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Core Strength Activities for Preschool Kids

Your body's core, made up of muscles around your abdomen, back and pelvis keeps you stable and upright. A strong core helps children sit up straight, run, walk and bend. Fun activities that strengthen core muscles teach healthy habits that will benefit your child all of his life. Preschoolers can copy these core strengthening activities as you model the correct movements.

  1. Ball Activities

    • Playing games is a great way to motivate children to participate in core strength activities. Sit with your child and pass a big beach ball back and forth to each other using only your feet. Invite friends or siblings to play too, and sit in a circle, passing the ball around. Have your preschooler hold her body weight by making a "bridge" under which you can roll a ball. Your child's hand and feet should be touching the floor, but her trunk should be lifted up off the ground to form the bridge. Count how many times you can roll the ball under the bridge before your child tires.

    Wheelbarrow Walk

    • Hold your preschoolers legs up as they practice walking on their hands across the lawn. They may be a bit wobbly at first, but with practice they will get stronger. Add a challenge to this activity by placing objects for your child to pick up and set back down along the way. Your child will have to balance himself on just one hand to pick the object up. Have your child practice picking objects up with his right hand, balancing using his left arm, and then switch sides and pick the item up with his left hand, using his right arm for balance.

    Tightrope Walk

    • Set out a piece of rope on the floor, or draw a line with chalk on the sidewalk. Demonstrate to your preschooler how to walk heel-to-toe, keeping your body as straight as possible, and looking straight ahead. If your preschooler can't navigate the heel-to-toe motion, just ask her to walk a straight line while looking ahead. As your child gains confidence, add challenges such as making the line curvy or having your child walk with a beanbag balanced on his head. The key to this activity is to make sure your child walks slowly. Walking slowly requires more balance and control.

    Playground Activities

    • Use playground equipment to work your preschooler's core. Lifting both feet off the ground at the same time activates core muscles to keep the body steady. Encourage your preschooler to climb ropes and climbing structures at your local playground. Any balancing activity also engages your core muscles. Encourage your preschooler to practice walking a balance beam slowly. Stay close by for reassurance and a helping hand while your child is still unsteady. When your preschooler hangs from the monkey bars, ask him to lift both legs up as high as he can. Count how many times he can do this.

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