As summer approaches and temperatures rise, outdoor opportunities diminish, often limited to the evening hours. So, how can you keep the kids entertained indoors instead of enduring the heat outside? With COVID-19 still looming and large, enclosed spaces less desirable for family outings, the answer lies at home.
Dorit Ben Meir, a diagnostician and therapeutic sports instructor at "Movement Plus" studio for infant and child development in Rishon LeZion, suggests several options for indoor play with little ones. These activities require no excessive preparation, special equipment, or elaborate artistic skills but simply enjoying time together with household items. Before succumbing to screen time, consider the following recommendations:
Pillow Path Game
What you need: Soft and not too thick pillows (living room throw pillows work great). Arrange a path of pillows with a small gap between each one and try the following exercises:
Exercise 1: Cross over the pillows with only one foot touching a pillow at a time.
Exercise 2: Jump between pillows without touching the floor (for safety, perform this exercise on a carpet or non-slip surface).
Exercise 3: Create some space between the pillows, sit with the child, and move along the couch between the pillows without touching them at all.
Exercise 4: Attempt to hop on one foot between the pillows or any progression you choose without touching them. For added challenge, move the pillows slightly in different directions.
A Different Kind of Passing
What you need: A sponge ball and an adult-size chair. Try the following exercises:
Exercise 1: Sit on the chair with feet flat on the floor and pass the ball across the body while seated. Exercise 2: Remain seated the same way and pass the ball under the chair with hands holding the ball. Exercise 3: Lie under the chair with the ball in your hands and pass it to the child standing in front of you, who then returns it. Roles can be switched.
A Bit of Seaside Indoors
If it's too hot for a trip to the beach, bring the beach home!
What you need: A large bowl filled with water, water balloons, and a large spoon. Try the following exercises:
Exercise 1: Try to scoop up one water balloon at a time with the spoon without dropping it. Exercise 2: Have a quick competition to see who can scoop up more water balloons in a short time - collect a balloon and place it aside outside the bowl. The one with the most balloons wins.
Pool Fun Indoors
What you need: Long, flexible foam noodles (usually found in pools) and a large nylon sheet. Spread the sheet on the floor to prevent it from getting wet.
The Exercise: Pour a little water on the sheet and place the foam noodles on it. Now it's time to swim, dive, lie on the noodles, sit on them, and enjoy the wet and slippery sensation. Of course, it's best to wear swimwear for this activity.
The Jama app was created to support mothers of newborns up to three years old, providing them with content, activities, expert tips, and videos to accompany them during this challenging period. All content in the app "grows" with the baby and is precisely tailored to his developmental stages, so mothers receive only what is relevant and interesting to them at any given moment.
The Jama app is the place for mothers in Israel to meet and get to know other mothers around them, creating new and exciting friendships on this fascinating journey.
Find us on Google: https://app.jama.co.il/
Dorit Ben Meir, in collaboration with JAMA