Listen to this article · about 3 min
Key takeaways
- Builds gross motor and coordination skills
- Uses simple visual steps for clear guidance
- Great for indoor or outdoor active play
When the crisp October air arrives across Ontario, finding fun ways to move indoors and outdoors helps burn extra energy. Today’s activity is a Fall Leaf Jump Obstacle Course, designed to help your child practise balance, jumping, and following a sequence of fun movements together.
What you need
- Felt leaves or paper leaf cutouts (or real fallen leaves)
- Painter’s tape to mark lines on the floor
- A soft ball or small beanbag
- A laundry basket or box for a target
How to do it
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- Clear a safe space in your living room, basement, or backyard, keeping adult supervision in mind.
- Use painter’s tape to create a winding path on the floor, reminding children to avoid small parts if they put items in their mouths.
- Place paper or felt leaves along the path as stepping stones.
- Draw simple picture cards showing each action: walking along the line, hopping on the leaves, and tossing the ball into the basket.
- Show your child the first picture card and model how to walk along the tape line.
- Guide your child to hop from one leaf to the next like a jumping frog or a blowing autumn leaf.
- End the course by having your child pick up the small ball and toss it into the laundry basket.
- Celebrate finishing the course with high-fives and enthusiastic praise!
Make it easier or harder
- Use visual supports by pointing to picture cards for each step before your child moves.
- Offer gentle physical or verbal prompting if your child feels unsure about where to step next.
- Provide warm, specific praise for every small effort to keep engagement positive.
- Make it harder by spacing the leaves further apart or adding a zig-zag line to the path.
Every child moves and learns at their own unique pace, so feel free to adapt these steps to fit your child’s comfort level today.
Skills your child practises
- Gross motor planning and body awareness
- Balance and coordination through jumping and walking
- Following multi-step instructions using visual cues
If you have questions about supporting your child’s developmental milestones or navigating the Ontario Autism Program (Oap) funding, please reach out to us at Bloom Aba to book a free 20-minute call.
Cover image: photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash
