Another month, another play theme cheat sheet to get you through. Did you guys enjoy trying out all our nature ideas from last month? Alli’s back today with another stellar list of activities, books, etc. you can refer to all month long. This time our focus is sports – so grab a ball, get outside, and get those little ones running!
May is the perfect month to get outside and get active with your family, which is why it’s also the perfect month to focus on sports.
When I first started toying with sports as a playtime theme, the same usual suspects came to mind: baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how important it is to think outside the penalty box (forgive the pun) for this particular theme.
Because sports are so much more than just baseball or basketball…
Sports are anything that get us up and moving, active, and enjoying the great outdoors. Sports are for boys and girls alike, for kids at every skill level, and they’re a great way to teach teamwork, exploration, sportsmanship, and coordination.
And, really, who can beat that?
We decided to kick things off at our house with some Tin Can Bowling. Isaiah is still a wee little guy, so we wanted to do bowling on a much easier level – which is why we went with a light material like recycled cans.
This project was so simple, there’s no “how-to” necessary. I just saved some food cans throughout the week (you’ll need ten), then spray painted them, let them dry, added my numbers, and it was time to play.
We are big on using things from around the house, so we just used a large bouncing ball that we had on hand (perfect for Isaiah’s little hands). We also got creative and used his building blocks for bumpers.
I’m not gonna lie. At times, Isaiah had more fun counting the cans and setting them back up than he did knocking them down (he’s my little organizer).
It was a perfect evening activity for the entire family. Plus, store the cans away and you’ve got an instant activity on another beautiful day (or even indoors, if it’s raining).
But there’s more to sports than bowling, right?
Here are some other ideas to keep the theme rolling throughout the month.
ACTIVITES & DIYS
4) Go Fishing
5) DIY Dancing Studio
6) Play Backyard Kickball Polo
7) Plan an Obstacle Course
8) Play Frisbee Golf
9) Do Yoga as a family
10) Make a Masking Tape Maze for Soccer Practice (#7 on their list)
11) Host a Toddler Olympics
12) Play Wall Football
13) Play Table Ice Hockey
14) Host a Bike Rodeo
15) Play Toddler Tennis
16) Make TP Roll Race Cars
17) Make Swords for Fencing
18) Make Paper Plate Medals and Have an Awards Ceremony!
TOYS AND BOOKS TO HELP
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Alli