40+ Gross Motor Skills Activities to Really Get Kids Moving!

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Get outside and really get the kids moving with fun gross motor skills activities and ideas that are perfect for days when the when a dance party just isn’t cutting it!

My boys move constantly and are full of a lot of energy. But, for some reason, our hands-on fun has taken a turn to mostly fine motor activities lately.

I’ve been feeling the need to be outdoors and really move, whether it’s crawling, skipping, hopping, running or whatever gets their energy out!

40+ Gross Motor Activities to Get Your Kids Moving!

Gross motor activities.

I’ve always been a huge fan of ways to get the kids to move! Working on big movements and major large muscles with gross motor specific activities is the perfect way to really move and learn.

Gross motor activities are some of my favorites because:

It really wears them out! Number one reason by far!
It’s good for their physical development to learn to move in new ways and build muscles, coordination and what not and so on… you know… all the technical learning stuff that they’re doing. I don’t know all the reasons and benefits of using their gross motor skills, but I just know it’s good to do.

Read more about the benefits of moving at the Moving Smart Blog. I like the information about growing your child’s brain with movement.

In the end, I know working their big muscles helps them work on the little muscles, which in turn help their fine motor skills to prepare them for important stuff like using a scissors and writing!

So to inspire myself, and others, to get the kids moving, I’ve selected a large handful of activities that will help us get them moving and work on those gross motor skills that are really much needed.

Find more ways to move together on HOAWG’s Get the Kids Moving board on Pinterest.

How do you promote gross motor skills?

Working on gross motor skills is so easy compared to other development areas. Kids generally really like to move. All we need to do is provide the opportunity and space.

Make things bigger. Instead of worksheets, make things bigger, make them move from room to room, or to answer a question. Or make them lay on the floor to do it, or stand up and pin the paper to the wall.
Take things outside. Giving them ample room to explore and move is key.
Mix gross motor activities into other types of activities. When they’re doing an art project, can you make it bigger or have them stand in a different way? Or if you’re working on spelling words and writing, what about using sidewalk chalk and drawing the letters as big as they can? This all works on those larger muscles just be making it big.

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Make it simple. Think back to your own childhood. What did you enjoy doing? Here are some ideas to get you thinking.

Hopscotch
Leap frog
Crab walks or other animal walks
Draw a path with sidewalk chalk on the driveway and drive on it with a scooter
Red Light, Green Light
Go to the park and use the playground equipment! A swing provides for great opportunity to work on coordination.
Just go for a walk or stroll
Try yoga (turn on YouTube and do a quick search for Kids Yoga)
Hula hoop
We love painter’s tape to get moving, check out our full list of ideas here.

Super Simple Ways to Gets Kids Moving!

These moving activities are usually perfect for an older toddler or preschooler. They’re hitting the developmental milestones to be able to kick, jump, skip and can understand basic instructions.

But kids this age tend to not have the concentration to sit still and actually pay attention for long (so just keep that in mind).

Get your kids moving - and learning - with over 40 incredibly easy, extra fun gross motor skills activities, games, and ideas!

Find more ideas in our 40+ Big Fun Art Projects for Kids post!

Sometimes, adding a cool material – like newspaper, pillows and blankets, laundry baskets, or cardboard boxes – makes gross motor play extra fun!

Get the kids moving with these creative ideas.

Add a learning twist with our 10 Active Activity Ideas to Learn the Alphabet!

40+ High energy activities to get your kids moving and building those gross motor skills muscles right at home using supplies you already have.

Add an extra element of fun with a friendly challenge.

Create an obstacle course or scavenger hunt that invites them to get move in different ways.

Also check out our 30+ Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids To Do at Any Age!

Sometimes, sticking to the classics is a great way to connect with your kids. Which kind of gross motor game did you enjoy as a child? Moving can be super simple, don’t overthink it!

I know we’ve discovered a ton of cool and creative gross motor skills activities that will really get my kids moving! We can’t wait to get outside and play together!