Balance is a crucial developmental skill for young children. Challenge preschoolers to walk on a set of cup-stilts or a low balance beam. Alternatively, draw chalk lines on the floor in straight, zig-zag and curved patterns for children to follow as they walk. Play music and call out instructions for children to walk forward, backward and sideways, based on the instruments playing. Demonstrate various steps to walk, such as toe-heel, tip toes and waddling like a duck. Invite pupils to suggest new ideas for walking and balancing.
Jumping is a natural movement for children. Use a variety of targets and cues to get preschool jumping in a variety of ways. For example, hang whiffle balls or balloons from strings attached to the ceiling and have the children jump to try to reach them. Alternatively, play music and call out animal names for children to mimic while jumping, such as a frog, a kangaroo or a one-legged elephant. Lay hula-hoops on the floor and have children jump from hoop to hoop without touching the ground outside the hoops.
When approaching an obstacle, young children must use innovative thought and large body movements to climb up and reach the other side of the obstacle. Lay out large, safe objects for preschool children to climb onto and over. Set out a high jump pit mat, a rolled-up wrestling mat and a purchased pillar mat throughout the gym floor. Instruct preschool pupils to run from one end of the gym to the other, climbing over each obstacle they encounter.
Set up a gross motor obstacle course to challenge preschool children in various skills. Throughout the gymnasium, set up obstacles such as kicking a ball into a kick-back, pulling on and taking off a large pair of pants, jumping over a hockey stick resting on two cones, crawling under a rope tied between two chairs, balancing on a red dot on one foot for a long as possible, throwing a ball in the air and clapping hands twice before catching it, rolling a ball to knock down a bowling pin or 2-liter bottle filled with water, walking across a balance beam, performing a somersault on a mat, and rolling on a beach ball.