gross and fine motor skills

[Helen Dempster]

Hello and a happy Wednesday to you all - hope you're all well :)

Tomorrow I have to plan an activity using the children's large motor skills, and also an activity using fine motor skills. I also have to plan an activity re: how the body works.

Now, this isn't going to be until 4pm so it's probably going to already be dark by then, so that means the park/garden are both out, so it needs to be something I can do indoors preferably (not a large amount of space).

Can anyone help or think of a couple of activities that I can do please? The kids are 15m, 4yo, 4yo, 5yo, 9yo. I'm more worried/anxious that they won't comply, as they're usually all shattered and grumpy after school :eek:

Thank you so much, hope someone can help xx

[mama2three]

One activity that would cover both fine and gross...

Roll out a super long piece of wallpaper on the floor. Give them an assortment of green crayons etc and they need to make it into grass. Whilst chatting , ask them which animals live in the grass..Steer answers towards snakes or worms if you can.
When they have created the grass ( fine skills mainly) they can pretend to be worms ( or whatever) and take it in turns to slither through the grass. Chat about worms bodies , what dont they have that we do ..how could worms wave? Show me.... lots of physical wriggling etc and thinking about what we do with parts of our bodies.

Does that help?

[Penny1959]

love the idea from mama2three

When first get in - talk about dressing for the weather (hot / cold) how we keep ourselves warm - putting on coats etc. what would happpen if go out without coats.

Provided non would be upset to change of routine - leave coats on to do action songs
Heads, shoulders, knees and toes and / or one finger, one thumb and so on. Talk about how one part of the body links to the next

Then ask children if hot or cold now - what is body doing (sweating maybe / feeling thirsty?) What can they do about that?

Encougage to undo take off own coats

Finish with making playdough people - including making eyes clothes(for older ones)

Should be plenty of gross and fine motor and lots of opportunity to discuss how body works.

Penny :)

[Helen Dempster]

awww, thanks :) Love these ideas and I'm gonna use them at a later date. However, for tomorrow's assessment I've decided to do the following:

Gross Motor Skills - am going to play "Simon Says" with them. I thought by doing this, I could include alot of what they're looking for - ie balance ("stand on one leg"), left and right ("raise your right/left hand") etc etc

Fine Motor Skills - am going to get the good ol' playdough/clay out, along with lots of cutters, rollers, mark makers etc. They all love doing this, from very young to oldest, so fingers crossed they'll all be up for that!

How the body works - I'm going to talk about the 5 senses, and then take one of them out! What I mean is, I will cover the ears and speak to the child, or blindfold them and guide them around - you get the drift. I will also get them to feel their heart before and after exercise.

Looks great on paper....please please please let the kiddies be in a good mood after school tomorrow and not like they were today - niggly, grumpy and HORRIBLE!!!!! AAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!! :(

[Penny1959]

Your ideas sound great

Hope all goes well.

You did not say what the assessment was for (or I did not take it in)

If for NVQ or similar - remember that it can be to your advantage if mindees not interested in your ideas - that you go with their interests and either try to link back to your aim or if that not possible - during feedback just say why you did not insist on carry on with your ideas - what you thought the outcomes for the children were - and how you can a) plan the next steps for them, b) how you plan to adapt ideas from today so that provide opportunities to cover areas of development in other ways.


Good Luck

Penny :)

[Helen Dempster]

Your ideas sound great

Hope all goes well.

You did not say what the assessment was for (or I did not take it in)

If for NVQ or similar - remember that it can be to your advantage if mindees not interested in your ideas - that you go with their interests and either try to link back to your aim or if that not possible - during feedback just say why you did not insist on carry on with your ideas - what you thought the outcomes for the children were - and how you can a) plan the next steps for them, b) how you plan to adapt ideas from today so that provide opportunities to cover areas of development in other ways.


Good Luck

Penny :)

Thanks Penny - yes, it's for NVQ3. Thing is, all the kids go a bit mad after school, especially the run up to Christmas (it's started already), so I'm going with the flow so to speak, like you say. I had a HORRIBLE afternoon with them yesterday, fighting, grumpy, awful kids. Hopefully today with a new face around they'll chill out a bit.

I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again :thumbsup:

[youarewhatyoueat]

you could use torchs on an outside wall making large and small shapes etc.