Overview

Like many children will argue, recess and gym time are some of the best parts of the school day! These are times where children are given the freedom to play, skip, hop, jump and run. However, a common factor that is seen across many Kindergarten age students is the inability to stop with control, which can sometimes lead to unsafe bump-ins with friends or other obstacles! Below are some games you and your child can play to practice running and stopping with control.

“Find and Tag it”

This is a great, versatile game that can be played many times with a variety of age groups (perfect for older siblings, too)! Simply tell your child to find an item of your choosing and tag it. For example, you might say “Find and tag something purple” or “Find and tag an item of clothing you wear in the winter”.

“Find the Sticky Note”

Hide sticky notes all around your home in secret locations - place some up high, some down low, some in plain sight, and some in more hidden spaces. Then ask your child to run around the house (safely!) and collect all of the sticky notes. If your child needs more of a challenge, try timing them! This will add an element of competition and requires greater speed and control.

Other game/activity suggestions:

• Freeze tag

• Freeze dance

• Musical chairs

• Red light/green light

• Obstacle courses with change of direction