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Ok, the little people does not refer to your kids. It means actual Fisher Price Little People. (see pictures)

You need:
Soccer Ball (America) every one else in the world -football
Four Cones
Little People and/or Little Animals

Place one cone for where your little one needs to stand.
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Place three cones in front of the first cone in a scattered pattern (see picture). These are for your child to practice their aim and try to knock it over. This game went over only ok until I added the Little People.

Then we cheered, "Get the Hamburgler (McDonald's Toy), get the elephant, get the dragon, etc." It took a lot of effort on the kids part to figure out how to get the ball to go where it should and how to use the inside of their feet compared to their toes! This is the most requested game I made up (adapted). The coach said last night, "Ok, I think yours gets the most improved award today!" I am sure it is because we practiced at home in a FUN and non-threatening way.

Sidenote:
We cheer like crazy when a Little Person falls off and then we like to fall over in peels of laughter. This is an absolute must in our game!!
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So, we started soccer. We live in America, the rest of the world calls this football. Anyway, we don't do (excuse me, didn't do) competitive games at our house. Then  we throw the poor kid on a soccer field with with a bunch of other boys...

I called my brother, who is a coach,  for advice and he said, "You sent him to kindergarten with out ever reading him a book."  Yep, that is exactly what I did! Soooo, we have been playing soccer games at home a lot now. It's hard to keep up with the kids who have been attached to a ball since birth... but we're having fun while learning a few skills and that is all that matters.
 
Red light, Green light

Each player has a ball, except the one player that is designated as the "light". Lines from start to finish should be approximately 20 - 30 yards. Players start from the line opposite the "light". The "light" then turns away from the group shouting out "GREEN LIGHT". At this signal, the players start to dribble towards the "light". When the "light" turns round, calling "RED LIGHT", players must freeze and stop their ball. If the "light" catches players or a ball still moving that player must take 5 steps back. The first player to cross the line where the "light" is standing is the winner and becomes the new "light". You can start the game without using balls for younger players, then have them roll the ball with their hands, then use their feet.

This game can be played with just you and your child or a group.
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Tuesday July 21st/ Ribbon Ball

Toddlers love to experiment with cause and effect.

In the winter we hung a beach ball on a string from the ceiling. They hit it over and over again to watch it spin and fly around.

During the summer we hung the ball from a tree. Same excitement level, just different location.

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Sunday May 31st/ Let's Play Ball / Practice Golf Balls
15 small balls for under $2.00
Plastic Container (already in your cupboard)
Hours of fun -priceless!Toddler and Preschooler

Toddler's favorite activity
Put all the balls into one large container
Have the child yell, "Go!"
Pour bucket over childs head
Collect all the balls into the bucket
Repeat 100X
I did not believe the kids would love picking them up too, but they do
- - -
Put balls in container
Empty them out down a hallway with wood / linoleum floors
Watch them bounce and roll the like crazy
collect balls
count balls
repeat 100X
- - -
Fill tub for bath
Remove all other toys except for a container or two
Put children in tub
Pour all the balls into the tub
Watch them float
Pour them
Try to sink them
Put them under water and let them "pop" up
FUN
- - -
Try to toss these balls into a container
from a few steps away, they bounce all over!

 
BOWLING 05/30/2009
 

Friday June 5th Let's Play Ball / BOWLING

Toddler and Preschooler

You need:
Something that rolls
Things that can be knocked down!


If you are looking for a super simple game. This is it!
Grab empty bottles from your recycling bin.
Line them up.
Grab a ball.
Roll it and knock down the bottles.
Repeat!

Get plastic cups and make them into a small pyramid
Roll a ball and knock them over
Repeat!

My son likes to line up the small baby dolls
Roll a large beach ball and kock them over
Repeat only if baby sister is not around!

The possibilities are endless.
Send us a picture of your version of bowling
and I will post it here!
I can't wait to see all of your ideas!

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Toddler:
Blow up one balloon. Try to keep in in the air for as long as possible. It is good practice just for your toddler to try and hit it while it is in the air! Play catch! Our toddler could do this for awhile and then she ended up just running around holding it, yelling, "balloon"!

Preschooler:
You can count how many times you hit it before it touches the ground. You can play catch. You can set up a string and play balloon volleyball over the string.

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We have two ideas for you this week for either toddlers or preschoolers.

*Clothes Line
You will need a string, balls with holes (like wiffle balls), and a place to tie the string on both ends.
First string the balls and then hang the string. You could put it outside between two trees or inside attached to two chairs. Your child can spin and slide the balls on the string.

*Beach Ball You need a beach ball and a ribbon.Attach the beach ball to the string(at the place you blow air in) and hang it from your ceiling or a tree. Your child can kick, hit, push the ball and it always comes back. This has been an amazing delightful game at our house!

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Monday April 13th Let's Play Ball / Ball Challenge
Toddler and Preschooler
You will need one ball.
Challenge your child to move the ball in different ways and with different body parts. This is an activity rich in language and movement.Can you kick, push, throw, bounce, sit on, roll...the ball? Can you push it with your nose? Bounce it off your head? Kick it with your knee? Can you move the ball with your ear? hands? elbow? toes? feet?
Be prepared to demonstrate!

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Toddler: Sit on the floor and roll a ball back and forth. Get a small bin and try to throw the ball into it.

Preschooler: Take a laundry basket and try to throw the ball in it. Keep track of where you are standing and take steps back every time you make a basket. Discuss distance and speed. (Use words like fast, slow, far, near, closer, next to, and under)

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