Play Twist 'N Turn!

Shape recognition is an important early math skill for your preschooler, so what better way to teach her than with this thrilling game? Play Twist 'N Turn! Trace out shapes on the ground, and let your preschooler walk, hop, and skip her way to learning all about rectangles, triangles, and circles, oh my! Not only will your child get the chance to be outside, but she'll be reinforcing other important concepts like colors, directions, and even word recognition. All you need is some sidewalk chalk and a bit of space to get started.

What You Need:

• Sidewalk chalk
• A flat, safe area such as a driveway
• Pen or pencil
• Slips of paper
• Small paper lunch bag

What You Do:

1. Choose 5 shapes you want your preschooler to become more familiar with. Some examples would be: triangles, circles, rectangles, squares, diamonds, ovals, stars, pentagons, and cubes.
2. Write 10 simple instructions, each one on a small slip of paper. Try to incorporate color, shape, and direction. Here are a few ideas:
   • Put your left foot on the pink triangle
   • Hop to the yellow pentagon
   • Walk backward to the blue square
   • Put your right hand on the purple circle
   • Hop on your left foot to the green diamond
3. Place the slips in the small paper lunch bag.
4. Find a safe, flat outdoor surface.
5. Ask your child to use sidewalk chalk, and draw the 5 shapes in the corresponding colors you used to create the instructions. Remember, the shapes need to be large, so you’ll likely want to guide your child’s chalk work!
6. Ask your child to pull a slip of paper from the bag, and get twisting and turning, or hopping and running! Encourage your preschooler to help “read” the instructions.
7. Take this activity to another level by letting your child make up movements for you to carry out. No written directions needed, just let your child be “boss” and get creative!