Active Play Ideas
Skills developed: Co-ordination, motor skills
What you’ll need: Soft ball (or roll 3 – 4 socks into a ball)
Indoors
0-12 months
Kick the Ball:
Your baby lies on their back while you kneel facing them with the ball between your knees. Encourage your baby to kick the ball.
Roll the ball:
With both you and your baby lying on your tummies facing each other, roll the ball to them and encourage your baby to push it back to you. As they get better, move further away to make it more challenging.
Reach for the ball:
When your baby can hold their head up while lying on their tummy, place the ball just beyond their reach and encourage them to reach out and grab it.
12 months – 2 years
Kick the ball:
When your child can walk, encourage them to walk towards and kick the ball
Catch the ball:
Hold your child’s arms out and show them how to catch a ball. Sit or stand close to them at first, to make it easier for them.
2 – 5 years
Basket-ball:
Get your child to throw the ball into a wastepaper basket, clothes basket, etc. Increase the distance as they learn to throw more accurately
Outdoors
2 – 5 Years
Dribble the ball:
Create an easy obstacle course and encourage your child to dribble the ball around it (like a football)
Up in the air:
See how long your child can keep batting the ball in the air with their hands, without it falling to the ground. When they become confident with this join in and bat the ball back and forth to each other (with your hands) and see how long you can keep the ‘rally’ going
Skills developed: Agility, co-ordination, motor skills, balance, thinking, problem solving
What you’ll need: Moveable household items to crawl, climb and or jump over and under (e.g. pillows, empty cardboards boxes, chairs, paper/card).
Indoors
0-12 months
Place various objects around your living room. Vary the height and distance between the objects and encourage your child to crawl and climb over, under or through them. You could play this in a garden too.
12 months – 2 years
Make the course slightly more challenging by adding a few more obstacles, using the similar objects as for 0 – 12 months.
Outdoors
2 – 5 years
Make the course together with your child, in the garden, letting them choose some of the obstacles. As they become more agile, add low jumps and objects to balance on. Help your child find their own level of agility. To make it more fun, encourage your child to travel around the obstacle course like their favourite bug / animal (butterfly, spider, ant, bee, frog, etc).
Skills developed: Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, thinking, problem solving
What you’ll need: For the treasure basket you’ll need safe household items from around your home (e.g. spoons, soft sponge, old TV remotes) and a basket / small box.
For the treasure hunt you’ll need favourite toys, familiar household items, etc
Indoors
0-12 months
Treasure Basket
Place the objects for the treasure basket in a basket or small box. Encourage your baby to explore the treasure basket, show them how to take items out and place back into the treasure basket and let them do the same. Allow them to play with the items from the treasure basket too.
12 months – 2 years
Hide and Seek Treasure Hunt
Show your child objects that you’re going to hide. Ask them to look away while you hide them, but not too well. Encourage your child to find the items – helping them along the way by telling them if they’re close (“warm / warmer”) or further away (“colder”). You could also play this outdoors.
Outdoors
2 – 5 years
Hide and Seek Treasure Hunt
The same as for 12 months – 2 years but make finding the items slightly more difficult. This may be easier to play outdoors in a garden. You can also encourage your child to collect and hide items from you or their friends.
Alternatively, place different coloured objects into a treasure basket filled with other pieces of tissue. The children will then be asked to retrieve an object of the chosen colour from the box and bring it back to you. This will continue until all objects have been collected.
Sgiliau a ddatblygir: gwrando, ystwythder, cydgysylltu, sgiliau echddygol
Beth fydd ei angen arnoch: 2 glustog
Dan do
0 – 12 mis
Gofynnwch i’ch plentyn eistedd gyda chi. Pan fyddwn yn gweiddi ‘gwyrdd’, dechreuwch glapio ei ddwylo mewn siâp cylch. Ar ‘oren’, dylech glapio ei ddwylo mewn un lle. Pan fyddwch chi’n gweiddi ‘coch’, dylai ddal ei ddwylo gyda’i gilydd a pheidio â chlapio o gwbl.
12 mis – 2 flwydd oed
Gadewch i’r plant i gyd redeg mewn cylch i gyfeiriad clocwedd. Pan fyddwch yn dweud ‘coch’ dylent roi’r gorau i symud, pan fyddwch yn dweud ‘oren’ dylent redeg/cerdded yn y fan a’r lle, ac ar ‘coch’ dylent sefyll yn llonydd.
2 – 5 mlwydd oed
Rhowch 2 glustog yn eithaf pell ar wahân yn eich ystafell fyw. Anogwch eich plentyn i deithio o’u cwmpas mewn ffigur 8. Pan fyddwch chi’n dweud ‘coch’, dylai eich plentyn stopio, pan fyddwch chi’n dweud ‘oren’ dylai redeg yn y fan a’r lle a phan fyddwch chi’n dweud ‘gwyrdd’ dylai redeg o amgylch y clustogau mewn ffigur 8. Ceisiwch amrywio’r gorchmynion. Pan fydd yn dod i arfer â’r gorchmynion ychwanegwch fwy o bethau fel: bwmp cyflymder, gwrthdroi, jam traffig, ac ati. Gellid chwarae hwn yn yr awyr agored hefyd gan ddefnyddio cadeiriau, cotiau neu fagiau
Skills developed: hand-eye coordination, counting, motor skills
What you’ll need: bottle of blow bubbles
Indoors
0-12 months
Lie your child on their back and blow bubbles in the air. Show them how to pop them with your hand or fingers and encourage them to do the same (when any bubbles get close to them). If your child can crawl, blow bubbles just out of reach so they crawl towards them and pop them as they land on the floor.
Outdoors
12 months – 2 years
Blow bubbles around the garden or an empty area in the park for your child to chase and pop
2 – 5 years
Blow bubbles around the garden or an empty area in the park for your child to chase and pop. They can count how many they pop each time you blow some. Your child could blow bubbles for you to pop as well. Take a note of how many bubbles you and your child pops to see who can pop the most.
Skills developed: hand-eye coordination, teamwork, counting, motor skills
What you’ll need: a balloon
Indoors
12 months – 2 years
Bat an inflated balloon towards your child and encourage them to catch it or bat it back / up in the air
2 – 5 years
Bat the inflated balloon towards your child and encourage them to bat it back. Try to keep the balloon from falling to the floor for as long as possible. Other children can play along too. Get your child / children to count every time someone bats the balloon, to keep a score. Make a note of the high score and see if you can beat it next time you play.
Skills developed: listening, motor skills, memory
What you’ll need: sofa, table, blanket, etc
Indoors
2 – 5 years
The ‘Captain’ calls out the orders and your child / children listen and follow.
You can make up your own orders but here are some ideas:
- ‘To the ship’ (everyone runs to the ‘ship’ – e.g. sofa)
- ‘Hit the deck’ (everyone lies down on their tummies)
- ‘Periscope up’ (everyone lies on their backs and sticks up one leg)
- ‘Shark attack’ (everyone runs to an ‘island’ e.g. blanket on the ground)
Skills developed: motor skills, thinking, problem solving
What you’ll need:
– Foundation: table, bunk bed, chairs, sofa, boxes, etc
– Shelter: large towels, bed sheets, large blankets
– Décor: pillows, cushions, blankets, fairy lights, toys
Indoors or Outdoors
12 months – 2 years
Build a den for your child to play in. You can drape bed sheets over a table or on the side of bunk beds. Place a blanket on the back of a sofa and chairs. Secure the edges of the blanket to keep it in place. You could use heavy object, like tins, or clothes pegs. Be creative and try other ways to make a den. Add some cushions, pillows and/or blankets to make the den comfy and cosy.
2 – 5 years
Build a den with your child, using the suggestions above.