Kids love to play outside. If you don’t believe me, (or if you just want to see some pictures of our adorable students) check out the Stages Academy Facebook page (and, if you wouldn’t mind, please “like” the page while you’re there…It makes our day!)
They need the large motor activity. They need to get the exercise. They need to get their energy out.
So what do you do when it’s raining cats and dogs (as it’s supposed to do here for the next few days) or cold and snowy outside? There are some great playground games that (with a few supplies that you have around the house) can be converted to inside games and still allow the kids to have outdoor fun…inside.
Our top 5 are:
Hula Hoop Hop – Place hula hoops in a circle and practice froggy jumping from one to the next, to the next, to the next. Then practice two foot jumping around the circle. And so on.
Hula Hoop Musical “Chairs”– Or play a modified musical chairs where no one has to be “out”. Put hoops all over the floor. When the song stops, everyone has to run and get inside a hoop. Remove a hoop each time until all the children are in one hoop.
Parachute Catch – You can find an inexpensive parachute for less than $30 (or use a flat bedsheet in a pinch). Have everyone hold an edge and see how many times in a row you can make a beanbag fly in the air and catch it in the parachute.
Parachute Ring around the Rosie game where everyone holds an edge of the parachute and goes round and round. When the song says “all fall down”, everyone lets go of the chute and falls down. The chute then settles down to the ground on top of everyone.
Paper bag playtime – Take a bunch of brown paper bags and set them up like a grid. Give each child an equal pile of beanbags, ping pong balls or other small toys. See who can toss the most items into the bags. For older kids, this can be easily converted into an easy game of Toss Tic-Tac-Toe.
So, now that you’re ready, you’ll be well prepared the next time the kids are running around the house on a rainy day.
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