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We live in Michigan, and it’s no secret that there’s a whole chunk of the year where the weather can be terrible- gray and cold and just generally miserable. And while I love Michigan’s springs and summers, I am no fan of her winters. They can be hard on kids and moms who struggle with staying inside on days when the weather isn’t conducive to outdoor play. Our issue is compounded by the fact that our house is small, and our play space is limited. We’ve had to get creative about how to make opportunities for the gross motor activities our kids desperately need without our house being torn apart!
One thing that we’ve done is slowly acquire lots of pieces that can be used together or separately for at home gym classes. Through thrift stores, our local Buy Nothing Group, gifts from grandparents for Christmases and birthdays, and the occasional lightning deal on Amazon, we have built up quite a collection. Some pieces are pricier than others (thank you grandparents!), and some were absolutely free.
Pieces we love include:
-a yoga ball: Once used by me while pregnant, it’s also great for allowing kids to practice balancing, perfect for rolling back and forth between kids or down the length of the room as part of an obstacle course. Ours is filled with sand which makes it a bit more stable.
-this set of balance beams: This was our lightning deal purchase, and dang if I have ever regretted it. I think I would pay full price for these based on how much my kids love them and how versatile they are. We lay them out long as balance beams, horizontal like rail road tracks for the kids to hop over or between. We practice walking, jumping, skipping, dipping our feet as we walk, going backwards. There are a million different ways to use them. G’s favorite activity currently is stacking 2 of them up for a really big jump.
-a plastic slide: An alley find. It folds up and has a pretty small footprint, but the kids love climbing and sliding. It also always finds its way into our obstacle courses.
-a gymnastics mat: A buy nothing gift. This is great for practicing somersaults and back bends and stretches in a controlled area. It helps G to have a set space for her wiggling.
–a trampoline: Obviously this one is huge! We love it. I doubt I need to sell any of you on the value of having a small trampoline. The feature we like best on ours is the safety bar. It let Will use it from a pretty young age.
–These animal poses cards: My MIL purchased these for our family vacation, and they remain a huge hit with the kids. I like that they are in puzzle form, so it adds another layer of activity. The kids have fun imitating the different animals, and it’s a great gross motor activity for when we need to wind down because each move is purposeful.
–A Pikler Triangle: This was the kids big Christmas gift this year from my Mom and Gram. It’s a classic Montessori piece of equipment and is essentially an indoor climbing structure. You can find lots of different versions on Etsy. We have this one. You can also find instructions for how to build your own online if you’re the handy type.
We usually pull a combination of these items out on days when it’s too cold to be out, or particularly wet, or any other version of unpleasant weather. This morning for example, we set up an obstacle course through the living room and dining room. I’ve found it most helpful, based on my kids’ personalities, to have the activities be guided and set, and as much as possible I do them with them.
The Pikler Triangle and trampoline stay out all the time, tucked on the side of the room. It’s been hugely helpful to be able to say, “the table is not for climbing, go climb on your triangle” and “the couch is not for jumping, please go use the trampoline.” Kids do have a natural need for gross motor activity, and I can’t overstate how much it has changed our household dynamic to be able to redirect those needs appropriately instead of just having to say no.
What are you favorite indoor activities and games with your kids?