The Preschooler

Carnival Games and Motor Skills

Our local fair is about to begin, and my children are very excited about all of the food to eat and the animals to see.  They are much more excited, however, about the games that they get to play.  As I thought about some of these carnival games, I realized that many of them allow children the opportunity to practice their motor skills.  Here are some ideas for setting up your own carnival in your home.

• Set up plastic water bottles filled with water (to make them steady) in a row side-by-side, and place a ping pong ball on top of each one.  Give your child a squirt gun to try and knock each ball off of its perch.
• Using a carafe or other container with a narrow top (a soda bottle with the top cut off works well, but be sure to put tape around the cut edges so that it isn’t too sharp), have your child stand up straight and attempt to drop clothes pins into the container.
• Create a bean bag toss using different sizes of buckets placed at varying distances.  (You can use small balls if you don’t have bean bags.  However, an old sock filled with dried beans is a simple way to make them.)
• Make a fishing game using paper fish with paper clips attached.  A fishing pole can be made out of any stick, and a string with a magnet on the end.

Have fun and play as long as your child is entertained.  Popcorn and flavored water make a fun treat when the games have ended!

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Written by Laura on August 15, 2011