2. Balancing in Line

To add a challenging and fun element to waiting in line, children can balance on one foot. They can then try switching feet. Can they balance on one foot with both hands on their head? How about balancing on tip toes…or on tip toes on one foot? How long can they balance for? These and other balancing activities help develop coordination and concentration, too! 

Reading together is important for preparing and developing literacy, but what about when children can't quite sit still? Parents can suggest that the child “act it out!” For example, pretending to be an animal from the book, a seed growing into a tree, or a wiggly worm can all help children become more engaged while working off some extra energy. Giving children room to use their imaginations and create movements makes them feel that anything is possible! 

When it rains, parents can take their children to a green area or the yard outside, and let their children see how the raindrops hit an umbrella or splash on the ground. After the rain stops, the children can step into the small puddles, observe the raindrops covering the flowers and leaves, or dig a small channel to let the water drain away. This active exploration is a great way to learn and get moving at the same time!

When the weather is fine and the sun is shining, children can go outside and discover their shadows in large open spaces. They can turn, move, or run around to see how the shadow changes. Parents can act as ‘shadow makers’, using themselves or objects to create shadows and make them disappear, and the children can try to chase after and catch the shadow. If the children can catch the shadow, they can have a chance to be shadow maker.

In large, open spaces, such as a park, you can take a thin plastic bag, open it against the wind and close it quickly, filling the bag with air. The child can then pat the air in the bag, learning how the air fills different containers. They can then try moving around to “catch the wind” themselves.

Parents can pick up some leaves and hold them in their hands. They can then raise their hands high and scatter the leaves, saying "It's raining!" The children can try to grab the leaves from the air before the leaves hit the ground. To make it more challenging, parents can run in front with children chasing behind.

In a big outdoor space, parents can write a large ‘田’ (‘field’) character on the ground with chalk or brushed water, letting the children run along the lines. When the children run, parents can block different lines and chase the children. Parents should adjust their speed according to the children's running speed.