Walk Like An Animal

Most children love animals, so why not walk like our furry or feathered friends for some fun? In addition to being fun, walking like various animals can help develop gross motor skills, core strength, and balance.

Here are a few animal walks you and your kids can do together:

• Crab Walk - This one is pretty popular, and many kids may already know how to do this. Start by sitting on the ground. Place your hands on the ground behind you and your feet on the ground in front of you. Now walk sideways, backwards, and forwards. Be sure to keep your bottom off the ground.
• Bear Walk - Start in a downward dog-like position — hands and feet on the ground, hinged forward at the hips. Move forward by lifting your same arm and leg at the same time. Lift your left arm and leg and then your right. Can you do that and keep your arms and legs straight?
• Frog Jumps - Start by squatting down like a frog — knees bent, hands on the floor with your arms between your legs. Using your legs, jump up and forward. Land with your hands and feet on the ground.
• Snake Slither - Snakes don’t have arms or legs, so neither do you for this one. Lie flat on your belly with your arms to your sides. From head to toe, imagine you’re a snake. Everything moves as one unit. Without using your arms wiggle your body side to side trying to move forward.
• Penguin Waddle - Penguins have short legs and walk on the soles of their feet, not their toes. Stand straight up and squeeze your legs together (you might want to place a small object between your knees to help remind you to keep them closed tightly) so you’re only moving from about your ankles down. Waddle your body and move forward.

Get Talking

Talk with your child about what they noticed about each style of “walking.” Which motions were the hardest? Why?

What other animal walks can you imitate?

See what other ideas you can come up with.  Challenge your child to consider how other animals travel and how they can mimic their moves.  Inchworm? Donkey? A bird? It can also be fun to look up videos of different types of animals moving and look for unique things about how they move around that you can try in your impersonation attempts!

Inspired by a post from Lemon Lime Adventures. Check out the post for even more animal walk ideas!

Find more fitness and motor skills activities from Camp Little Victors.