Children naturally love small worlds play and can learn almost anything through their play with small world resources. Not only does it nurture their imagination, it also enables them to explore new materials, act out scenarios from real life, build language, practice social skills and gain an understanding of the world around them.
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Whether you're setting up a dinosaur land, seashore or farm there are so many great options to bring small world play to life and ignite children's senses at the same time. The use of natural resources in small world play promotes the use of all fine senses, provides chances for classification and sorting, and promotes the use of descriptive language - all crucial language and numeracy skills for young children. Natural resources can help children become more interested in, and knowledgeable about, the natural world they live in. Giving children a stimulating, constantly-changing environment to explore helps to foster their curiosity, encourage creative thinking, and give them chances to ask questions.
You can find out more about the benefits of small world play in my Resources for Play series which will help you to prioritise a few key resources that can be used in multiple set-ups and activities. I've also put together a range of options for resources and supplies to go specifically with the PlayTRAY based on different interests and themes.
If you have kids, you probably have heard of the dinosaur game on Google where a click of a button sends a T-Rex running across the screen. However, we have a dinosaur game that challenged active movement, balance, and gross motor skills. This dinosaur game is a huge hit among kids. It&#;s a movement-based dinosaur activity that kids of all ages love. If you are looking for creative dinosaur games to use in therapy, at home, or in the classroom, then be sure to add this dinosaur game for kids to your list!
Use the dinosaur game below along with these dinosaur exercises and other dinosaur themed activities in therapy sessions. You can even incorporate handwriting and visual motor skills into dinosaur games with this printable dinosaur visual perception worksheet.
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The dinosaur game described below is an older blog post here on the website, but it&#;s a gross motor activity that is well-loved for many reasons.
There is just something about the stomping and roaring of a dinosaur game that takes me back to my own kids at their preschool ages! This is an older post here on The OT Toolbox, but one that is one of my absolute favorites.
We read the dinosaur book, Dinosaurumpus by Tony Mitton&#;and created a fun dino game that the kids loved! Our dinosaur movement game inspired tons of giggles and wiggles as we moved our way through this book with a gross motor activity!
The gross motor coordination tasks and motor planning skills make this dinosaur game the perfect addition to dinosaur physical therapy and dinosaur occupational therapy themes.
When kids play this dinosaur movement game, they build skills in areas such as:
The specific activities in the game allow kids to develop skills such as hopping, jumping, twisting, stomping, and other gross motor tasks.
We&#;ve included Amazon affiliate links in this post for the book and items you&#;ll need to create the DIY Dinosaur game.
Have you read the book, Dinosaurumpus!? (affiliate link) This is a book that is sure to get the kids moving with it&#;s loud and active rhymes as the dinosaurs dance an irresistible romp.
Using this book and the game you&#;ll find here together is a great dinosaur game for toddlers and preschoolers to address listening skills, comprehension, and regulation through movement and play.
My kids couldn&#;t help but move and groove as I read them the story. We had to make a movement gross motor game to go along with the book!
We talked about the fact that dinosaurs have big feet and big bodies that sometimes move too fast in the space around them.
This is a great lesson on body awareness that kids can relate to while developing balance and motor planning skills!
You&#;ll need just a few items to prepare the dino game for use in therapy or at home:
To make the spinner for the dinosaur game:
To play the dinosaur movement game:
This is a dinosaur movement activity for preschool and older aged kids. Use in in the classroom or home as part of a story and reading activity, or use it as a dinosaur brain break in the classroom.
First print out the free printable. You&#;ll also want the game rules for easy play and the spinner piece.
There will be shakes, stomps, jumps, and TONS of giggles with this gross motor activity!
We loved this game activity for it&#;s gross motor action. It would be a great activity for rainy day fun or indoor play when the kids need to get the wiggles out. Racing off and remembering the action they must perform requires a child to recall auditory and visual information necessary for so many functional skills.
We hid the dinosaurs in all sorts of fun spaces in the house.
Spin the wheel on the dinosaur game to support fine motor skill development, too.The dinosaurs in the book, Dinosaurumpus! (affiliate link) move a lot! Get ready for stomping, shaking, diving, dancing, running, jumping, twisting, and spinning!
My kids love any kind of scavenger hunt game and this one, with its movement portion, was a HUGE hit!
Gross motor skills are important to develop through play. It&#;s essential for attention and focus to build core body strength.
Looking for more ways to work on gross motor skills like core strength and proximal stability for improved attention and distal mobility?
Some more of our favorite gross motor activities that you will love:
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If you are looking for more dinosaur activities for kids, be sure to check out our Dinosaur Jacks activity to promote more motor skills, and our Dinosaur visual perception worksheet to work on visual perceptual skills.
Want to use our dinosaur games in your therapy sessions with a dinosaur theme? We&#;ve pulled together a few dinosaur gross motor activities that you can use to target gross motor skills and development of skills.
Want more information on dino rides? Feel free to contact us.
Here are some dinosaur-themed gross motor activities that kids will love&#;In The Member&#;s Club, you&#;ll find a dinosaur therapy theme, with printable handouts, worksheets, crafts, and writing pages. Use them along with these ideas!
We wanted to touch on the skills that you can develop by playing a version of this dinosaur game, depending on the individual needs of the child you are working with in therapy sessions, or at home.
Dinosaurs have captivated the imagination of children and adults alike for generations&#;and many kids are fascinated by dinos of all types! That&#;s what makes this dinosaur therapy game a hit. You can develop specific skills with a fun dinosaur activity.
Let&#;s take a look at how you can target enhancement of gross motor skills, balance, visual scanning, endurance, and coordination.
Our featured dinosaur game provides an immersive experience that not only thrills young players but also becomes a valuable tool in the hands of therapists. Let&#;s delve into the therapeutic benefits it brings to the table.
In the world of dinosaurs, movement is key. Players are prompted to engage in activities that encourage reaching, stretching, and crawling, promoting the development of essential gross motor skills.
These movements are fundamental for a child&#;s overall physical development, making the game a dynamic tool for therapists targeting this aspect.
Surviving in the dinosaur era requires a keen sense of balance, right? Kids can play this dinosaur game and challenge skills like balancing on one foot, staying in one position, freeze dancing, and balancing on their tip toes.
The game incorporates elements that challenge players to maintain equilibrium, fostering the improvement of balance skills.
Therapists can leverage these challenges to enhance a child&#;s ability to control their body&#;s position, a skill crucial for everyday activities.
Work on grading skills and challenging balance development by targeting more difficult tasks like:
These activities are tailored to address different aspects of balance and can be adapted based on individual needs and progress. When implementing these exercises, it&#;s crucial to consider the client&#;s abilities and gradually progress the difficulty of the activities as their balance improves.
Dinosaurs are not always easy to spot when it comes to pre-historic land! But dinos aren&#;t the only ones that need to scan their environment.
Visual scanning skills impact learning, reading, social and emotional skills, and practically everything we do throughout our day.
This dinosaur activity supports the development of visual scanning skills as players to search for items, dinosaurs, or clues.
This element contributes significantly to the development of visual attention and scanning skills, addressing therapeutic goals for children with specific needs in this area.
Roaming the prehistoric landscape demands stamina just like a T-Rex or Brontosaurus. Certain activities within the game encourage continuous physical activity, contributing to the development of endurance.
This aspect is particularly beneficial for children undergoing endurance training, aligning the game with therapeutic goals for enhanced stamina and managing deferent surfaces.
Try adding an unstable surface during the dinosaur game tasks:
Here are other balance beam ideas to incorporate.
Navigating the dinosaur world requires precision. The game&#;s mechanics challenge players with obstacles and control requirements, promoting precise movements and coordination.
Therapists can use these aspects to target coordination skills, crucial for a child&#;s ability to execute controlled and purposeful movements.
In conclusion, our dinosaur game transcends the realms of entertainment to become a valuable therapeutic tool. By incorporating elements that support the development of gross motor skills, balance, visual scanning, endurance, and coordination, therapists can harness the excitement of dinosaurs to achieve therapeutic goals.
Want to play this dino game with kids you work with in therapy or in the classroom? Print off the game pieces using the free printable. Simply enter your address into the form below to access.
Want to add this resource to your therapy toolbox so you can help kids thrive? Enter your into the form below to access this printable tool.
This resource is just one of the many tools available in The OT Toolbox Member&#;s Club. Each month, members get instant access to downloadable activities, handouts, worksheets, and printable tools to support development. Members can log into their dashboard and access all of our free downloads in one place. Plus, you&#;ll find exclusive materials and premium level materials.
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Built with ConvertKitColleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since , working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids&#; childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an to .
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