Boost Gross Motor Skill Development with Outdoor Games!

Recess is far more than just a break for our preschoolers; it is a crucial opportunity for them to develop essential skills that will have lifelong benefits. One of the most vital areas of development at this age is gross motor skills, which are essential for their physical well-being, coordination, and self-assurance.

As teachers, we can help our students by introducing fun, structured, and engaging physical games into their recess time. Activities like obstacle courses, hopscotch, and ball games are fun and help children strengthen their muscles, enhance balance, and enhance their overall physical abilities. These playful exercises provide a natural and enjoyable way for children to practice movements that are critical for their development.

Never Run Out of Ideas With Our Gross Motor Activities

This printable resource download is a great way to introduce new and fun gross motor activities to your students. It includes a set of 24 Gross Motor Activity Cards, each featuring a simple game or activity to play during break and a fun image representing the game.

We recommend using these cards as a fun way to get your students involved in choosing how they will play for the day. You can place all of the cards face down in a basket or in a paper bag and have students draw a card to determine what new recess game they can try for the day.

You could also use these backyard game ideas as a jumping off point to host your own Classroom Olympic Games!

Download and Print!

This resource downloads as a printable PDF file or as a Google Slides resource file. Click the dropdown arrow to choose between the full color and black and white versions of this resource.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Florida and Teach Starter Collaborator.