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Indoor Gross Motor Activities For Preschoolers

These fun indoor games are perfect for developing kids’ gross motor skills! Simple to set up and great for getting out extra energy.  Do you have a gross motor sensory seeker?  Do you have a VERY active child?  I do! Here I created these super easy indoor gross motor activities to enjoy anytime! For different variations also check out our line jumping and tennis ball games too!

SENSORY MOTOR ACTIVITIES FOR KIDSGross motor activities - Walking Lines Rolling Balls Gross Motor Sensory Play Ideas Sensory Processing

Sensory Motor Play

These gross motor ideas are useful for children with sensory seeking needs. However all children will have fun with these sensory motor activities. Grab a roll of painters tape, a heavy ball or object to push, and some plastic eggs. Move aside the furniture if you can to make a large space or just create one line!

ALSO CHECK OUT: Fun Exercises For Kids

gross motor activities - the set up

What is Proprioception Input & Vestibular Sensory Play?

Proprioception input is input from muscles, joints and other tissues that help to create body awareness. Jumping, Pushing, Pulling, Catching, Rolling and Bouncing to name a few are all common ways to do this.

Vestibular sensory input is all about movement! Some movements in particular like swinging, rocking, are hanging upside down are good examples.

Indoor Gross Motor Activities

Create as many lines as your space allows using different angles for each one!

1. Walking the lines heel to toe and however else is fun!gross motor activities - proprioceptive sensory line walking

2. Jump the lines different ways and twist the body to move around the lines!

gross motor activities - proprioceptive sensory seeking jumping lines

3. Roll the weighted medicine ball over the lines

Alternatively, you can push a weighted object such as a small container filled with soup cans. You may want to put a dishtowel underneath, so it slides easier.

proprioceptive sensory seeking ball line rolling

4. Walking the lines carrying the weighted medicine ball! (no picture)

5. Sitting on the floor, pushing and rolling the weighted medicine ball back and forth!

My son did enjoy having the medicine ball bump into him! We used this as an opportunity to count while we rolled too. Together we counted up to 150. Rolling the weighted ball is always appealing to him. He always enjoys counting or doing the alphabet along with it. His sensory needs are being met so he can focus on the task.

proprioceptive ball rolling

6. Race to collect the Easter eggs and then put them back!

The next day he wanted to use the lines again.  I took out a bag of plastic Easter eggs. I set one at each end or switch in the line for a total of 30 on the floor. First I had him clear one line as fast as he could and drop each egg in the bucket. Then he had to put them all back as fast as he could. Lots of quick turns! He did one line at a time. Once all the eggs were replaced, I had him do all the eggs at once! He finished by lining them up and counting them.

ALSO CHECK OUT: More Plastic Egg Activities

gross motor activities - Proprioceptive sensory egg gathering race

I hope you enjoyed our simple indoor gross motor activities! We sure did!  I am confident that these sensory motor activities gave my son a good amount of proprioception and vestibular input. Plus they are great energy busters!

MORE FUN SENSORY PLAY IDEAS

DIY Kinetic sand
Kinetic Sand
Playdough recipes
Playdough Recipes
How to make sensory bottles and discovery bottles for kids science and sensory processing activities
Sensory Bottles

FUN SENSORY MOTOR ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Click on the link or on the image below for all our sensory play ideas for kids.

Previous Post: « Fun and Easy Snow Activities For Kids
Next Post: Easter Bingo (Free Printable) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katie @ Happilyevermom

    February 27, 2014 at 5:32 pm

    I LOVE how you used the ball and eggs to extend this activity. Really brilliant! I’m tucking this away for when my son is mobile. He will definitely NEED this!!!

  2. Bonnie a.k.a. LadyBlogger

    February 27, 2014 at 8:53 pm

    These are GREAT ideas that ANY family can do! Thank you so much for this…indoor gross motor always seems to get lost when parents think of things to do…

  3. Lauren

    February 27, 2014 at 9:07 pm

    This is FABULOUS! I love all of the variations and the different ways you introduced the sensory and motor components. From a therapist’s perspective, I can tell you that you hit the nail on the head with these activities. I will be using them in my treatment sessions with my kiddos at school. Great job!! Thank you for posting them on Movement Monday. Heading back to pin and share!!

  4. littlebins

    February 27, 2014 at 9:18 pm

    Awesome thank you so much for the feedback. I can only write from a mom’s perspective and how we make it work at home! We have a fun obstacle course for today planned!

  5. Faye

    February 28, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    With the extremely cold weather and snow/ice storms that we have been experiencing lately, we haven’t been going outside much… only to scoop up some snow…and getting in the large motor activities have been somewhat limited in my home daycare. I have plenty of tape, Easter eggs, and floor space to implement this activity. I really like how you created various paths to encourage a variety of skills and ways to exercise. The weighted ball adds a great touch as a regular ball may roll too fast and and have less control, plus it definitely helps with a motor development workout. As always, YOU ROCK!

  6. Jenny Accinelli

    January 30, 2016 at 9:24 pm

    Great activity! Gross motor skills are so important to kids development. Check out this great video about a bucket bridge that we used to teach our son to climb the stairs https://youtu.be/yKcu3fIJhP4

  7. Alice

    September 14, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    https://buggyandbuddy.com/123-peas-math/ It’s a month away! Get your love shaking with this musical Valentine’s day heart shaker craft. There is nothing my son loves more than music (well, maybe garbage trucks) and any craft that can be used for something besides decorating your fridge is a huge plus in my book. The novelty of the peek a boo window made this an even bigger hit! Have fun, shake it and make some music!

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