When my children were younger, about preschool age, we took a lot of walks. It seemed like walks could do so many things. They were exercise and fresh air of course. But walks also had a way of turning bad moods around and making life interesting again on those days when we were all a little bored.
We used to love to go on signs of spring walks. Looking for something in particular made the walks more interesting. Sometimes we’d go on color walks and try to find as many things we could of certain colors. It didn’t matter to us what the color was on – someone’s shirt, a flower, a car, or even curtains in a window. Preschoolers also love to look for shapes. Windows are squares and rectangles. Sometimes you see diamond shaped windows too, particularly on front doors. Car tires are circles, and so are door knobs. Bricks and doors are rectangles. There are even squares on the sidewalk. Shape walks can be amazing. You see things in new light.
Counting walks were fun too. We’d try to find one of something, then two, and so on. And example would be one cat in a window, two dogs barking at the fence, and three trees in a yard. After about ten or twelve, it gets really hard unless you are counting blades of grass or leaves.
Alphabet walks are also fun for children who are a little older. You can either look for things that start with one particular letter, or you can look for the alphabet in order. A’s could be ants or animals. B’s can be balls, basketball goals, or bees. C’s can be cars, candles in windows, or cats. D’s can be dogs, doors, or driveways.
The great thing about any of these ideas is that they are educational and fun. I think they teach us all to pay extra attention to the world around us.
Also See:
Healthy Ways to Have Fun as a Family
What Your Preschooler Should Know: Part I