Ball Balancing Game

This is an easy gross motor game great for preschool ages. If you have multiple children you can even set this up a race.

MATERIALS

2 baskets

spoon

ball, Easter egg, or anything else they want to balance

I set this up while Finley was napping and when he woke and saw it he ran around squealing before he even knew what it was. This easiest way to prep this game is to set the baskets far enough apart that they have to take a few steps but not too far or they may wander off course trying to balance the ball. Once they master it you can begin moving the baskets farther apart. Two very easy things to use are an Easter egg and wooden spoon, but any large spoon and ball or toy could work. As you can see we used a large metal spoon and a plastic ball.

I demonstrated first by placing the ball on the spoon and exaggerating how I balanced it so he could see how I walked slowly and tried to keep the spoon flat. I dropped into the basket and cheered. Then it was his turn. I handed him the spoon so it would be facing the right direction then placed the ball on top. The first time he let the spoon slope down and the ball rolled off. That's fine! He was learning how balancing works.

The second time he tried it he was off across the floor to the other basket! He thought it was great fun dropping the ball in having us both cheer!

An easy way to adapt this for older children is to create obstacles between the baskets. Place boxes, chairs, balls, anything really between the two baskets. Have the children maneuver around and over the obstacles while balancing.

Finn continues to play this game whenever he gets his hands on a spoon. I caught him balancing cars on a wooden spoon a couple days after we played this!

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