To further inspire all of you who play with preschoolers, I’ll start posting details about activities we do at home. We try to incorporate activities on a daily basis that engage and grow the small motor skills as well as the large motor skills. Please comment or email if you have done or decide to do any of the activities posted in this series on Mondays…let us know what you do and how your preschooler enjoys it!
This past week, we were recovering from the flu so that meant lots of indoor playtime. Plus, we live in Missouri and the weather changes at the drop of a hat right now so many of our skill-building play is indoors.
Here is an activity that incorporates both small and large motor skills plus encourages lots of communication!
“Box Train”
Fine-motor skills/finger strength:
We started by collecting empty boxes from around the house.
My kiddos used their little fingers to thread yarn from box to box and then we practiced tieing knots. Then we practiced using scissors to cut the yarn.
Next we made binoculars out of TP rolls and tape and string. And then pulled out several stickers to decorate our ‘box cars’.
Gross-motor skills/arm and leg strength:
We were ready to fill our train so I asked the boys, “What jobs do people have on the train?” They decided we needed:
1. Passengers = stuffed animals. After collecting our ‘passengers’ from around the house, we discussed where people go on a train and I mentioned that some ride in a ‘sleeper car’...well then we obviously needed our blankies too!
2. A “lookout man” who would use the binoculars to look for deer (per the imagination of my 4 year old boy).
3. and a conductor (who rode in a “special car” in the front = laundry basket) and he needed a flashlight and conductor hat to be able to drive.
The boys really had a good time playing. They don’t like to play with stuffed animals on a regular basis but this was a fun way to use toys to open discussion and talk about how trains work and the places they go.
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