopscotch is a activity that ehaces balace ad stregth i youg childre. Materials: Duck tape ad small bea bag Books to Read: Let s Play Hopscoth by Sarah Hughes Directios: Draw coected boxes with duck tape o the floor or carpet. Demostrate the activity by throwig a bea bag to lad o oe of the boxes. Hop through the boxes avoidig the box with the bea bag. At the last box, tur aroud ad retur to the begiig. To make it more challegig, add a secod bea bag. I larger classes, draw 2 or 3 diagrams for childre to participate simultaeously. The Missig Fruit Game! The Missig Fruit game is a activity that teaches childre about differet fruits Materials: Fruit cards (pictures of fruit), plastic fruits (fruit should match the fruit cards) Books To Read: Eatig the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert Directios: Hide the plastic fruit i the classroom. Show the differet fruit cards ad explai why it is importat to eat fruits daily. Distribute the fruit cards to the childre. The oly rule to the game is o walkig. Childre must hop, march, crawl, tiptoe, or ski to fid the missig fruit. Demostrate each actio (hop, march, tiptoe, or ski) for the childre. As childre fid the fruit, distribute a ew card util all the fruit have bee foud. Resources for Physical Activities There are several great resources for implemetig physical activities. Most of the resources provide step by step directios. Below is a list of resources ad liks to assist i selectig ad implemetig physical activities. Curriculums, Best Practice Guidelies, ad Books Early Steps Physical Educatio Curriculum: Theory ad Practice for Childre Uder 8 by Evridiki Zachopoulou, Ia Pickup ad Niki Tsagaridou Active Start: A Statemet of Physical Activity Guidelies for Childre From Birth to Age 5, 2d Editio by Natioal Associatio for Sport ad Physical Educatio - aspe/stadards/atioalguidelies/activestart.cfm This project has bee fuded at least i part with Federal fuds from the U.S. Departmet of Agriculture, Food ad Nutritio Service through a grat agreemet with The Uiversity of Mississippi. The cotets of this publicatio do ot ecessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Departmet of Agriculture, or does metio of trade ames, commercial products, or orgaizatios imply edorsemet by the U.S. Govermet. The Uiversity of Mississippi is a EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Sectio 504/ADA/ADEA Employer.

4 Ready, Set, Go! Creatig ad Maitaiig a Welless Eviromet i Child Care Ceters Participatig i the CACFP by Natioal Food Service Maagemet Istitute - May 2012, cotiued PDF/ pdf Physical Educatio for Youg Childre: Movemet ABCs for Little Oe by Rae Pica Nutritio ad Physical Activity Resources by First 5 Associatio of Califoria - org/files/nutritio%20ad%20physical%20activity%20report.pdf Healthy Habits for Life by Nemours, Health ad Prevetio Services, ad KidsHealth.org - SPARK Early Childhood - Website Head Start Body Start Natioal Ceter for Physical Developmet ad Outdoor Play - www. headstartbodystart.org FRAC: Child Care Program Welless Toolkit - CARE Coectio (NFSMI) - Iitiatives Let s Move! Child Care - Creative Tips ad Strategies for Implemetatio o Raiy Days Iclude music ad dace. Be a role model for childre by participatig i physical activities with them. With the childre's help, set up a obstacle course with chairs, coes, balls, ad other items. Guide childre o how to move through each part of the course so childre ca gai a uderstadig of directios i space such as over, uder, aroud, ad through. Place mats o the floor for tumblig, yoga, ad movemet. Play cooperative games usig hula hoops, streamers, parachutes, ad beach balls. Role model ad demostrate all activities for childre. Have a college football player or teis player to visit the ceter to talk about physical activity. Create a Caledar of Physical Evets Sources Craft, D. H., Smith, C.L. (2008). Active play! Fu physical activity for youg childre. Cortlad, NY: Active Play Books. Kuffer, T. (1999). The toddler s busy book. New York, Ny: Simo ad Schuster. Natioal Associatio for Sport ad Physical Educatio.(2009). Active start: A statemet of physical activity guidelies from birth to age 5, 2d Editio. Retrieved from Natioal Food Service Maagemet Istitute. (2009). Creatig a active, healthy play eviromet. CARE Coectio: Music, Movemet ad Play Coectio. Retrieved from I accordace with Federal law ad U.S. Departmet of Agriculture policy, this istitutio is prohibited from discrimiatig o the basis of race, color, atioal origi, sex, age, or disability. To file a complait of discrimiatio, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights; Room, 326-W, Whitte Buildig, 1400 Idepedece Aveue, SW, Washigto, DC or call (202) (voice ad TDD). USDA is a equal opportuity provider ad employer.

5 Nutritio Highlights Natioal Message USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelies Commuicatios Message Caledar The theme for May to August is Foods to Reduce. Durig this time, the selected key message is drik water istead of sugary driks. Remember the theme ad selected message whe plaig activities for everyday activities. To obtai more iformatio, follow the lik at Natioal Garde Moth May is Natioal Physical Fitess ad Sports Moth, sposored by the Presidet s Coucil o Fitess, Sports, ad Nutritio (PCFSN). Durig this moth, PCFSN promotes the value of physical activity ad implemetig healthy eatig habits. Also durig this moth, the PCFSN seeks to egage, educate, ad empower all Americas i adoptig ad livig a healthier lifestyle. To obtai more iformatio, follow the lik at NFSMI Traiigs NFSMI has a variety of olie child care courses available. All olie courses are free of charge ad ca be accessed at ay time. Check out our olie courses by followig the lik: May 2012, cotiued