Ball Pit: One of the greatest ideas we have received, from a parent, is how to make a sturdy ball pit. If you have a pack and play that you are no longer using or you are still using but you want to spice it up a little, get a bunch of balls and put them in the pack and play. It is a great way for your child to work on body awareness, core muscle strength, motor planning and having fun! You can even hide stuffed animals or bean bags in there and have them find them.
Crash Pad: This is a great tool for kids of all ages. Take a duvet cover and fill it with high density foam scraps. If you have a foam shop near you, call them for their scraps (this is a less expensive route) or you could go to a store and buy high density foam (this is more expensive and time consuming) and cut it into smaller pieces. Other options are getting old cushions from couches and cutting them up. Fill the duvet cover with the foam and then let your kids have fun. They can ‘crash’ on it, or crawl over it, or walk over it, or make up new games. The crashing is great for those kids who seek proprioceptive input and the crawling is great for core strengthening. Walking works on balance and coordination. All in all, the kids get to have fun – its kind of fun for adults too!
