Activity Ideas

Scooter Board Car Wash:

Space and materials needed: non-carpeted floor, at least 12 feet long and ten feet wide for every two children playing one or more towels, bathmats or pieces of fabric masking tape scooter boards, one per child

Optional: crepe paper streamers a variety of differently textured materials to form the washers a skateboard can be substituted for a scooter board with a little padding on the surface

What to do: Move any chairs out of the way.  The kids will enjoy doing this. Tape a towel to the edge of a table so that the end hangs about six inches above the floor.  Create a pretend one way path  for the kids to “drive” on, which goes under the table and out through the side with the towel so that the towel washes over them like the  washer strips in a car wash.  The path can be marked on the floor with masking tape or pointed out in advance. Crepe paper streamers can be used to create more noticeable boundaries if needed.  Kids can ride their scooter boards on the path right on through the “car wash” as often as they like (one at a time).

Variations: Use several tables if you have them, to make a tunnel or series of tunnels to ride under.  Experiment with different textures for the car wash. Tape craft foam or feather dusters to the table legs so that they stick out sideways and brush the sides of the kids as they go through. If the tables are high enough (grown-up sized), children can ride with their knees on the scooter board pulling with both hands or seated and using feet in front to pull or feet in back to go backwards. Hang a blanket over the table so that the car wash is dark.

Belly Bowling (and Bubble-Popping)

Materials: masking tape, 1 large yoga ball, 1 nerf ball, 3-5 large empty soda bottles, 1 square of bubble wrap for each participant (approximately 9 or 12“ square) DO NOT PASS THESE OUT TILL GAME HAS BEEN EXPLAINED.

Set up:   Create a bowling lane with masking tape on the floor.  Make a start line with maskingtape near one end of the lane and  a line for indicating where the pins go  near the other end.  Depending on the space, Players can sit around the playing area in a circle or in two lines with the lane in the middle. In center of circle is the yoga ball.  Several feet away from that are the bottles, set up somewhat like bowling pins.  Starting position is in back of the large ball, facing the pins.

To Play: The first player will leave his/her seat in the circle (and will return to same seat after play).  Player lays on tummy on a yoga ball and rolls forward by walking with hands toward the bottles until balanced on hips or thighs, whichever is more comfortable.  Player pck up the nerf ball with one hand while holding self up with other.  Then Player tosses or rolls the ball at one of the bottle pins.  Player continues until at least one pin falls over.   Each participant gets to pop bubbles on the bubble wrap while teacher counts down from five to one.  At “zero,” all popping should stop.

Variations:

•use a textured yoga ball

•put a little sand into the bottom of each bottle so that more strength is needed to knock them over

•an adult can help the child balance so that the ball can be thrown or rolled with both hands

•use a heavy ball to roll (not throw) at the bottles

Comments:  It’s best to set up clear expectations for behavior in advance.  Children should stay seated in their spot until it’s their turn to play and must wait until their turn to get up.  It may be helpful to point out the direction the turns pass around the circle.  Specify in advance how many turns each child will get, and warn how many are left.

Children will get tactile, proprioceptive and vestibular stimulation throw with one hand from a horizontal position take turns practice self control