In this activity, your child will become more familiar with the letters and spelling of his name, and practice gross motor skills, by jumping on each letter of his name and then on his whole name.
Learning Area(s): Reading and Writing; Physical Development
MATERIALS
- Chalk and sidewalk or driveway blacktop (if outdoors)
- Construction paper and marker (if indoors)
LET'S PLAY
Draw a set of squares or rectangles (like a simplified hopscotch grid as shown in the example) to spell out the letters of your child’s name on the sidewalk (or on paper taped to the floor, if indoors). The last box should have the child’s whole name in it. Say the letters aloud as you write each one. Demonstrate how to play this game: starting at the bottom, jump to the first letter, then the second, etc., all the way to the box with your child’s name in it, saying each letter as you land on it, and then, finally, her name. (“L-E-A-H. Leah!”) Once you model how to jump and what to say, encourage your child to practice jumping and saying the letter names.
TIPS
- You can vary this activity by encouraging your child to try different ways of moving from letter to letter, such as hopping on one foot, walking quickly, walking slowly, spinning, or taking baby steps. Have your child say each letter as she lands on it.
- You can also let your child choose a different word she would like to spell. Wipe away the chalk letters with a wet sponge or make a new grid to spell out that word.