Running In Circles And Falling ... ?

[MsLaura529]

I don't know why, but every single day my group decides to run around in circles and/or play thr falling down game (when they stand there and then fall down). This seriously happens 2-3 times a day during free play times. I swear I am going to have a track in my carpet soon. It drives me bonkers for some reason. It's like they don't know how to sit down and play with toys, but yet they are very capable of doing it very well. They just choose not to.

Anyone else deal with this? Or have any tricks on how to stop it? Am I just a weirdo for having it bother me so much?

[Heidi]

I don't like chaos much either... :hug:

How about making it a game? Put down an obstacle course for them?

Has outside time been limited due to weather?

[MsLaura529]

I don't like chaos much either... :hug:

How about making it a game? Put down an obstacle course for them?

Has outside time been limited due to weather?

Yes, we have definiely be lacking in outside time, but even when we were going outside every day they would comr inside and do thr same thing. I've tried to turn it into something else (dancing or follow the leader) but they just end up doing the same thing ... running in a circle.

[butterfly]

My kids do that too - ALL THE TIME!! I've started telling everyone to sit and grab a book and I'll sit down and do story time with them. Usually, it'll distract them enough after a couple books that they forget that they were playing the falling down game.

[2 young 2 feel this old]

My group loves this game too. When it starts I pull the small ottoman I have into the middle of the floor (it kind of establishes a boundary for the game) and then we call out HOW we are going to move around the ottoman. EG: army crawl, bunny hop, one foot hop, bear walk (hands and feet on ground), army crawl on back, crab walk, crawling backwards. After a few rounds they are tired and ready to move on to a calmer activity. It seems to work those large muscles that are harder to move in the winter

[momofsix]

Can you rearrange your area so that there's no "circle" for them to run around in? My kids used to run around the train table-I moved it a couple of inches so one of the corners is now too close to a shelf for them to fit through-no more running in circles! I think whenever kids see either a large enough empty space or something to run around-their mind automatically goes into run mode

[Blackcat31]

I don't know why, but every single day my group decides to run around in circles and/or play thr falling down game (when they stand there and then fall down). This seriously happens 2-3 times a day during free play times. I swear I am going to have a track in my carpet soon. It drives me bonkers for some reason. It's like they don't know how to sit down and play with toys, but yet they are very capable of doing it very well. They just choose not to.

Anyone else deal with this? Or have any tricks on how to stop it? Am I just a weirdo for having it bother me so much?

My kids are NOT allowed to be on their feet.

The only exceptions is transition times and going to the rest room.

Other than that ALL play is done on their bottoms.

[Margarete]

My kids do this, and I actually like it! They are being social, I love the giggles, and they aren't pulling ALL of the toys out.
Sometimes we'll transition into some movement songs, before we move to something else.

[melilley]

My kids do this sometimes, but they don't run around in a circle, they stand in one place and turn in a circle. It's usually when they are dancing. I allow them to do it as long as they are in the middle of the room. I don't mind it.

[lovemykidstoo]

Can you rearrange your area so that there's no "circle" for them to run around in? My kids used to run around the train table-I moved it a couple of inches so one of the corners is now too close to a shelf for them to fit through-no more running in circles! I think whenever kids see either a large enough empty space or something to run around-their mind automatically goes into run mode

I have a train table that the kids run around too. This weekend I'm rearranging it so they can't do it anymore. DRives me nuts! They also do the fall down thing too and that drives me nuts too. The thing that is pushing me over the edge right now is my 3 yr old dcb that runs/bounces, falls around all the while his arms are swinging over his head and he's making loud noises. I told him he needs to use words not just ahhahahahaahhaaaablah blah blah blah etc

[BrooklynM]

I think all toddlers do this! We see who can run in place the longest or who can jump the highest. Of course we have many dance parties throughout the day too! They need some way of getting their energy out safely

[Cat Herder]

I had that phase for a little while. "Stunt Men"

I moved the tables out, blew up a twin air mattress and let them go at it until that, too, became boring.

Freed up hours of redirecting behavior on my part... ::::

Luckily the phase after that was building towers and bridges... happyface

(it has been a wet, drizzly, miserable winter here)

[Jack Sprat]

Mine do it as well. But, I only have three to four here when they are doing it. It only bothers me after about 10 minutes. And by that time they are usually done. I think its because we haven't been able to get outside. Heck, sometimes I feel like running around the room in a circle and falling down. Only thing stopping me is I am sure I would break something...

[misslori50]

My kids are NOT allowed to be on their feet.

The only exceptions is transition times and going to the rest room.

Other than that ALL play is done on their bottoms.

what? that sounds awful

[Blackcat31]

what? that sounds awful

Why would that be awful? :confused:

I can't think of a single activity that NEEDS to be done on their feet.

I have 10-12 kids every day.

The inside is NOT safe for running, jumping or getting wild.

We save that sort of thing for outside.