Lil' Wands Lacrosse

Autumn is here, and so are the boundless opportunities for your child’s motor skill development! We’ve compiled five fun fall-themed motor skill activities for you and your child.

1. Toddler Color Hop:
This fun activity is as easy as it sounds. Create different color spots for your toddler to jump to and from. Drawing chalk circles or using different color fabric is the easiest way to set up a course for them to jump on. This Color Hop activity has an emphasis on gross motor skills because your child’s legs are being strengthened through the action of jumping from spot to spot.

You can easily make this activity fall-oriented by using fall colors to create your chalk spots (yellow, brown, orange, and red) or by using large felt craft leaves indoors as the spots for them to jump from.

2. Leaf Pick-Up and Toss:
This exciting leaf activity involves both fine and gross motor skills. Simply provide your child with some leaves (either faux craft leaves or real leaves from outside) and a box or container for them to put the leaves in. They’ll enjoy gathering the leaves, picking the leaves up from their box, and throwing them in the air!

You could also add a child-sized rake to this activity to highlight gross motor development as they further strengthen their arm and leg muscles. This would also work on your child’s dexterity as they maneuver themselves around the rake (reminiscent of how they manipulate a lacrosse stick.)

3. String Balloon Games:
This DIY game is primarily focused on gross motor development. Set it up by tying each end of a string to a chair on either side of the string. Next, tie some balloons throughout the string so the balloons are hanging downward. Have your child lay on their back under the string of balloons and watch their joy as they kick the balloons!

Raising the balloons higher and giving your child a pool noodle and having them poke and swing at the balloons is another fun way to build strong motor skills.

4. Pumpkin Rolling:
Place small pumpkins or lacrosse balls in a plastic tub and have your child pick up one side, creating a slant, so the pumpkins will roll down the tub. (An under-the-bed storage tub works best because it’s long and shallow, perfect for rolling.) They use their fine motor skills to manipulate the tub with their hands and fingers, and their gross motor skills to lift the tub and make the pumpkins roll. This will strengthen their arm and leg muscle groups, as well as their eye-hand coordination.

You could facilitate this Pumpkin Rolling activity with or without an art element involved. If you want to add some creativity, dip the pumpkins in paint and secure a piece of paper to the bottom of the tub. When your child rolls the pumpkins, they will create beautiful artwork with the rolling painted pumpkins.

5. DIY Pool Noodle Balance Beam:
This pool noodle balance beam is so simple and requires almost no set-up. Set a pool noodle on the ground and have your child walk across it, balancing themselves along the way. You can add a fall element to this activity by placing baskets on either side of the pool noodle and having your child scoop up some leaves, carrying them across the noodle from one basket to the other.

Time to Play!
Fine and gross motor skills are essential in playing sports and in child development as a whole. As your child is introduced to Lil’ Wands Lacrosse and other sports, their motor skill development will continue to rapidly grow. These fun fall activities are sure to assist in strengthening their motor skills so they can learn and engage in athletic opportunities for the rest of their life.