Leap frog

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Age
3-5 years
Child Development
Counting; alphabet letters; vocabulary (in, on, over words)
Equipment
Cushions, felt squares, or small towels
Physical Activity

Vigorous play (building strong bones and muscles)

How to Play
  1. Scatter cushions, felt squares and/or small towels around area. These  are the "lily pads"
  2. Invite the children to squat like a frog and leap frog over the lily pads, moving around the area. Have them count how many lily pads they can clear without touching them.
  3. Play “SPLASH”—the children jump over the lily pads except when you call out “Splash!” and then they have to land in the nearest puddle
    1. Children with mobility difficulties can move around the lily pads using their preferred way of moving.
Change it up / Alternatives / Additional Options
  • Challenge older children to call out an alphabet letter for every lily pad they jump over. See how far along the alphabet they can get before getting “all puffed out.”
  • Every time a child jumps on to a lily pad, encourage him or her to call out, in sequence, a letter of their name (e.g. F A T I M A or J O R D I N or S A N D E E P).
  • Read Puddles by Jonathan London and arrange the towels, felt squares and/or cushions to make a trail of “puddles.” Challenge the children to leap from puddle to puddle without landing on dry ground.
     

Excerpt from the HOP Early Learning Practitioners Resource (Decoda Literacy Solutions)