Glendale Unified School District

 

Designate 30 minutes a day for APE Time. Begin each APE Time with a familiar Warm-up, followed up with any Activity of your choice below or any of the Online Movement Resources listed.  Have fun!!

Warm-Ups

• Simon Says 

• Touch: head, nose, tummy, knees, toes, front of body, back of body, side of body. 
• Jump, stomp, stand on one foot, hop, stand like a Pencil, stand like a Star (jumping jacks). 

• Listen & Move

• https://youtu.be/j24_xH5uvdA
• Designate some space in the house for this movement “song” of walking, galloping, tip-toe, running, skating and jumping. 

• Exercises

• Arm Circles
• Forward & Backward
• Blast Offs
• Slowly bend knees and squat down while counting 5-4-3-2-1-Blast off (jump up)!
• Washing Machines
• Side twists
• Windmills
• Wall Push-Ups

Fun Indoor Gross Motor Activities 

**These activities can be done in your home (or backyard) using many items you may already have on hand at home. 

Locomotor Activities

• Running

1. Have your child stand by a bowl of cotton balls (or other small toys, objects) and pick up one cotton ball. Then have them run to another bowl that is 20 or more feet away and place the cotton ball in the bowl. Run back and repeat!
2. Your child can do this same activity with other Locomotor skills such as Galloping and Skipping!

• Jumping

1. Place 5 or more lines of painter’s tape or chalk on the floor and have your child jump or hop in place or forward onto each line.
2. Print pictures of your child’s favorite cartoon character and tape several of them all over the ground for your child to jump or hop in place  or forward onto.

• Hopping

• Using painter’s tape or chalk and create hopscotch boxes for your child to hop into.

Object Control Activities

• Throwing

1. Under/Overhand: 
1. Use a laundry basket, storage container or  large bucket and have your child under/overhand throw rolled up pairs of socks, stuffed animals, bean bags or small nerf balls into the container.
2. Create a pyramid made of plastic disposable cups. Depending on your child’s ability, have your child stand 5 to 20 feet away from the cups and overhand throw any of the items listed above to knock down the cups. 

• Catching

1. Have your child practice catching with a balloon. Balloons move slowly, which allows your child time to catch.
2. Catch and Throw back and forth with your child using various sized balls, such as a beach ball, 
3. Bounce and Catch a playground ball with your child. Use a target for them to bounce on such as a picture of their favorite cartoon character and tape to the ground.

• Kicking

• Set up some scattered kicking targets such as empty water bottles, plastic disposable cups, or paper towel rolls. Have your child kick the targets down. 

1. This activity also works on Static Balance!

• Striking 

1. By Hand: Have your child strike a balloon or beach ball as many times as they can with their hand(s), without letting the balloon or beach ball hit the ground.
2. This activity can also be done with:
1. Fly swatter, paper plate, tennis racket or small paddle board.

• Ball Rolling:

1. Set up a bowling “lane” with some painter’s tape and use plastic bottles or plastic cups for pins. Have your child roll a ball on the ground and knock down as many pins as they can.

Balance Activities

1. Static: 
1. Refer to Kicking activity above.
2. Stack some cardboard boxes and have your child kick the boxes to knock them down
3. If you have cones:
1. Place small objects on top of several cones and kick them off.
2. Line up 3 or more cones and have your child tap the top of each cone with one foot.
2. Dynamic: 
1. Create a balance “beam” with painters tape. straight line or zig-zag, and have your child walk on the tape. If your child is having difficulties, place your fingers on their shoulders to help guide them across. 

Online Movement Resources

 

Gross Motor Activities to Do at Home

Click on the links. 

• Beach Ball Activities
• Walking on Pillows
• Indoor Gross Motor Activities
• Gross Motor Activities from A to Z
• Jumping Activities for Kids
• 87 Active Indoor Games & Activities
• 35 Gross Motor Activities
• Indoor Obstacle Course Ideas
• 20 Fun Ways to Practice Standing on One Foot
• Movement Activities for Kids with Tape
• https://openphysed.org/activeschools/activehome 
• OPEN - Online Physical Education Network

Dance/Yoga Videos

Click on the links.

• Go Noodle

• https://family.gonoodle.com/

• You Tube

• Warm-Up/Movement Breaks

• Pancake Manor - "Shake Break"
• Pancake Manor - "Move Your Legs"
• The Learning Station - "Shake Your Sillies Out"

• Imitation/Movement/Dance

• The Learning Station - "Go Bananas"
• Koo Koo Kanga Roo - "Pop Se Ko"
• The Singing Walrus - "Action Song"
• The Kiboomers - "Freeze Dance"
• The Learning Station - "Baby Shark"
• Koo Koo Kanga Roo - "Rollercoaster"
• Koo Koo Kanga Roo - "Get Yo Body Movin"
• Koo Koo Kanga Roo - "Awesome Rainbows"
• Koo Koo Kanga Roo - "Dinosaur Stomp"
• The Learning Station - "Dancing Robots" 

• Yoga

• Moovlee - "Alphabet Yoga"
• Moovlee - "Super Hero Yoga"
• Moovlee - "Animal Poses"
• Moovlee - "Breathing & Stretching"
• Moovlee - "Morning Routine"
• Moovlee - "Night Time Routine"
• Cosmic Kids Yoga Channel