Ideas
Hopscotch
Click here to download the printable version.
Te Whāriki curriculum link - Exploration Goal 2: Children gain confidence in and control of their bodies.
Hopscotch a fantastic outdoor games to keep children active and linking in with numeracy, including number recognition, sequence and spatial concepts staying within the squares. Hopscotch is also beneficial for encouraging turn taking, cooperative play and mastering balance.
Draw the grid on concrete and each player in turn will toss the bean bag marker and then hop into each square following a sequential order. You can do the grid in a straight line with just four or five squares. This will depend on what is appropriate for the skill of the children participating.
All hopping is done on one foot unless the design uses two squares side-by-side.
To begin each child will toss the marker into square 1, hop over square 1 and into square 2, continuing until they reach the last square. They then turn around and hop back again, pausing at square 2 so they may pick up the marker and then hopping in square 1 and out. Their next goal is to land their marker (bean bag, rock) into square 2.
Players miss a turn if they hop into a square where their marker is; if they don’t get the marker in the number appropriate square; if they step on a line; lose their balance and go out of the grid or if they jump with two feet.
The first person to move through the entire grid wins the game.
