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Fun activities to promote movement skills in children.

The following activities are provided by The Inspired Treehouse and the American Physical Therapy Association. These fun, easy activities can help children build strong, healthy bodies and minds through play. 

Review the Glossary of Skill Areas for Child Development

The Inspired Treehouse is authored by occupational therapists Claire Hefferon, OT, and Pam Braley, OT, and physical therapist Lauren Drobnjak, PT. 

Fun Activities to Try With Your Child

A Walk On The Wild Side
Blob Tag
A child in boots shuffles leaves with her feet.
Boot Scoot “N” Shuffle
A child laying on his back on the floor doing a bridge exercise.
Core Strengthening Activities for Children: Bridging
A child sits on a therapy ball while an adult disturbs his balance.
Core Strengthening Activities for Children: Knock Me Over
A child doing the plank exersize on the floor.
Core Strengthening Activities for Children: Plank
A child doing a "superman" exercise on the floor.
Core Strengthening Activities for Children: Superman
A young person doing the crab walk activity on the grass
Crab Walk Gross Motor Skills Challenge
A stack of pencils inside a band for a game.
Don't Topple the Teepee Fine Motor Game
Children using tongs to pick up packing peanuts.
Feed the Elephant
A young girl hooks clothes to a clothes line with a clothing pin.
Hanging Out The Wash
Patterns (dots on a page) to describe how to set up cones for a hula hoop tire run game.
Hula Hoop Tire Run
Children "skating" on paper plate over carpet.
Let's Go Skating
A child "milking" a rubber glove into a glass.
Milking a Cow
Several children with standing inside a hula hoop facing each other.
Rabbit Hole
A child with her hands on the ground and feet in the air on a chalk drawing of a posie.
Ring Around the Posies
A tennis ball with text explaining a game for children.
Tennis Ball Target Practice
A child doing a "tight rope" walk over a string on the ground.
Tightrope Walking
Two Children doing a relay while keeping a soccer ball between them.
Wacky Relay
Wheelbarrow Relay
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