Movement is essential in the first five years of our lives as it builds critical pathways in the brain. To help your child’s development, as well as support their mental and physical wellbeing, we’ve created a collection of fun activities you can do at home.

Basket balls

Set up a bucket and a throwing line close enough to start for easy success. Ask your child to throw a ball into the bucket.

When they can do it a few times, move the bucket further away to increase the challenge.

To help with throwing, ask them to point with their opposite hands, toes and follow the ball with their eyes.

Develops throwing, force, midlines and visual tracking.

Teddy bear parachute

Take a blanket or towel and lie it flat on the floor. Put a teddy bear in the middle and get your child to hold the blanket with you to create your home parachute.

Move the blanket up and down to get the teddy bear airborne.

Take turns to throw and catch the teddy in the blanket.

Develops throwing, catching and visual tracking.

Hula ball

Sit on the ground with your child, start by rolling a ball back and forwards to each other.

To make it more challenging, place a hoop or create a circle on the ground with a towel between you. Try to roll the ball into the circle.

Make it more difficult by moving away from the hoop or making the circle smaller.

Develops visual tracking, hand/eye coordination, force and power.

Bouncing ball

Practise dropping and catching a ball. You can use a point on the ground for your child to aim for.

If your child can do this confidently, ask them to add a clap before catching the ball, or to pat the ball back down and see how many pats they can do.

Develops sight, visual tracking, coordination, force, midlines and body rhythms.

Juggling 101

Ask your child to throw a light piece of silk or mesh material up into the air and then catch it on its way down.

Too easy? Add another scarf.

You can throw the scarves to each other or throw a scarf one hand to the other to make it more difficult.

Develops sight, visual tracking, coordination, force and midlines.