Summer’s in full swing now and it’s a hot one! We aren’t complaining as we love the wonderful sunshine! It’s a great incentive to get outside and enjoy the great weather, especially with a few summer sports you can enjoy with your little one!
Swimming!
If you haven’t already enrolled your child in swimming lessons, summer is the perfect time to start introducing them to the water. There are plenty of toddler and parent swim classes available now and with summer’s nice weather, you can enjoy a day at a pool outdoors as well. It’s a great way to soak in some vitamin D and get some fun pool time in. Be sure to follow all safety rules at pools and make sure to keep an eye on your child, as there will no doubt be plenty of other excited kids at pools this summer.
Team Sports!
Team sports are always enjoyable for the summer as well. Soccer is a favourite choice for toddlers and young children as they can run freely on the soccer field and practice using their kicking skills, engaging their gross motor skills. If your kid loves running, soccer would be fantastic for them to try this summer! Another great perk about team sports is learning about teamwork and playing well with others. Always a win-win!
Bike Riding!
Your child may have already asked for a bicycle, but if not, you can definitely consider teaching your toddler to ride a bicycle (or a tricycle to start) this summer. This helps them with large and fine motor skills and balance. They will also start to feel more independent by riding by themselves and this will boost their confidence levels! Remember to have them wear a helmet. Safety first!
Indoor Sports!
Indoor sports are a great idea when it just gets too hot to go outside. Look for fun indoor jungle gyms and play areas for kids. Some places even offer roller-skating for young children. Jungle gyms are fantastic places for kids to use different large muscle groups and to develop their physical abilities.
Home Games!
Don’t feel like leaving home? No worries! You can also play simple sports at home with soft toys such as bowling pins and soft basketballs. You can practice dunking balls into a net or rolling balls into pins. Anything that involves physical movement and enjoyment is sure to please your little one. You can even get creative and create a small obstacle course around your living room for your toddler to try and get through. We’ve created this sort of game in our own classrooms before and the kids have really enjoyed it! We’d set up different stations where the kids must go to and complete a task. Then they must quickly go to the next station, and so on until the end of the course! An example of an obstacle course would be:
- find a red block in a bin of toys
- throw three balls into a basket
- carry a toy in a spoon and walk around a chair
- hop through hula-hoops in the ground
- make a tower of 5 blocks high
- find a yellow block, raise your hand and say “I’m done!”
We’re sure your summer will be filled with lots of fun with these ideas for summer sports!
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Have a BEE-utiful day!
BUSY BEE EDUCATION