It’s May in Vermont. Yesterday was beautiful and warm, today is damp and in the 50’s.

I’ve been hearing from many of you dreading the upcoming work at home week with the rainy forecast. Covid has so many of us staring out windows, I decided to come up with a fun game that uses them.

This is a 5 minute activity that you can pull up anytime through the day for some extra fun one on one time together.

To The Window Game: 

This gross motor game will help children get their bodies moving, the ants out of their pants and fill some sensory needs.

How to play:

• Go to a room with at least 2 windows in it that aren’t next to each other, or use windows in two different rooms. 
• Call out or draw one of the actions below from a cup
• Do the action from one window to the other window
  • “Jump from this window to the other window” or
  • “Jump from the bathroom window to the kitchen window”

Actions and Ideas:

• Actions: hop, jump, skip, roll, crab walk, walk backwards, dance, walk like a (penguin, bear, cat, monkey, dog, etc), march, gallop like a horse, tiptoe, giant steps, tiny steps, run (if that’s ok in your house), scoot on the floor, cry like a baby, zig zag, etc.

• Other ideas:
  • Stand next to the ______ window
  • Do action to every window in the room
  • Let them call ideas out to you and you get your ants out of your pants
  • When you get to the ________ window (draw from a bowl or call out): lay down, sit down, pose, become a statue, hop on one foot, clap 3 times, stomp your feet, clap your hands, do jumping jacks, make arm circles, do a big stretch, take a deep breath, think of someone you love (who is it), push the wall next to the window 5 times, do a push up, wave to me without using your hands, nod your head, etc.