Keep It Up!

Activity Overview

Being able to control one's body through movement is the basis of healthy gross motor function and the foundation for all sports and exercise. How can we practice agility and body control? By keeping it up! This activity keeps children’s bodies moving, starting, stopping, and changing direction. It also strengthens hand-eye coordination in a different way than a traditional catching and throwing exercise. This activity is not only fun for children, but is a great challenge to take on with family members or friends. How many balloons can your child and their family or friends keep in the air?

What You Need

• Balloons - up to five

• Timer

Steps

1. Blow up balloons to different sizes.

2. Start with one balloon and have the student hit it up in the air. The goal is to not let the balloon touch furniture or the floor.

3. If your student is feeling comfortable with the challenge, have them count out loud how many hits they have as they hit the balloon, or time them to see how long they can go without it hitting the floor.

4. As your student gains confidence, add another balloon, and see if they can keep more than one balloon in the air. Can they keep three or more up?

Guiding Questions

• How can we move our body safely? Do you have to move your body quickly? Slowly?

• How can you hit the balloon so it takes longer to fall to the ground?

• How does it feel to hit the balloon? What do you notice about the way the balloon moves?

• What are other types of ways you can hit the balloon to keep it up in the air? What other parts of your body can you use?

Extensions

• How many balloons can you keep up in the air at one time?

• How does the activity change if we take it outside?

• Can we play this game on our knees?