Get moving and be silly with a pillowcase! Dig out a few pillowcases to have fun and get moving with these no-prep gross motor ideas from Erin!
I hear a lot of things every day.
Loud thuds from upstairs that let me know the kids are awake. A beagle staring out the window howling at some apparition that nobody else can actually see. Small voices asking Google to play “Cotton Eyed Joe” for the 948th time.
Of all the sounds I hear in my day, the one I like best is definitely the sound of my kids laughing together.
Some of the most giggle-inducing activities are also the absolute simplest, too. My favorite activities use things I already have at home, often in super unique ways.
Six Ways to Get Moving and Be Silly with a Pillowcase
These no-prep gross motor ideas use a pillowcase to get kids moving and being silly. Laughter is guaranteed!
All you need for all six of these creative, gross motor activities is:
- Pillowcase
- Lots of open space
Be a Pillowcase Superhero
I’ll be honest: jumping on and off furniture is a daily event around here. It’s right up there with things like eating and breathing and wasting large amounts of toilet paper.
But the introduction of the pillowcase made all of the furniture jumping a new and hilarious game.
Keep jumping with gross motor activity using tape that’s perfect for rainy days!
Pillowcase Hop Race & Obstacle Course
Crazy face making is optional but highly encouraged.
Make it a race! Set up two lines of tape or cones in an open space.
Or create an obstacle course. Hop over, under, and around the furniture in your house – all inside the pillowcase!
Double Sibling Pillowcase Hop
Have two kids? Challenge them to BOTH fit inside one pillowcase and hop around together!
My kids made a valiant effort for a few steps before they fell over in a heap of giggles.
I imagine this looked a lot like me if I tried to compete in something like American Ninja Warrior. Except I would probably cry, not laugh.
Soft Toy Bounce on the Pillowcase
Pile a bunch of soft toys onto a pillowcase. Then stretch it out between two people and jump around!
Keep jumping until all the toys are bounced off the pillowcase.
Get active with physical activities for toddlers!
We used our ball pit balls but you could also use stuffed animals or really any soft, lightweight toys that won’t break your television or send someone to the emergency room.
Probably no forks or anything.
Scoot Like an Inchworm
Put both legs in the pillowcase and scoot around like an inchworm. Or slither like a snake.
Get creative! How many animals scoot and wiggle along the ground?
For added giggles, make it a race!
Hop Into a Three Legged Run
Go for a 3-legged run with the pillowcase.
Burn off even more energy with these gross motor activities for kids!
“A 3-legged run” is probably a bit of an overstatement. It will be more like a “3-legged fall on the ground and dissolve into laughter.”
What are your silly ideas for using common household items to get kids moving and laughing?
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Jody Bradshaw says
This is great, getting it ready for playtime!! Thanks
carol klein says
Love the idea of u a pillow case like a parachute for two, so cute and simply. for the oldert kids add foam numbers or letters. give the kids a few seconds to get them off. whatever is on the ground they need to spell a word or put them in order.