Feed the Elephant Daycare Activity
Physical Gross Motor Preschool Activity
According to the Encyclopedia of Children’s Health [Gale, 2005], gross motor skills are the abilities required in order to control the large muscles of the body. Preschool teachers and daycare providers can encourage gross motor skill development through effective lesson plans and play.
Some important physical gross motor concepts and skills that preschool age children should learn to master are balance, spatial orientation (which means that the child is aware of the position of his or her body in space as well as in relation to other people and objects), laterality (which means that the child is aware of the left and right sides of the body), and the coordination of major muscles.
Children learn gross motor skills through practice and by participating in play which involves hopping, jumping, and climbing. In addition, games which involve tossing, catching and kicking objects are great examples of activities that promote the development of gross motor skills.
“Feed the Elephant” is an activity which allows children to practice projectile management. This lesson plan includes not only the preparation instructions, procedure, and materials list for this activity, but also the age appropriate learning objectives and a sample of the simple supporting verbal cues necessary to encourage participation and support learning.
Activity Materials List
- One large elephant made from poster board or cardboard.
- Small beanbags in various shapes
Activity Preparation
Purchase a large piece of sturdy cardboard or poster board. Draw, color, decorate and cut out an elephant. Cut a large hole for the mouth of the elephant. Find several small beanbags for tossing. Lean the elephant against a wall.
Activity Procedures
Invite the children over to the area. Explain to them that you are going to feed the elephant. Model to the children how to toss the beanbags into the elephant’s mouth. Let the children take turns feeding the elephant by tossing or kicking the bean bags into the elephant’s mouth.
Gross Motor Learning Objectives
Objective 1: To provide the opportunity for projectile management through tossing the bean bags into the goal.
- Verbal Cue A: Let’s toss the beanbag to the elephant.
- Verbal Cue B: Can you throw the beanbag into the elephant’s mouth?
Objective 2: To develop spatial relationships (body and space perception) using the prepositions inside and outside, forward and backward, and straight ahead in verbal cues.
- Verbal Cue A: Kick the beanbag straight ahead into the elephant’s mouth
- Verbal Cue B: Can you toss the beanbag forward?
Objective 3: To provide the opportunity for projectile management through kicking objects into the goal.
- Verbal Cue A: Can you try to kick the beanbag in the elephant’s mouth?
- Verbal Cue B: Let’s kick the beanbag toward the elephant.
With this simple and fun activity, preschoolers will enhance their gross motor skills by tossing and kicking as well as develop spatial relationships. Please keep in mind that this is not a competitive activity, so do not keep score or enforce rules that promote competition.
For more preschool activities, see Online Preschool Lesson Plans.
