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Kings Birthday activities for under fives
Three royal ways to keep your toddlers and preschoolers moving during the long weekend.
Learn the benefits for our children and mokopuna, along with what you'll need and instructions.
Crown Target Practise
Benefits:
Making a resource allows children to be involved in the creative process and express design while strengthening fine motor muscles.
Throwing at a target provides the opportunity to practice aim and accuracy while developing hand eye coordination.
Target practice also creates a sense of satisfaction and achievement when the ball reaches the right destination!
You will need:
- Paper/cardboard (I used a multigrain cereal box)
- Scissors, tape, glue
- Gems, stickers, paint to decorate
- Balls or small bean bags
Instructions:
- Cut peaks out of the cardboard and manipulate to form a crown shape. Secure with glue or tape.
- Decorate the crown with gems, stickers or paint.
- Place the crown on the floor as the target. Aim and throw a ball, small bean bag into the centre of the crown.
Crown Balancing
Benefits:
This activity promotes good concentration while managing to balance the item.
Agility is also practiced as well as pace, movement control and regulation to ensure the item doesn’t fall!
You will need:
- Items such as Frisbees, beanbags, scarves – try anything!
Instructions:
- Place an item on your head and see how far you can walk, crawl, hop, run without the item falling off.
- For further challenge, create an obstacle where the person has to go under, over, through while trying to balance the item on their head the whole time!
Follow the King or Queen
Benefits:
Children develop confidence and gain a sense of achievement for taking the lead.
This game allows the opportunity for the leader to be involved in decision making and explore ideas and actions on how to freely move the body.
You will need:
- A crown
- A leader
Instructions:
- Choose a leader to wear the crown.
- The leader performs actions or movements for the group to follow.
- Add music or use the concept of the “Simon says” game.
- The crown can be passed around for others to have a turn at leading.
- How can the leader transform, position or move their body?
Learn More
The above activities were complied by our Early Childhood Advisor, Lisa Thomson.
