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10 Fun Ways to Use Sidewalk Chalk This Summer!

Why should children write and draw with chalk?

Writing and drawing with chalk can help children work on fine motor skills such as developing an appropriate pencil grasp pattern, eye hand coordination, fine motor control, manipulation and increasing hand strength. The use of chalk allows children to develop fine motor skills while also participating in fun activities that target important developmental skills!






1) The Classic Hop Scotch

What does this activity work on?

  • Jumping

  • Hopping

  • Coordination

  • Balance

  • Motor Planning

  • Number Recognition

  • Visual Motor Skills


2) Sensory Obstacle Course


















What does this activity work on?

  • Proprioceptive input

  • Vestibular input

  • Body/Spatial Awareness

  • Balance

  • Coordination

  • Following Directions/Sequencing

3) Self-Portraits & Drawing Parts of the Body




Tip: Ask the child to lay flat on the black top and instruct them to remain as still as possible. You can trace around their body or they can trace around yours! Once the outline has been made, the child can decorate the outlined body or body parts!


What does this activity work on?

  • Body awareness

  • Impulse control

  • Visual perceptual motor skills

  • Fine motor skills


4) Twister




What does this activity work on?

  • Color matching

  • Right vs Left discrimination

  • Balance

  • Coordination

  • Motor Planning

  • Hand Eye-Coordination

  • Whole body strengthening


5) Target Toss































What does this activity work on?

  • Visual Perceptual Motor Skills

  • Hand-Eye Coordination

  • Motor Planning

  • Balance

  • Aim & Throw Skills

Tip: If you don't have bean bags to use at home, try using water balloons to toss as an alternative!


6) Tic Tac Toe



What skills does this activity work on?

  • Social Skills (following directions, taking turns, winning and losing)

  • Executive Functioning skills (planning, organizing, sequencing)

  • Pre-writing, shape, or letter formation

  • Visual tracking/Visual perceptual skills

  • Fine motor development

Tip: You can substitute the “X’s” and “O’s” with any letters, shapes, numbers or even pre-writing strokes such as (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal lines) to work on the areas your child needs more practice with!


7) Alphabet Ladder


What skills does this activity work on?

  • Visual perceptual motor skills

  • Upper case and lower case letter matching/recognition

  • Upper body range of motion and strengthening

8) Stained Glass Art




What does this activity work on?

  • Fine motor development

  • Coloring skills

  • Boundary recognition

Tip: If you have a wooden fence at home, you can tape on the painter's tape to the fence to have your child work on a vertical surface for development of wrist extension!


9) Learn and Spray



What does this activity work on?

  • Fine motor strengthening

  • Finger Isolation

  • Number, letter, shape recognition

  • Squatting

  • Hand-Eye Coordination

Tip: Draw out any type of shapes, numbers, or letters that your child is having difficulty with and fill a spray bottle with water for them to make the object "disappear".



10) Color Scavenger Hunt


What does this activity work on?

  • Color recognition

  • Visual scanning

  • Coloring skills

  • Drawing circles

Tip: Incorporate team work into the activity by having your child work in teams/partners during the scavenger hunt find the items!







DISCLAIMER

The content in this blog should not be used in place of medical advice/treatment and is solely for informational purposes. All activities/exercises posted in this blog should be performed with adult supervision, caution, and at your own risk. Big Leaps, LLC is not responsible for any injury while performing an activity/exercise that has been posted on this blog. If you have any information on the content of our blog, feel free to contact us at info@bigleapsct.com.


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