Today, “…the rain rain rain came down down down,” to quote Winnie the Pooh. For kids of all ages it was an inside day. Even when little ones can’t go outside they need to wear off some energy. Finding enough things to do in a space that seems to get smaller as the day gets longer can be a challenge. Here’s an idea to give your little one some physical activity and readiness for kindergarten fun.
Starting with a backpack, of course, send your little one off on a hunt. For example, “Let’s see, your backpack would like you to go to your room and find something red. Put red in your backpack and come back to the kitchen.” Once back, take out the item, check that it’s red, make a few enthusiastic comments and send your child for a different color. After 2 or 3 color trips, you can ‘ask’ the backpack what it would like next and ‘listen’ as it suggests your child go to a different room and find some shapes. Circles are easy enough for little ones; older ones may like the challenge of finding a triangle and may have to look for a long time.
Young children may only manage 3 or 4 trips but if your munchkin really likes this hunt idea, try sending the hunter off for numbers of things, such as putting 4 somethings in the backpack. How about a very big number like 10? Colors, shapes, and numbers are basic skills that kids work on for kindergarten readiness and during the kindergarten year. As with many other concepts, lots of practice is needed to help kids learn. Your child may like to think of something for you to find, or maybe the backpack could mention it would like a book. It may be time to sit and have a rest. What story would your backpack like to hear?