At Kozie Clothes, we know that all children can benefit from physical activity that involve well-thought-out motor, multi-sensory, and cognitive experiences. For children who have difficulty navigating their environment, the world can be a scary and challenging place. The best way to approach any activity, is to present it slowly and explain it beforehand, to allow the child's preferences to guide you. Remember to remain child directed, and maintain the goal of the child's individual needs stimulated through play. Start by making a plan of what skills the child is working on, what enhances their alert system, and what they interpret as fun and meaningful.
We hope you enjoy the suggested obstacle course activities below.
Sincerely,
Susan Donohoe
President, Kozie Care LLC
484-624-5751
info@kozieclothes.com
Games and activities full of sensory, motor, and learning opportunities!
Start by making a plan of what sensory activities you want the child to have and make it so that it can be adjusted to suit them personally.
Think in terms of motor planning: jumping, rolling, hopping, crawling, climbing, running, balancing, sequencing, using gross motor and fine motor skills, etc.
Obstacle courses and games are easy to set up indoors or outdoors
Loaded with physical activity for lots of different sensory input
Practices following directions, sequencing, and motor planning
They can be tailored for each child's individual needs
Consider approximately anywhere from 3-10 different activity stations depending on the child.
Remember to include a mix of easier and more challenging activities.
A few ideas to get you started:
Use a table or a broom atop two separated chairs, and tape balloons to its underside. Crawl under and through the balloons to create a fun and tactile environment.
Hula Hoops are great for jumping in and out of, or racing through. Lay out 2 or more hoops and place a number or color they may be practicing. Have your child jump into the hoop and pick up their number or color for a fun learning experience. Or, have them jump in and pick up the hoop overhead, spin around once, and put back down before hopping top the next.
Take a kiddy pool full of water and add small floating objects. Either sitting safely in the water, or standing outside the pool, the child can use a net or their hands to scoop up all the toys from the water and place them in a bucket.
The kiddy pool can also be used with a floating ring to try and toss pennies through. Have the child stand on one foot to make it harder. Or, float an upside-down Frisbee and toss dry sponges into the disc. If they miss, just ring it out and try again!
For balancing activities, lay a long object on the soft ground to act as a balance beam. Walking, hopping, standing, and standing on one foot, are all great ways of practicing balance. Walking on uneven surfaces (such as pillows placed on the ground etc.) add an additional level of motor skills.
For tunnel activities, create a tunnel fort using sheets or blankets, and have the child push an object such as a weighted ball through the tunnel.
Mini Trampolines can be great tools. Add a target circle to focus jumping into and out of. Or, throw a bean bag or ball to the child as they jump, and greatly increase their sensory input with a game of balancing catch.
When combining games into an obstacle course, use large arrows or numbers to encourage the child to follow the direction independently.
Add tactile sensory whenever possible such as using packing peanuts, bubble wrap, bean bags, or sponges filled with water.