10 Fun and Effective Gross Motor Skill Activities for Kids: Expert Tips from Talking Brains Center Dubai

In a world where screen time often takes center stage, finding engaging and beneficial activities for your children can be a challenge. If you’re seeking ways to keep your kids active, entertained, and promoting their development, look no further. The experts at Talking Brains Center (TBC), leading occupational therapists in Dubai, have curated a list of dynamic activities that not only keep boredom at bay but also enhance gross motor skills. These activities are designed to ignite creativity, improve coordination, and cultivate a strong foundation for physical development. From the classic game of Simon Says to the thrill of monkey bars, each activity offers a unique avenue for growth. Let’s dive into this collection of expert-recommended activities that are sure to make playtime both fun and rewarding.

  1. Simon Says: “Simon Says” helps your child improve body awareness and planning. Start by having your child point to specific body parts by having them imitate you. Once they can follow the instructions, increase the challenge by just saying the action you want the child to execute. 
  2. Dancing: Dancing helps to develop gross motor skills while expressing freedom and creativity. It also helps to develop balance, coordination, sensory processing, motor learning, and body awareness. Choose songs and dance movements your child might like. 
  3. Homemade obstacle course: Set up an obstacle course with objects found around the house. Difficulty can be set depending on how much your child can handle.  
  4. Drawing on the ground: Ask your child to draw on the ground. Encourage them to bear weight on their non-dominant hand as they are drawing with their dominant hand to strengthen it. To make it easier, parents and child can draw together. To make it harder, ask your child to draw with their non-dominant hand.  gross motor skills, kids, dubai, talking brains center occupational therapy
  5. Balance beam: Encourage your child to work on a balance beam without falling or stepping off. To make it hard, ask them to put one foot in front of the other. To make it tricky, ask them to put one heel in front of the other, while touching the back of the foot. Even more tricky, ask them to tap on red cups before progressing.  
  6. Hopscotch: This helps to improve balance, coordination, hopping, sequencing, and visual analysis. Give them specific instructions and change it accordingly to make it harder. For example, to make it harder, ask them to hop on one foot and then feet apart.  gross motor skills, kids, dubai, talking brains center occupational therapy
  7. Racetrack: If there is a racetrack in the park, ask your child to ride their scooter or bike on it. This helps to improve motor planning and bilateral coordination for steering.  
  8. Catch: Ask your child to catch the balls that you throw. First start with large balls, then switch to smaller balls as your child’s skill level increases. Use balloons, deflated beach balls, and tennis balls.  
  9. Gardening: Ask them to pull weeds and dandelions. This helps to improve arm strength and expected postural responses to maintain balance. Ask them to pick up sticks as this would help strengthen your child’s legs.  
  10. Monkey Bars: Playing with monkey bars help to improve arm and core strength, coordination, and motor planning. First, allow your child to get used to the monkey bar. Swinging or counting to ten helps develop grip and arm strength to support their weight. Parents can help their child reaching the bar and swinging to the next one.  

As caregivers, we understand the importance of nurturing holistic growth in our children. The activities we’ve explored, sourced from the expertise of occupational therapists at Talking Brains Center (TBC) in Dubai, provide more than just amusement; they pave the way for the development of essential motor skills. From the delight of dancing to the challenges of a homemade obstacle course, these experiences encourage body awareness, coordination, and balance. By embracing play as a means of learning, we can foster creativity, confidence, and physical prowess in our young ones. So, whether your child is tracing patterns on the ground, mastering the art of balance on a beam, or conquering the monkey bars, remember that these moments of movement are building blocks for a healthier, more capable future. Embrace the joy of play and witness the transformation in your child’s journey to growth.