January | 2017 | Sharin' with Sharron

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The roller board, aka scooter board, is a super-duper piece of equipment to acquire. Inclement weather—pouring rain, snow flurries or freezing temperatures—can keep us inside. Pull out the roller board and add it to your environment for indoor play. Here are 10 rockin’ and rollin’ ideas and activities appropriate for three to five year olds. First, though, some safety considerations and benefits:

Safety Recommendations:

Only sit or lay on the roller board
Never let a child stand on a roller board
Keep hands clear from the bottom of the roller board
Use handles to carry the roller board
Tie back long hair and tuck in loose clothing
Check wheels regularly
Prevent roller boards from crashing into others

Benefits:

Upper body strengthening (arms, legs and hands)
Core strengthening
Motor planning
Balance
Bilateral coordination
Physical endurance
Tactile stimulation
Kinesthetic stimulation
Vestibular stimulation
Crossing midline skills
Eye-hand coordination

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And now for the activities!

Movement Exploration Experiences

Have children explore different ways to move around the space using the roller board.

One hand on roller board
Two hands on roller board
Two hands and one knee on roller board
Kneel on roller board
Sit on roller board, move backwards
Sit on roller board, move forward
Lie on stomach (prone position), move forward
Lie on stomach, move backwards

Hoop Ball Shooting

Place Hoop Ball Goal in open space
Child sits on roller board holding a ball
Child moves forward using feet to the Hoop Ball Goal and attempts to shoot the ball into the hoop
As the child becomes more proficient, challenge him/her to move farther way from the hoop (no more than six to eight feet)

Rope Pull

Adult holds one end of a long jump rope
Rope goes under roller board and between wheels
Child takes prone position (lying on stomach) on roller board and grips rope at opposite end from the adult
Child pulls self toward adult using a hand-over-hand grip on the rope. Feet do not touch the floor

Puzzle Piece Play

Scatter puzzle pieces at one end of the room or space
Place the corresponding puzzle boards at the other end
Child sits on roller board
child moves around space using feet, finds and grasps a puzzle piece
Child travels with puzzle piece to find the matching puzzle board and puts the piece into its place
Game continues until all the puzzles have their matching pieces

Roller Board & Cone Obstacle

Set up three cones in a line about 3-4 feet from each other
Child takes prone position on roller board and uses hands and arms to propel roller board around cones and back to starting position. Body is balanced on roller board, feet do not touch floor, and hands and arms work in rhythmic coordination.
Child can try the same challenge sitting on knees on the roller board.

Free Ride

Child sits cross-legged on roller board
Child holds a hoop and adult pulls the child around
Speed of travel depends on the child’s stability on the roller board and his or her enjoyment of speed

Fly Like an Eagle

Need large, clear space to play
Child takes prone position on roller board
Tell child he/she is going to “fly like an eagle” across the room or down a long hallway
Adult holds on to child’s feet and gives child a big push
Child will have to work hard to keep head, arms (held out like wings), and legs lifted while moving forward

Body Bowling

Set up bowling pins at one end of the room
Just like in the “Fly Like and Eagle” activity above, child takes prone position on the roller board
Child keeps arms out in front (i.e. a superman “flying” position)
Adult holds onto child’s feet and gives child a big push forward
Child attempts to knock down the bowling pins

Grocery Shopping

Scatter plastic fruits and vegetables around the room
On the opposite end of the room, place rainbow colored baskets
Child sits on roller board
Child moves around space using feet and picks up a fruit or vegetable
Child travels with the piece of play food and puts it into the matching colored basket
Game continues until all of the fruits and vegetables have been “bought.”

Crazy Driver

Mark of a path or road using Mavalus Removable Poster Tape. Create a single line of tape or two lines to form a “lane” for the child to stay in. Make curves, zigzags, twists or turns.
Challenge child to “drive” along the road either in prone position, sitting on knees, or sitting on bottom

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