My goal for these indoor gross motor activities is simple, do-able fun. These indoor gross motor energy busters will get your kids moving around the house. My goal is movement! Get those bodies moving and doing. When you can’t get outside, try some of these fun exercises for kids. Turn off the TV and unplug the video games. It’s time to get moving!
Indoor Gross Motor Activities For Toddlers To Preschoolers
25 Indoor Gross Motor Activities for KidsÂ
Parents or care givers, don’t be afraid to get involved! Kids need to see you moving too. Some of these exercises may be best suited for an older child and some for a younger child. Modify as needed so it is enjoyable for everyone.
Click on links provided for more information on each gross motor activity. Below I made a simple supply list for quick reference. Modify any of these indoor gross motor games to fit your kids!
1. Fun Workouts for Kids
This is a great list of exercises for kids 5+ {depending on ability} and adults too! Show your kids how you get moving too.
2. Jumping Activities
Simple indoor gross motor ideas for kids who love to jump!
3. Â Indoor Gross Motor Sensory Play Ideas
Painter’s tape is a great tool to have handy for indoor play. Make all sorts of crazy lines to follow on the floor. Roll balls along the lines too. Read all about Vestibular and Proprioceptive Sensory Play too.
4. Â Tennis Ball Games
Some buckets and tennis balls are all you need for some great games.
Kids can try to beat best times!
5. Indoor Balloon Tennis
Blow up a package of balloon and grab a few fly swatters at the dollar store or grocery store.
6. Laundry Basket Races
We have a smaller round laundry basket. My son loves to push things, so we load it up and see how fast he can push it across the room. I place a dishtowel under neath, so it slides freely across the floor. Great indoor gross motor play for sensory processing too.
7. Bucket Transfer
I love the Lowes do it all buckets for play. They hold toys and everything else. Take two buckets {any will do} and place one at one end of the room and one somewhere farther away. This can depend on age of child. We use a pair of kitchen tongs to grab either rolled up socks or paper snowballs to transfer.
How fast can you transfer all of the items to the empty bucket? The next child can transfer them back! You can also do it with one bucket and scatter the contents all over the room! We scattered small stuffed animals.
8. Indoor Hopscotch
Use painters tape to out line a hopscotch game. Use a bean bag or rolled up sock as a marker!
9. Great Plank-Off
Have everyone get down in the plank position. On stomach, elbows bent and forearms on the floor. Lift up on toes and balance on forearms so that the body forms a plank. You can also do it with arms straight. How long can you hold it? get up jog in place for 30 seconds and repeat!
10. Activity Popsicle Sticks
Grab a handful of popsicle sticks and write age-appropriate activities on each stick! Stick them in a jar. Pull one out for a brain break or an energy buster.
You could use jumping jacks for older kids and bunny hops for young kids. You could use marching for younger kids and lunges for older kids! Try standing on one leg for older kids and one foot in front of the other for young kids. Set a stopwatch or time and see if you can last for 30 secs and work up to a minute!
11. Bed Sheet Parachute
Although we have a play parachute, there have been many occasions at a friend’s house where we have simply used a large bedsheet. It’s great fun to fill the sheet with animals and try to bounce them out by raising and lowering the parachute together! Check out these great parachute games from Nurturestore.
12. Visual Indoor Scavenger HuntÂ
Go around the house and take pictures of items or textures {pillows, curtains, blanket etc}. You can use a tablet or smartphone. Have your kids find all the places one by one. At the last picture, you can leave a surprise! This works great for multiple ages. If you have older kids, they can take turns creating the scavenger hunts for each other. We tried this with a Christmas Tree Scavenger Hunt this Winter. Gets you moving around the house!
14. Yarn Treasure Hunt and Maze
My friend told me about how her mother used to do this when she was a kid along with her brother. Tie off an end of a ball of yarn. Weave it all around the furniture. Give the loose end to your child and have them trace back to the beginning by unwinding it and collecting it along the way. You can do this with multiple balls for multiple kids. You could also leave a prize at the end!
15. Indoor Balance Beams
I bought a few inexpensive planks of wood at the local hardware store. Make a simple balance beam out of them indoors! Lay down a sheet or blanket or even a tarp underneath. Pretend you are walking over shark-infested waters or you are a pirate!
16. Obstacle CoursesÂ
I know all the lists include obstacle courses, but I love the simplicity of this obstacle course for the younger kids from Hands On As We Grow. Crawlers and walkers need to get energy out too! We find that indoor obstacle courses with older kids can get a bit hectic, but if you have the ability to move furniture around, it can be great. My son loves running around the couch when we make enough room.
17. Fill the Backpack Game
Great way to work on listening skills and get the kids moving around the house.
18. Sensory Bins
Dumping, scooping, filling and transferring are great activities that expend energy! Especially if you give big containers to use. Provide a large bin to really get them working. We have one idea that explains this a bit more with big bottle water play. Also, read our Tactile Sensory Play Guide. My son’s favorite fillers are heavy fillers like aquarium rocks and rice! Bring the water table inside with these great indoor water table ideas.
19. Pillow Pile or Mattress Crash
If you have the ability this is a great energy buster! We will occasionally pull off the cushions and make a mountain to climb or simply jump into them. Also, we have taken the mattress off his bed and let him jump into it!
20. Animal Walks | Lemon Lime Adventures
Animal walks make great indoor gross motor games. So many neat animals to try.
21. Streamers Maze Game | Teach Preschool
How fun is this! Grab some rolls of dollar store streamers and get ready for fun and laughter.
22. Core Strengthening for Kids | Inspired Treehouse
Fun and necessary exercise for children. Great family workout too!
23. Physical Activity Cube | Little Family Fun
Turn exercise into an indoor gross motor game!
24. Play Velcro Ball | Creative Connections for Kids
This is so cool and easy to make. Perfect indoor gross motor idea!
25. Exercise Eggs – Find and Move Treasure Hunt | No Time for Flash Cards
What a neat indoor gross motor idea. Perfect for a sports lover! I have seen these eggs in stores.
26. Yoga for Kids | Home Remedy Shop
One playgroup my son went to featured a yoga session. He had such a blast and really worked hard. Check out these kid friendly yoga poses and pick handful to work on with your child!
Check out these 40 Heavy Work Activities from Mama OT too.Â
Learn about proprioception input and how it affects the body and senses. She has some neat ideas that are not all gross motor.
Make the best of an indoor day with gross motor play!Â
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Gross Motor Play
Balloon Tennis Gross Motor Play Activity