9 Outdoor Activities to Make the Most Out of Spring

The weather is starting to warm up and the flowers are blooming; it’s time to get those preschoolers outside and moving! It is really important early on for children to develop their gross motor skills. Gross motor skills are skills that require whole body movement like standing, walking, running or jumping. Gross motor skills are crucial for performing everyday functions from walking to self-care skills like getting dressed. As the weather gets hotter, it is important to make sure your child gets at least 60 minutes total of physical activity each day.

To get your family moving, we have provided 9 great games and activities to get active:

Tag– Tag is a classic! One person chases the other players to ‘tag’ them with his or her hand and then that person becomes the tagger.
Hula Hoop Fun– Get several different colored hula hoops, lay them on the ground. Give instructions like, “hop to the red hula hoop and pretend to be a bunny” or “run to the green hula hoop and pretend to be a car”.
Play Catch– Grab a baseball mitt or even just use your hands to pass a ball back and forth.
Red Light, Green Light– One player, the ‘stoplight’, stands at one end of the room or lawn and the other players stand at the opposite side. The stoplight calls “green light” and the players move toward the stoplight. The players must stop when the stoplight calls “red light”. If a player is caught moving when the ‘stoplight’ calls red light, they have to go back to the starting line.
Crab Soccer– Get into a crab walk position, then kick a ball back and forth or try to kick it into a goal.
Chalk Murals– Invest in some sidewalk chalk and let their imaginations run wild!
Nature Walk– If there is an easy local trail, pack up some snacks and start walking! Take a scenic walk and see firsthand the nature located in your community.
Treasure Hunt– You can hide clues around the yard and inside the house to take your kids on a crazy pirate adventure!
Go to the Park– Have your children help you make some sandwiches and snacks for a picnic. Then head over to your local park and spend the afternoon on the swing sets and jungle gyms! When your crew gets hungry, set out a blanket to eat your treats and then keep playing!

Bonus Activity:

Host a Mini-Olympics– Create medals using paper plates and string or even just small treats like fruit or candy. Have small obstacles for the children to compete or overcome, like a running race or seeing who can put toys away in the bucket fastest.

Learn More About Our Greenville, NC Daycare

Having a strong foundation of gross motor skills and an active lifestyle are a great way to instill healthy habits throughout your child’s life. Children who maintain an active lifestyle tend to maintain a healthy body weight, maintain strong, healthy muscles and have improved sleep quality. To learn more about developing healthy habits for your children or how gross motor skill activities can be brought into your child’s daily routine, contact our Greenville NC Daycare today. At Children’s Campus of Greenville, we understand the importance of providing children with the tools and guidance necessary to achieve maximum cognitive, social, emotional and creative development. We are currently enrolling for the toddler program and look forward to hearing from you! Please call us with questions at (252) 756-8200 or contact us to schedule a tour.

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My husband and I signed our daughter up for daycare at Children's Campus in a desperate need. We had the opportunity to tour the center which we instantly fell in love with everything about it. Since our daughter has been attending Children's Campus she has done nothing but flourish in development. All of her teachers that she had been with since being here have been the sweetest and most caring, and that does not stop with the teachers as all of the staff at this center share constant love for the children. This is all evident by always being greeted with cheerful smiles, as well as witnessing everyone else being treated the same.

Laura L., Greenville

By spending time in my children's classrooms, I have witnessed the teachers' dedication and passion for working with children. Each day provides a stimulating experience in an atmosphere that fosters learning, as well as development of social, emotional, and gross and fine motor skills, all of which helps boost self-esteem. Each day when I drop them off I am confident Children's Campus provides a loving, nurturing , and attentive environment where my kids can play, learn, grow, and thrive!

Maria F., Mother of two, Greenville