Are you looking for fun and engaging activities to do with your child? Look no further than tunnel activities for preschoolers!
Crawling through a tunnel can help your child develop their sense of touch, as they feel the different textures of the tunnel walls. It can also help with their proprioception, or body awareness, as they navigate their way through the tunnel. Additionally, tunnel activities can provide vestibular input, which helps with balance and coordination.
There are many different types of tunnel activities to try with your preschooler. For example, you can set up a sensory tunnel with different materials like fabric, bubble wrap, or foam. These ideas are great for pretend play.
Or, you can get creative and turn a cardboard box into a car tunnel, complete with a steering wheel and dashboard. You can also use props like balls or puzzles to create fun games to play inside the tunnel. The possibilities are endless!
Top pick
Kids Play Tunnel
A great budget friendly, colorful play tunnel to get your little one started
Soft Balls for Play Tunnel
Soft Balls for Play Tunnel
These balls are a great accessory for play tunnels. Little Ones will enjoy crawling through to collect, gather and sort the balls
Deluxe Tunnel Set
5 Piece Tunnel Ball pit and Tent Set
An extensive set up that will allow your little one to great a super fun fort!
Benefits of Tunnel Activities for Preschoolers
Tunnel activities are a great way to engage preschoolers in fun and exciting play that can help them develop important skills. Here are some of the benefits of tunnel activities for preschoolers:
Development of Motor Skills
Tunnel activities can help your child develop their motor skills, which are essential for their physical and cognitive development. Crawling, rolling, balancing, and scooting through the tunnel can help your child build their gross motor skills, bilateral coordination, and motor planning.
Improved Body Awareness
Tunnel activities can help your child develop a better understanding of their body and how it moves through space. Crawling and rolling through the tunnel can help your child develop their spatial awareness and body awareness, which are important for their overall physical development.
Vestibular Input and Proprioception
Tunnel activities can provide your child with important vestibular input and proprioception. Crawling, rolling, and balancing through the tunnel can help your child develop a better sense of their body’s position in space and improve their balance and coordination.
Boosts Hand-Eye Coordination
Tunnel activities can also help your child develop their hand-eye coordination. Reaching for toys or objects while crawling through the tunnel can help your child improve their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Fun and Engaging
Most importantly, tunnel activities are fun and engaging for preschoolers. They can help your child develop important skills while also providing them with a fun and exciting play experience.
Sensory Tunnel Activities
Sensory tunnel activities are a great way to engage your preschooler’s senses and promote their overall development. These activities can provide a variety of sensory input, including vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile input. Here are some ideas for sensory tunnel activities that you can try with your preschooler:
- Crawling through different textures: Set up different textures inside the tunnel, such as pillows, blankets, and foam blocks. Encourage your child to crawl through the tunnel and feel the different textures.
- Tunnel obstacle course: Create an obstacle course inside the tunnel using pillows, cushions, and other soft objects. Have your child crawl through the tunnel and navigate the obstacles.
- Sensory tunnel with lights: Hang string lights inside the tunnel to create a fun and engaging sensory experience. Encourage your child to crawl through the tunnel and reach for the lights.
- Tunnel with music: Play music inside the tunnel to create a fun and interactive sensory experience. You can also sing songs or play instruments with your child while they crawl through the tunnel.
- Tunnel with bubbles: Use a bubble machine or blow bubbles inside the tunnel to provide a fun and engaging sensory experience. Your child can crawl through the tunnel and pop the bubbles as they go.
Creative Tunnel Activities
Preschoolers love to use their imagination and creativity while playing with tunnels. Here are some fun and creative tunnel activities that your little ones will enjoy:
Hide and Seek with Push Toy Cars
Playing hide and seek with tunnels can add a new level of excitement to the game. You can hide small toys or objects inside the tunnel and let your child crawl through to find them. You can also play a game where you hide behind the tunnel and surprise your child when they come through. This game encourages problem-solving and helps your child develop spatial awareness.
Obstacle Course
Create an obstacle course using tunnels and other items such as pillows, blankets, and chairs. You can have your child crawl through the tunnels, jump over the pillows, and crawl under the chairs.
This activity helps your child develop their gross motor skills and coordination and promote great motor planning practice.
Sensory Play
You can add different textures and materials to the tunnel to create a sensory experience for your child. You can add soft fabrics, plastic balls, or even sand to the tunnel. This activity helps your child develop their senses and encourages exploration.
Pop Up Paper Tunnels
If you’re short on space, pop up paper tunnels are a great way to enjoy the benefits of tunnel play without having to put up with anything that takes up a lot of space. DIY tunnels are also a great idea.
Using Props in Tunnel Activities
When it comes to tunnel activities for preschoolers, incorporating various props can make the experience even more enjoyable and beneficial for your little ones. Here are some ideas on how to use different props in tunnel activities:
Balls
Balls are a great prop to use in tunnel activities. You can encourage your child to crawl through the tunnel while pushing a ball with their hands or kicking a ball with their feet. This activity helps improve hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills, and balance.
Pillows
Add some softness to your tunnel activities by incorporating pillows. You can create an obstacle course through the tunnel by placing pillows inside for your child to crawl over or under. This activity helps develop spatial awareness, problem-solving skills, and gross motor skills. Pillows will also help create a comfy reading fort!
Play Tunnel Games for Toddlers
Toddlers love to explore and play, and a play tunnel can provide a fun and engaging experience for them. Here are some play tunnel games for toddlers that will keep them entertained and help them develop their gross motor skills:
- Toddler commute: Give your child an activity they already like, such as puzzles, and place the pieces and the base at either end of the tunnel. Many toddlers are motivated to crawl through the tunnel to grab a piece and crawl back to the other end to place it into the puzzle’s base. This activity helps develop their crawling and problem-solving skills.
- Obstacle course: Create a toddler version of an obstacle course with the tunnel and other items such as pillows, cushions, and toys. Encourage your child to crawl through the tunnel and over the obstacles. You could also place a baby pool at the end at add some fun water play. This activity helps develop their balance, upper body strength, coordination, and spatial awareness.
- Caterpillar crawl: Have your child crawl through play tunnels while holding small vehicles or small balls between their feet. This activity helps develop their leg muscles and coordination.
- Tunnel tag: Play a game of tag with the tunnel. One child is “it” and crawls through the tunnel while the other children crawl around the tunnel. The child who is “it” tries to tag the other children as they crawl around the tunnel. This activity helps develop their social skills and coordination.
- Rolling tunnel: Place a soft ball or toy car at one end of the tunnel and have your child crawl through the tunnel to retrieve it. Once they have the ball or car, encourage them to crawl back through the tunnel while pushing it with their hands. This activity helps develop their crawling and pushing skills. You can even create a tunnel for this activity using a large paper strip.
