Create a Literacy Obstacle Course
In this obstacle course, kids will strengthen one of their most important muscles – their brain – as they engage in alphabetizing, rhyming, spelling, and movement.
Materials
Directions
Set up the course in a room, lawn or park and explain each station to your child before they begin.
Station 1: Start with “Alphabet Jump Rope” or “Alphabet Hula.” Can your child recite the alphabet while jumping rope or sing it while twirling a hula? For more of a challenge, ask your child to also make the sound each letter makes (e.g. “B says /b/”). If making it through the entire alphabet it too challenging, try jumping all vowels or the letters of your child’s name.
Station 2: Next, have your child write the following action verbs onto the flashcards: swim, jump, walk. Then, have your child alphabetize the words in order to move to the next stage of the race. Increase the difficulty by adding more words: twirl, run, dive, etc.
Station 3: The finish line is in sight! Ask your child to list 3 words that rhyme with “run” (or “jump” or “race” or “bat” or “ball”). When finished, your child can dash across the finish line.
Explore Further
Is your child ready for more? Change up the obstacles. To create a letter toss, ask your child to draw large letters on separate sheets of paper. Spread the sheets a few feet in front of your child, then give your child bean bag or disc (a small stuffed animal would work, too). Ask your child questions about a letter and have him toss the beanbag or disk at the correct letter. For example, “What letter says /s/?” or “What letter does moo start with?” If your child is ready for more, write words instead of letters on each paper – then ask your child to toss the beanbag onto the correct word as you read them aloud.
Literacy