Sports
Indoor Tennis
My son invented a great new indoor game when he found a splatter screen in the kitchen and started hitting one of his stuffed fabric balls...indoor tennis! Splatter screens are wire mesh covers with a plastic handle that are made to keep grease from popping out of the pan when frying food. They are very light weight and easy for a toddler to wield without damaging home furnishings. ...(read more)
Beanbag Balls
Use this activity to make totally awesome squishable balls. They are great for beanbag games or a good old game of catch. 1. Stretch the first balloon by inflating it halfway, holding it closed for about 30 seconds, and then deflating it. 2. Place a funnel in the balloon's neck and gradually pour in 3/4 cup of lentils, pushing them in as you go. Balloon should be firm but squeezable. ...(read more)
Paper Bag Sports Jersey
Use a brown paper grocery bag to make a team jersey with your preschooler. Cut off the bottom of the bag, cut holes in the sides for arms, and then cut the bag up the front so that it looks like a vest . Then, let your child decorate the back of the paper "vest" with the name, number and colors of his or her favorite team and ...(read more)
Nerf Tennis
You need a driveway, chalk, rackets and a Nerf tennis ball. The net can take multiple forms -- an actual net; 3 milk crates and some two-by-fours; or a long piece of rope. Adjust the net according to the child's age and height. Basic tennis rules apply. Make the court long enough for ground strokes, though most of it will be net play. Doubles make it even more fun. (read more)
Hoop Catch
A great twist on an old favorite: With four people, have two hold a hoop between them. Have the other two throw the ball back and forth through the hoop. If someone drops the ball or throws a uncatchable pass, he has to then take a turn holding the hoop. (read more)
Balloon Tennis
This is a simple, yet fun balloon activity that is sure to bring out the tennis star in your little one! Take small paper dessert plates and tape then to the end of a paint stir stick to create your tennis "racquet." Blow up any size balloon for the "ball." Use a jump rope to divide the "court" in half and see how many times you can ...(read more)
Pompoms
Here is a great way to recycle old newspaper. Let your child tear one full page into 20 strips longways. Fold the strips in the middle and staple them together. Using a paint stir stick from your local home store, attach the newspaper bundle with masking tape. Your children can then decorate their pompoms with markers, glitter, etc. A cheap way to root for your ...(read more)
Kitchen Bowling
Another indoor, rainy day activity. Raid your recycling bin for a bunch of plastic bottles. Stand them up on the floor in a group. Then have your players stand a distance away, and take turns rolling a ball towards the 'pins.' You can give each child three tries, and score according to how many bottles they tip over. Tennis balls work well.(read more)
Sidewalk Skeeball
Draw some shapes on a wall or on the ground with chalk. Write a number (the score) inside each shape. Be sure to give the smaller shapes a higher score. Have the children (depending on their age) stand at a distance from the wall or ground (you can even draw a line that they cannot go over) and have them each take a few turns and try to score ...(read more)
Pickle
You need to have three or more people to play pickle. Set up two bases a distance apart so that children have to run between the bases. Two people are the catchers and the rest are the runners. The catchers pass a ball back and forth and the runners try to steal the bases as the catchers throw the ball, hoping they don't get caught in a pickle. The catchers ...(read more)
Go Fish!
Create a fishing pond for your toddler. With your child, cut out several paper fish from construction paper and attach a paper clip to each fish. Then tie a string to one of end of the fishing pole (yardstick or other rod) and a magnet to the other end of the string. Your child can lay out the fish on the floor and go fishing by trying ...(read more)
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