Recommended Age: 3 to 5 years
Level of Parent Involvement: Medium, the adult must facilitate this exercise, once shown the child may play with a sibling or another family member
Prerequisites
- In order to play independently the child must know left from right
- The child must be able to identify the colours blue, red, green and yellow
- The child must be able to listen to a verbal command and carry out the action
Materials
- Coloured A4 paper (I sheet of green 1 sheet of blue 1 sheet of red 1 sheet of yellow)
- 2 pieces of white A2 cardboard
- Masking tape
- Writing pencil
- Scissors
- Laminator
- Laminating sheets
Preparation
- On each of the coloured pieced of paper draw a large circle
- Cut out the circle
- Laminate and cut the coloured circles
- Using masking tape on one side, join the 2 pieces of A2 cardboard together to create a base for the coloured circles
- Stick the coloured circles onto the cardboard base with the masking tape (you may stick the circles in a horizontal line or in a cross formation)
- Place the base with the coloured circles in an open area, away from furniture so that the child has free movement
Steps
- Invite the child letting them know that they are going to play a game
- Take the child to the prepared coloured circle game base
- Ask the child to identify the colours of the circles
- Let the child know that they need bare feet for this game asking the child to take off their shoes and socks if they are wearing them
- Show the child how to place their socks inside their shoes and indicate where they can put their shoes
- Ask the child if they know which their left hand is and which is their right hand, ask the child if they know which is their left foot and which is their right foot (for a younger child who does not know left from right you may use a coloured texta to draw a dot on the child’s hand to help them distinguish left from right)
- Invite the child to go to the coloured dots and begin giving them commands
- For example, “place your right hand on yellow”, “put your left foot on green”, “put your left thumb on red” put your right elbow on blue”
- Repeat giving the child commands for as long as their interest in the exercise is maintained
- Transition out of the movement activity with some deep breathing, a song or a story, then transition the child to their next activity
Variations
- You may make other coloured circles to add to the game
- You can make picture cards with the child’s body parts and commands for the child to do this exercise independently
