This is my version of an activity originally inspired by BusyToddler.com. Susie has some wonderful activities over there for little learners. Check it out!
Supplies
- Painters tape (or other variety that’s easy to remove from carpet/floors)
- Any small toys!
- Little People
- Small trucks
- Colored pompoms
- Lego blocks
- Literally anything
Instructions
Susie’s version of this game is about teaching kids simple spatial skills: Apply tape to the floor in a variety of patterns (straight line, zig-zag, rectangle). Encourage your child to line up toys along the path.
My version adds early literacy to the mix. Instead of shapes, make a giant letter on the floor. Alternatively, you could make giant numbers.
This is a great activity to set up and leave out for several days. Allow your child to return to it as interest arises.
It’s great for encouraging focus on a simple task. I also found that by teaching my kids early on there is a right way and wrong way to do (some) things, it laid the foundation for teaching them to be good cleaners.
If desired, you can add a layer of sorting learning as you line up your toys. We use Little People the most, so we often organize by hat/hair color. “Let’s find all the people with black hair. Okay, put them on the J. Now, let’s find all the people with red hair.” Etc.
Here are my kids demonstrating with the letter J. (An important letter in our house!)
