Nature's Playground with Aaron
There are lots of ways to get gross motor activities into your life, even when you don’t have access to a playground. You can ride a bike, climb some dunes, or help your teacher stack firewood. One of my favorite ways is to go find Nature’s Playground. It might be anywhere, and the journey is half the fun. Here is what you need:
Access to the outdoors. If you don’t have an extended outdoor area near your house, there are many places nearby that can serve this purpose.
Good shoes and appropriate clothing — remember, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear!
Then keep your eyes peeled for something cool to climb on.
Fallen tree trunks: these make for great balance beams, and a surface to jump onto or off of.
Steep hills: these can be challenging to climb up.
Fallen tree tops: if you find a large tree that has fallen, the tops make a jungle gym type area that is a blast to climb through. Just make sure that the branches are thick enough and stable enough to hold the weight.
Streams: a thrilling challenge to jump across.
Rocks: Wait. Are there rocks here? I grew up in New Hampshire, and we had ROCKS. If you do find a large rock, the size and texture can be a good challenge for hand strength. And tell me where it is…I miss big rocks.
Climbing trees: these trees will have big, low branches that allow for hanging. climbing, stretching, and even relaxing. Be sure the branches are alive and sturdy.
