I often get questions from families about activities to do at home to support their young children when they are away from the classroom. First and foremost, I always advise them to read with their children each day. Not only can this bolster children's vocabulary and appreciation of books/reading, "the practice of shared book reading is a nurturing support for early language, literacy, and socio-emotional development within young children (Read, 2022)." I also always remind families the main goal of preschool is to get children socially and emotionally ready to be in a classroom and around other children, and books are a great way to introduce concepts, support empathy development, and pose social problem solving solutions.
In colder months, it can be hard to get outside depending on the weather. I once worked with a teacher who said, "There's no inappropriate weather, there's only inappropriate clothing," and I ascribe to her mindset. But, on days when it's snowing or raining hard, families and teachers might want to incorporate some indoor gross motor activities into their day. (Although, personally, I love going out in the rain. It's a great opportunity to give kids an experience they may not have had before, to teach about weather and biology, to explore a familiar setting with a new perspective, and to experience the joys of mud, puddles, splashing, and water. It is a good idea to have a set of dry clothes on hand if you do this, though.)
One of the activities I like to do inside is to have a pillowcase sack race. I cannot do this activity in my classroom since there's not adequate room, but I have done it at home with friends and family members. All you need is a large, open room, pillowcases for the children involved, and a start and finish line. This is a great way to develop large and small motor skills. Jumping off two feet is a big step for preschoolers, and the pillowcase prevents them from hopping off a single foot--they trip otherwise. It might be a good idea to place some pillows or cushions along the racetrack to prevent any injuries. Also, be sure to clear out furniture with sharp corners.
In the classroom, we've had indoor snowball fights (crumple
up pieces of paper and toss them around the room), obstacle courses, bean bag toss games, and kids dance videos. GoNoodle is a great resource for indoor motor activities. My personal favorites are performed
by the groups Blazer Fresh and Koo Koo Kangaroo. Both groups also have videos available on YouTube.
Whether you're indoors or outdoor, I like to reference a branch of the Special Olympics called Young Athletes. Young Athletes provides a downloadable gross motor activity guide (pdf available for download below). Activities vary from jumping and balancing lessons to emergent instruction in various team sports like volleyball and soccer to throwing and catching experiences. For more information about Young Athletes, please visit their website by clicking the icon below.
References
Read, K. The Impact of COVID-19 on Families' Home Literacy Practices with Young Children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(8), 1429-1438, https://eric.ed.gov/?redir=http%3a%2f%2fdx.doi.org%2f10.1007%2fs10643-021-01270-6
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