By the time a child graduates from kindergarten, he should be able to catch a ball before it bounces on the ground two times. Preschool is the time to practice these skills. A balloon toss allows for safe practice in catching a ball. Inflate a punch balloon for each child. Remove the wrist band that comes with the balloon. Have the children practice throwing the balloons back and forth to each other. Record their progress as the year progresses.
Give children buckets of water and sponges and have them pretend to be at a car wash, working on toy riding cars, wagons, tricycles and other toy equipment on the playground. This activity encourages physical movement. A side bonus: It helps develop a preschooler's ability to share and cooperate with others.
Give each child a plastic hula hoop, or divide the class into small groups of three or four and give each group a hula hoop. Have children practice spinning the hula hoop around their waists, then have hula hoop relay races or a contest to see who can keep the hoop spinning the longest. Movements used with a hula hoop will help boost large motor skills.
Teach children motor skills, such as balance, while also teaching them letters of the alphabet. Laminate cards with a single letter on each one. Lay the cards out in a path and have the preschoolers jump on each one, calling out the name of the letter as they jump. As an alternative, you could do the same thing with a hopscotch board.