Seeing the summer sun shine always makes me want to get moving! Active summer fun such as kicking a ball around or running on the beach isn’t just great exercise. Activities like these help kids develop gross motor skills. Gross motor skills involve the large muscles of the body that let us do things like walk, sit upright, and throw a ball. Mastery of these skills won’t just make you fit. It will also assist in a lot of surprising ways. Did you know that a child’s ability to maintain upper body support will affect his ability to write? Or that children who are more confident in gross motor skills are more aware of personal space?

Want to get those muscles moving? Lots of the outdoor activities and games you enjoyed as a kid help develop gross motor skills. So, dust off the classics. Here are a few to try!

1. Play hopscotch
2. Ride a push scooter or bike
3. Play Simon says
4. Jump rope
5. Hula hoop
6. Summersault or log roll in the grass
7. Have an egg balancing race
8. Plant a garden
9. Use chalk to draw an obstacle course with curving lines, gaps to jump over, and spots to twirl around
10. Play duck, duck, goose

Now get moving!