Early years activity: Indoor jungle safari adventure
This jungle safari adventure is a fun and engaging indoor obstacle course designed especially for babies and toddlers. It is a safe, sensory-rich activity that encourages little ones to crawl, climb and explore as they journey through a series of soft, themed challenges. Perfect for developing motor skills, coordination and confidence, this playful adventure brings the excitement of the jungle right into your nursery space.
Indoor jungle safari adventure activity learning aims
- To build on gross motor skills such as crawling, climbing, hopping
- To experience a range of sensory items, e.g. different textures, sounds, visual tracking
- To develop turn-taking, exploration with peers.
Resources you will need for this activity
- Cushions, soft mats
- Ribbons or streamers (could be crepe/tissue paper)
- Animal footprint cutouts
- Soft toys/stuffed animals
- Laundry basket or large toy bin
- Jungle-themed music (optional).
Indoor jungle safari adventure outline
Set up a space in the setting with the following activities and invite the children to come on a jungle adventure with you. They will need to move their bodies to crawl, hop and slither to reach the other side of the jungle.
- Cushion crawl tunnel: Stack cushions or soft foam mats to make a tunnel. Babies can be placed at one end and encouraged to crawl or roll through with a toy or practitioner encouragement at the other end. Toddlers can crawl through while growling like lions or pretending to be a sneaky snake
- Animal footprint hop: Use taped-down animal footprints (paper cutouts or floor stickers). Toddlers could hop or step from footprint to footprint. Babies can lie on a mat with the prints around them and be encouraged to reach/touch as a sensory game
- Leafy limbo/ribbon jungle: Hang green ribbons, scarves or streamers at different heights in a doorway or between chairs. Toddlers can duck under, step over or push through pretending they’re in a thick jungle. Babies can explore the textures while sitting or lying on their backs as ribbons dangle above them
- Soft climb and slide: Use soft foam blocks or cushions to create a small hill. Babies can be assisted in climbing or gently sliding down with support. Toddlers can practise climbing up and down safely on their own
- Animal rescue basket: Fill a basket with jungle animal toys. Toddlers can run to grab one and bring it back to ‘base’ while babies can choose a toy from the basket and explore it in their own way —textures, sounds, colours.
How to extend this activity
- Animal action songs could be a good warm up or cool down activity. Songs such as walking through the jungle or down in the jungle would work well
- Encourage older children to invent their own jungle-themed adventure to add to the obstacle course.
NDNA products to support you with this activity
PANCo – Training
Disclaimer: Activities with children must always be risk assessed, including for allergies or choking. Children must always have adequate supervision. Resources and materials must always be appropriate for children’s age and stage of development.
- Activity
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