5 Balance Activities with Paper

Let’s continue this series of simple and easy activities to do using household items. Today’s post is 5 balance activities with paper to challenge children’s balance skills. Using just a few sheets of paper, children can have fun and improve their balance skills while at home.

Paper Balance Beam

Let’s start off the balance activities with paper by folding several pieces of paper in half lengthwise making each sheet of paper about 4 inches wide and 11 inches long. Make a long chain of the folded paper to create an homemade balance beam. Can you walk across the paper beam forwards, sideways, and backwards? How about walking across the paper beam with a heel to toe pattern? If your beam keeps falling apart use some tape to hold it together. Let the children help tape it together – using tape is a wonderful fine motor activity.

One Foot Challenge

Fold a sheet of paper in half and set it upright on the floor like a paper tent about 6 inches in front of your right foot. Balance on left foot. Without putting your right foot down, can you bend over and pick up the piece of paper? Now put the folded paper tent in front of your left foot. Balance on your right foot and without putting your left foot down, bend over and pick up the sheet of folded paper again.

Balance Taps

Stand on a pillow and place 4 sheets of paper on the floor around the pillow. Practice squatting down without losing your balance and tapping each sheet of paper with your right hand. Stand up and then squat again touching each sheet of paper with your left hand. Try doing the same activity again but try it on one foot.

To add novelty and interest to the activity, use pictures of your children’s favorite character, sports star, or music sensation on the paper.

Paper Lifts – Tricky Balance Activities with Paper

This one is tricky. Have the child wad up a piece of recycled paper. Challenge them to squat down and place the paper ball on top of the right foot. Can they pick their right foot up balancing the paper ball without dropping the ball and without losing their balance? Try on the left foot as well.

Add in some fun to these balance activities with paper. Grab a small plastic bowl or basket and put it next to the children’s foot. Can they lift the paper ball on their foot and put it into the bowl to score a basket? See how many point they can score in one minute.

Paper Hops

Place a few sheets of paper in a line about 6 inches apart. Challenge the child to hop on one foot along the paper path without losing their balance. Increase the challenge by putting the paper sheets in a scattered format instead of a straight line. Trying hopping again on the right and then the left foot along the twisty path.

Paper Kicks

These balance activities with paper and fun and challenging. Make a few paper tents so that the paper is standing up slightly on the floor. Place a throw pillow on the floor. Stand up 5 paper tents around the pillow. Stand on the pillow and balance on your right foot. Use your left foot to knock over each one of the paper tents. Switch and balance on your right foot and kick with your left foot.

Wad up a big piece of a paper or a large sheet of newspaper to make a paper ball. Can you throw the ball up, balance on one foot and kick it before it hits the floor? Even kicking the ball around the room can be a challenge to your balance.

Read more about 10 simple balance activities for kids.

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