As children grow and develop, it's important to provide them with opportunities to practice their gross motor skills. Gross motor skills involve using large muscle groups and are important for everyday activities like running, jumping, and climbing. These skills help us with everyday tasks such as standing up straight, throwing, lifting and kicking.
Here are ten different activities that children can do at home with the Barumba Play™ couch to practice their gross motor skills:
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Set up an obstacle course - Creating an obstacle course with the cushions of the Barumba Play™ couch is a fun way to practice crawling, jumping, climbing, and balancing skills. It also encourages children to think creatively and problem-solve as they figure out the best way to navigate the obstacles. They can slide or somersault down the triangle. They can crawl or step up on stacked pieces. Or jump over an arm rest rectangle.
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Play "Simon Says" - This game is a fun way to practice following directions and moving different parts of the body. It can help children develop coordination, balance, and spatial awareness as they move their bodies in different ways. You can use the play couch pieces during the game to have them pick up certain shapes or do certain movements such as "Simon Says, pick up the triangle and hold it above your head" or practice different postures such as "Simon Says stand up really tall."
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Dance party - Dancing is a fun and creative way to move the body and develop gross motor skills. It can help children develop rhythm, coordination, and balance while also providing an opportunity for self-expression and creativity. You can set up your play couch as a stage for the performance or use the pieces to set up "chairs" for family and stuffed animals to be the audience.
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Throwing a ball - Throwing a ball helps improve hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. It also encourages children to work on their depth perception and spatial awareness. You can set up the play couch pieces as walls with a basketball net in the middle to have the ball roll right back to your feet. Or use a smaller ball to aim in the middle of the arches as a circle target. Another option is to use the semi-circles as nets with a soccer ball.
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Floor is Lava- This is a great game to practice planning movement, timing and jumping. Use the play couch pieces as islands to avoid the lava. You Tube has a Floor is Lava song to play in the background. Kids love jumping from piece to piece while avoiding the floor.
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Balloon volleyball - Playing a game of volleyball with a balloon is a fun way to practice hitting and catching skills while also improving hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. It can also encourage teamwork and social skills as children work together to keep the balloon in the air. Position the big connected mat from your play couch on its short side as your net. If you want to make it a 4 player game, then use the large rectangles and semi-circle in the arch to add additional walls and make it a 4 player game.
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Limbo - Use the play couch pieces to build a doorway. Have kids duck to avoid hitting the roof. Change the build to have the kids go from walking to crawling to army crawling under the doorway that gets increasingly shorter. This activity works on spatial awareness and coordination.
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Yoga - Practicing yoga poses helps children develop strength, balance, and flexibility. It can also be a great way to improve focus, concentration, and mindfulness, which can have benefits beyond just physical development. The play couch pieces can be a great spot to sit comfortable or use the triangle as a wedge for comfort.
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Play Couch Builds - Get kids involved in the building by having them pick up the play couch pieces and design their own creations. They will develop muscle tone, planning and coordination as they learn how to place down pieces and plan their builds.
- Climb and Slide- Stack the play couch pieces in a tower with the big connected piece coming down to the ground as a slide. Kids can practice climbing to the top and rolling or sliding back down again.
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