As Canada begins to loosen the restrictions on social distancing many provinces have given families permission to “bubble” with at least one other family.
The following two activities are designed for families who are able to start to play with other friends or relatives. The summer weather is coming and with that in mind let’s go outside and start playing!
Sidewalk Chalk and Hopscotch:
- Use sidewalk chalk to create hopscotch and then play with a friend.
- Use a rock/bean bag that is approximately the size of your child’s palm to throw on the hopscotch squares. The rock should be easy to throw and easy to see on the ground.
- Toss the rock on the hopscotch design and then hop on one foot to the rock, retrieve the rock and hop back.
- Variations on hopscotch:
- Play inside and use painters’ tape & incorporate tactile squares to jump on with bare feet (i.e. sandpaper)
- Create a hopscotch design wide enough to welcome a wheelchair
- Change the images and expectations: perhaps instead of hopping the child can stomp like an elephant
Interested in making your own sidewalk chalk? Here is a recipe for sidewalk chalk paint from the blog Happiness is Homemade. Making your own sidewalk chalk enables you to make the colours darker and hopefully easier to see for children with low vision.
Explore the Neighbourhood (straight, right or left):
- Depending on the age and abilities of the children they can either do this activity with their families or with a few friends.
- Decide how many turns each person will have for this activity.
- Standing in front of the house one person quickly chooses to go either straight, right or left. At the next intersection the next person gets to choose. Keep doing this until each person has used up his or her turns.
- The group works together to get back home.
- General rules: people cannot make a dangerous decision, i.e. straight into traffic.
- This activity can be used for exploring neighbourhoods, parks or an unfamiliar part of the city or town you live in. It is a good opportunity to look for landmarks (places to help you remember where you are) to help you when navigating back home.