Busy Mommy Media » Music and Movement

Top Toys to Get Kids Moving this Summer

Rachel — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:08:14 +0000

Active play is so important for a child’s growth and development and summertime is the perfect chance to take advantage of the warmer weather and get out and play. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children who are physically active not only have stronger bones and lower obesity rates, but they also have higher self esteem and lower incidences of depression. Most children don’t need much encouragement to be physically active if given the chance, but these great outdoor toys make it easy for kids to stay active and have fun. As a mother, former daycare provider/preschool teacher, and blogger, I’ve had the chance to test out some of the best ride-on toys and active play toys for kids over the years. These are some of my personal favorites.

Strider Balance Bike

The Strider Balance Bike is unique because it does not have any pedals, instead, young children learn how to balance first, eliminating the need for a tricycle or training wheels. My son has been using the Strider Balance Bike since he was 18 months old and he has loved it from the very beginning. I get comments on this bike everywhere we go because people are amazed that my son (now 2 1/2) can ride so easily on something that looks so much like a big kid bike.

My toddler loves feeling like a big kid with his balance bike and he’s learning important balance and coordination skills that will help him transition to a traditional 2-wheeled bike in the future. The Strider Balance Bike is extremely light weight, which makes it nice to transport and easier for small toddlers to use.

Age Recommendation: 18 Months and Up

Read Full Strider Balance Bike Review

Buy a Strider Balance Bike

Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter

Radio Flyer has always been a favorite at our house but the My 1st Scooter is at the top of our list. This scooter is perfect for younger kids who are learning how to balance and is made with the same quality you expect out of Radio Flyer. Our Radio Flyer scooter has now been through 3 kids and other than a few minor scratches in the plastic is as good as new. The three wheeled design on this makes it extremely stable and the tapered base provides plenty of room for little feet to move the scooter forward.

Age Recommendation: 2-5 years

Read Full Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter Review

Buy a Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter

Razor Rip Rider 360

The Razor Rip Rider 360 is such a fun toy. It’s designed for slightly older kids (5 and older) but my 3 year old tries his hardest to jump on when his brothers aren’t looking and my 4 year old is able to ride it without a problem. This outdoor toy offers so much maneuverability and kids love the freedom that gives them. The Rip Rider 360 is a throwback to the old Big Wheel bike and is a great new take on the old classic.

Age Recommendation: 5 and up

Read Full Razor Rip Rider 360 Review

Buy the Razor Rip Rider 360

PlasmaCar

The PlasmaCar is a fun way to get kids moving and although the recommended age is 3 and up, kids can enjoy this fun toy for years to come. I’ve hopped on one of these myself a few times and it held me just fine. This toy is a great way for kids to get some extra energy out and build muscle strength and it’s a lot of fun for kids of all ages.

Recommended Age: 3 and Up

Buy a PlasmaCar

Radio Flyer EZ Rider Scooter

The Radio Flyer EZ Rider Scooter is the perfect next step after the My 1st Scooter from Radio Flyer. The two wheeled design works well for older kids but the wider base and wider wheels make it much more stable than most other two wheeled scooters. I’ve watched my son do his best to test this scooter to it’s limits over the past year and the thing still looks like new. The adjustable handles allow the scooter to grow with your child while remaining extremely sturdy.

Recommended Age: 3 – 8

Read Full Radio Flyer EZ Rider Scooter Review

Buy a Radio Flyer EZ Rider Scooter

Little Tikes Cozy Coupe

The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is a classic and, like most Little Tikes toys, will easily last through multiple children (and grandchildren if you feel like keeping it around that long). The Cozy Coupe is a great way to help younger kids get moving. The frame of the coupe protects kids from falls to a certain extent and toddlers love playing bumper cars with these. This toy is a bit on the larger size so you will need space to store it but if you have the room it’s a great one.

Recommended Age: 18 Months – 5 Years

Buy a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe

Short on Storage Space?

Kids outdoor toys can take up quite a bit of space but you can still get kids moving without bulky toys. Check out these mom approved favorites to keep kids active during the summer.

Benefits of Physical Activity in Children

Physical Activity and Early Childhood from Healthy Children on Vimeo.

Preschool Circle Time Activity – Shape Martching

Rachel — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:55:46 +0000

Preschoolers will love this active play activity and they will learn to recognize their shapes at the same time. This makes a wonderful circle time activity and can be used to emphasize any shape that preschoolers are learning.

What You Need

Floor Space

Masking Tape

What To Do

Adult Preparation – Use masking tape to create a large shape on the floor. This is a wonderful tool for shape recognition and can be used to emphasize the shape of the week or shape of the month.

Squares are an easy shape to start with but you could also do triangles, rectangles, diamonds, or starts. With a little ingenuity you can create ovals and circles, although these are a bit more difficult.

Preschooler Preparation – This activity can be done as part of a circle time routine or as a music and movement activity. Introduce the shape that you have chosen to the preschoolers. Have each preschooler look around the room and find an object that is the same shape. Let the preschoolers walk around the shape and explore it. Have them describe to you what the shape looks like, how many sides it has, and what other objects are the same shape.

Preschool Games to Play

Follow the Leader

Have the preschool class stand in a line and walk around the shape on the masking tape. Let the first preschooler in the line decide what the other preschoolers are going to do. Preschoolers could walk, hop, dance, wiggle or crawl around the shape.

Dance Around the Shape

Play some upbeat music as preschoolers walk in a line around the shape. Tell preschoolers to keep walking as long as the music is playing but as soon as they hear the music stop they should sit down on the shape.

Preschool Rain Songs

Rachel — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:52:18 +0000

Preschoolers love to be a part of the songs that they sing. Making a simple cloud puppet can help preschoolers to act out their favorite songs about the rain.

Songs About The Rain

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring
It’s raining, it’s pouring,
The old man is snoring,
He went to bed and bumped his head
And couldn’t get up in the morning.

Rain, Rain, Go Away
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
We want to go outside and play
Come again some other day

Rain on the Green Grass
Rain on the green grass,
and rain on the tree,
And rain on the housetop,
but not on me.

Using Puppets with Preschoolers

Preschoolers may enjoy simply holding their cloud puppet and making it dance up and down. Preschoolers that are having trouble sitting down for circle time or singing time may enjoy taking turns standing in front of the other preschoolers and using their puppet to dance to the beat of the song.

Plastic Egg Maracas

Rachel — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:42:42 +0000

When Easter is over do not get rid of those plastic easter eggs! They can be used for so much more then just storing candy. Make these easy musical maracas out of plastic easter eggs for preschoolers to practice their rhythm and movement.

What You Need

Plastic Easter Eggs
Super Glue
Rice
Dried Beans
Pennies
Other small objects

What To Do

This activity is an adventure in sound! Have preschoolers fill one side of a plastic easter egg with rice, dried beans, pennies, or other objects small enough to shake around inside the plastic egg. When the eggs have been filled, use super glue to seal the two sides of the egg together and allow it to dry. This step needs to be done by a parent or teacher. Be careful to avoid getting the superglue on your fingers or anywhere else that you do not want it.

When the eggs are dry have the preschoolers dance around and shake their homemade maracas. Ask them to guess what is inside each egg. Which makes the loudest sound? Which is the quietest?

Repeat After Me

Preschoolers can sit in a circle holding their plastic egg maracas. The parent or teacher can shake out a rhythm with their maraca and ask the preschoolers to repeat it. This activity encourages preschoolers listening skills and helps them to develop a love of music and rhythm.