Up and Moving--INSIDE


Because THIS (picture below) is how LM would choose to spend his entire day if given the choice, we have had to get a bit creative since the weather has turned cold.

 

One substitute for physical outdoor-play is indoor basketball drills!
Now, don't get the wrong idea or anything.....I don't know much about basketball.
Nor am I attempting to train the next Michael Jordan.
By drills, I mean repetitious patterns of physical movement to get the heart pumping, the blood flowing, and bedtime consequently less boycotted. 

Gratefully, I found this Little Tike Basketball Hoop at a yardsale during the summer to aid in the process.
But really, you could accomplish the same purpose without a hoop. Just get creative and get up and moving!



Here's one drill:
  • Set up the Hoop on one end of the house. (We put it by our front door) 
  • Grab a ball (or 2, one for each of you!)
  • Run to the other end of the house (our back door) and then back to the hoop.
  • Shoot the ball until you make it!
  • Then run to the other end of the house and back again.
  • And again.
  • And again.
Here's another one we've done (without the hoop):
  • You start at one end of the house, the child starts at the other end.
  • One of you carry a ball.
  • When you yell, "Ready, Set, Go!," you both run towards each other.
  • When you pass each other, you pass the ball (I like to pretend I'm a Quarterback secretly passing the ball for the winning touchdown, but that's just me. And again, I don't know much about football either.)
  • You both run to the other end and stop.Then you yell, "Ready, Set, Go!" again and the fun continues.
  • Again, 
  • And again.
  • And again.
 Here's one more we enjoy:
  • Grab a ball.
  • Both of you start at the same end of the house/room.
  • One of you throws/kicks/rolls the ball (Since we have tile all downstairs in our apartment, we use a little bouncy ball.)
  • You both run after it and try to be the first one to get it. (YOU, the Mother, of course occasionally pretend that you are running as fast as you can and that your hands mysteriously become a little "buttery" as you attempt to grasp the ball. Other times, it's every man for himself! At least that's how we play. haha.)
  • Laugh. (Since we use a little bouncy ball, it goes all over and my aforementioned "pretending" to not be able to get it becomes reality, especially because we are giggling about who can get to it first.)
There are plenty of options of fun drills or games to play. The point is get up and moving!
So, what are you waiting for?
Go grab a ball!

File Folder Games: Shapes

While at the dollar store a few months ago, I found a package of bulletin board borders that had shapes on them. I knew I could come up with some fun ways to use those shapes, so I bought it. Here is one way to use those shapes: shape matching!


And since the package came with something like 12 borders with all of these 8 shapes on each one, I'm excited to come up with some more fun ways to use the rest!  Any ideas?

File Folder Games: Directions



 These cards came from another set of flashcards. These are directions, and I wasn't sure how well LM would be able to match them, but he pretty easily figured out how to match the arrows. And lately I've been sometimes saying "left & right" when we are walking or driving.....but he has a ways to go yet.

File Folder Games: Picture Matching

This game also uses the dollar store picture cards, but instead of taping one down and having LM find the matching card, he gets to match them from scratch! The neat part is that on the other side of these cards are other pictures that he can match as well!


File Folder Games: Animal Matching 2


This one also uses the dollar store picture cards, and these are all animals. There you have it!

File Folder Games: Things of Wheels Matching





This folder game is using some of those aforementioned dollar store cards. One package of them was just words, so I went through them all and pulled out all of the words of things on wheels and put them all together in this folder game. Yet another big hit with LM, and 'twas super duper easy for me to make!

File Folder Games: Vehicle Matching

 So this one is similar to the Tractor puzzles, but with more variety. I got all these vehicle cards at the dollar store. It was a while ago, but I think that I got a package of 3 sets of cards: Vehicles Matching, Picture Matching, ABC picture matching. Anyways, so this was part of that dollar deal, and one of LM's favorite folder games. I have also used the other card sets to make more folder games and they will be shown soon.
Beep Beep!


File Folder Games: Tractor Puzzles

This one is a big hit with LM. He loves anything with wheels, as most boys do.
I taped the middle portion down of each of these tractors and have the ends that he matches to them.





Not only is this highly entertaining for LM, but it also helps to teach and re-infornce colors.

File Folder Games: Animal Matching

I found these brand new animal cards at the thrift store for like 25 cents or something. They are the Mommy animals and the Baby animals. I made 4 folders of these because there were so many cards. The Mommy cards are taped into the folder, and so you match the baby to the mommy.



You will see throughout all the folder games I've made so far that most are using flashcards or card games that I already had. It is much easier to put them in a folder game than to have them strewn all about the house. Plus it makes the creation of a folder game a cinch!

File Folder Games: Card Puzzle

So, for the next few days, I'm going to post some of the file folder games that I have made recently. I actually made these a couple months ago, but thought it would be fun to post what I have so far.


This first one is a set of puzzle cards that came with some flashcards I bought forever ago. LM is getting old enough to where he can put the puzzle together pretty well with some help. I just traced the shape of the cards so that there was a bit of structure for where to place them. And I usually help him by placing a few down to start. It is a pond scene with a tree, rabbits, frogs, owl, etc. Super easy since the cards were already something we had!

You could make a puzzle file folder game out of ANYTHING! just get a picture of something and cut it up. Make it as easy or advnaced as you'd like!

Holiday Hiatus

So sorry that I've been a bit AWOL lately. I blame the holidays........
The same of which has received the blame for my poor eating habits, and lack of exercise.
Yes, those pesky, wonderful, delightful holidays!
We have been busy, and we haven't been doing much by way of crafts, etc.
But we have had fun on our little vacation. Here is LM at the Aquarium:


But one of the biggest hits of our vacation was when LM saw the Tractor next to the parking lot. I've just got to remember how easy to please this little boy is!



Forgive the hiatus, but fear not! There is definitely more fun to come . . . . someday soon!

Happy Holidays!!

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