Sports & Games

Hut, hut, hike! Go long and catch some sports action this week with activities and games that are all about building your child's most important athletic muscle - her brain! We've got ideas for sports fans, and non-athletes, and everyone in between with beanbag tosses, baseball ice cream, gold medals, and more.

Table of Contents
Week 9: Sports & Games Verb Relay Race Shoebox Croquet MARTHA SPEAKS: Make Your Own Obstacle Course Play Dart Balls Jumping Bean Phonics Color By Letter: Playing Baseball Sports Round-Up Sight Words Cut and Color Sports Bookmarks Pizza Toss Game Bowling for Phonics Make Your Own Gold Medal ARTHUR'S Play Ball Books About Sports! Summer Reading Essentials More to Explore!

Hut, hut, hike! Go long and catch some sports action this week with activities and games that are all about building your child's most important athletic muscle - her brain! We've got ideas for sports fans, and non-athletes, and everyone in between with beanbag tosses, dart boards, gold medals, and more.

Verb Relay Race Shoebox Croquet Home Bowling Alley Beanbag Toss Game Play Dart Balls Jumping Bean Phonics Arthur's Play Ball Color By Letter: Playing Baseball Sports Round-Up Sight Words Cut and Color Sports Bookmarks Make Your Own Gold Medal Books About Sports!

Index cards Pen Whistle or other snappy sound maker for the starting line Chalk A few energetic kids 15 stick-on dots 5 shoe boxes Paper towel tube Sponge ball 2-3 large, empty soda bottles 1 beach ball or large playground ball Large cardboard box, or three large pieces of cardboard A big heavy rock, or a bag of smaller stones Packing tape Poster paint in several colors Paintbrush Sharp scissors or box cutter

5 zip-lock bags 10 pieces of scrap fabric 4"x6" in size Dried beans Needle and thread Cardboard Scissors Colored felt Glue gun 4 to 6 Ping-Pong balls Small strips of Velcro 5 pieces of large thick paper (oak tag or cardboard work well) Index cards or construction paper Markers or crayons Masking tape Glue stick Stapler Ribbon Gold glitter Gold acrylic paint Black marker Pencil

The PBS KIDS logo is a registered mark of the Public Broadcasting Service and is used with permission. All Rights Reserved.

Verbs Relay Race!

In first grade kids start to learn the difference between verbs (action words) and nouns (objects, people, places). Help them take in this information with their whole bodies by playing a few boisterous rounds of this party or playground game.

What You Need:

Index cards Pen Whistle or other snappy sound maker for the starting line Chalk A few energetic, enthusiastic first graders

What You Do:

1. This is a version of the classic relay race, just like in the Olympics, where teams of kids will work together. Each child will take a leg of the race and the fastest team wins the round. There's just one catch: each leg will require a different action, and nobody can say it aloud. Racers must use their first grade reading skills in order to know what to do. 2. Make two stacks of index cards, and have the kids help you brainstorm action words that they can do on the move, such as skip, run, jump, hop, flap, tango. Write each word on two cards and place one of each at stack for each team. 3. Divide your first graders into two teams, each with at least 2-3 racers. Then mark out a course thats a reasonable length for your little athletes. Theyll need to be able to go up and back without dropping down exhausted! 4. Now its time for action-word reading action. Stand between each team and have the first player draw a card from that teams stack. On the count of three, start the race, and be ready for hilarity. 5. While the first racer is in motion, the second one can grab a card and get ready for action. As soon as the first racer tags up, the second can goand on down the line until the cards are used up. Why it Works: First graders need endless practice with reading skills in all forms, but often these come on pencil and paper, or inside classrooms. Many kids benefit when they can get their full bodies in on the task. In teacher talk, its called kinesthetic learning; in kid-world, its usually called just plain fun. Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Play Croquet
Is your child curious about croquet? Forget buying an expensive set at a toy or game store! You can simply make one at home using old shoe boxes and and an empty paper towel tube. Your little one will have a blast hitting a sponge ball into the tunnels on the sides of the boxes, while greatly improving his hand-eye coordination in the process. Make this an ongoing game that you and you child play together by finding your own makeshift mallet in the form of a golf club or walking stick and taking turns hitting the ball.

What You Need:

15 stick-on dots 5 shoe boxes Paper towel tube Sponge ball

What You Do:

1. 2. 3. 4. Make a set of croquet tunnels by cutting wide arches in the long sides of the shoe boxes. Place one dot on top of the first box, two dots on top of the second box, and so on. Arrange the boxes in any order on the floor. Encourage your child to use the paper towel tube to hit the ball through the boxes, beginning with the box with one dot and moving through the other boxes in order.

Consider inviting over some of your child's school friends to play croquet! Buy a couple of extra sponge balls and ask parents to send their child with a paper towel tube. If children wish to personalize their croquet "mallet," they can decorate them with markers and stickers. Adapted with permission from "Count On Math: Activities for Small Hands and Lively Minds." Copyright 1997 by Pam Schiller and Lynne Peterson. Used with permission of Gryphon House, Inc., Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Downloaded from Education.com

MARTHA SPEAKS: Make Your Own Obstacle Course

Practice words and get some exercise with this obstacle course activity from PBS KIDS' Martha Speaks. Click here to get started. Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Velcro Dart Board

Darts appeal to young kids, but they're not safe for them to use. With this activity, they can get all the hand-eye coordination practice darts bring, but with a much safer alternative to the pointy darts down at the local bar. All you need is a little cardboard, felt, some glue, and some old ping pong balls and you're ready to create a dart game from scratch! This fun game is sure to entertain, and kids get some gross motor skill practice on the fly. Plus, practicing throwing is a great way to help kids develop the hand-eye coordination they'll need as they get older.

What You Need:

Cardboard Scissors Colored felt Glue gun 4 to 6 Ping-Pong balls Small strips of Velcro

What You Do:

1. Before you can start playing, you need to make the dartboard. If your child is interested, encourage her to help tracing the circles on the cardboard and the felt. You can use a large plate for the big circle, a small plate for the middle circle, and the bottom of a cup for the smallest circle. 2. Once all the circles are traced on the cardboard and felt, cut each circle out, gluing the felt on the cardboard circle of matching size. 3. Then, glue all the circles together, one on top of the other, to be used as a target. 4. Finally, glue a small strip of Velcro to each Ping-Pong ball. 5. Now that the equipment is ready, it's time to start playing the game! Find a good place to hang up your dartboard, then take turns with your child throwing Ping-Pong balls, one at a time, at the target. If you hit the target, the Velcro should stick to the felt. The object of the game is to hit the center circle. When you do that, you got a bull's eye! Want to give the game more structure and practice basic addition, too? Keep track of the points. Players who hit the center get 50 points. The second circle is worth 20 points, and the outside circle 10. Use a permanent marker to write the desired points on the target itself. Then let your child keep track of who has the most points as the game progresses. Adapted with permission from "The GIANT Encyclopedia of Kindergarten Activities." Copyright 2004 by Kathy Charner (Editor), Maureen Murphy (Editor), and Jennifer Ford (Editor). Used by Permission of Gryphon House, Inc., Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Downloaded from Education.com

Jumping Bean Phonics

Most little kids hate to sit still, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. Take advantage of your kindergartener's energy with this cute game that lets him practice building words, all while acting like a Mexican jumping bean!

What You Need:

Five pieces of large thick paper (oak tag or cardboard work well) Index cards or construction paper Markers or crayons Masking tape

What to Do
1. Start by writing the following consonants on the index cards or construction paper: B,C,F,H,M,P,R,S,D. Review the sounds these letters make with your child and ask him to say them aloud, so you're sure he's familiar with the sounds each of the letters makes. 2. Next, take out your five large pieces of thick paper. On each sheet, write one of the following ending blends: -at, -ig, -og, -an, -it. Tape each sheet to the floor (leaving a bit of room between each). 3. Start by looking at the ending sounds on the floor and saying them together. 4. It's time to jump! Tell your child that he's a Mexican jumping bean, and that his job is to find a partner. Then explain the rules of the game: each time you give your child an index card with a letter on it, he'll try to jump onto as many word matches for it as he can find. (You can use a timer if you'd like, to make things more challenging.) For example, if he had the letter m, he could jump on "at" to make mat, or he could jump on "an" to make man, or he could jump on "it" to make mit. But if he jumped on "og", he would lose his turn, because "mog" is not a word. The goal is to make as many words as possible, before the timer rings, or the player makes a mistake. This game is a great way to bring home the idea that words are made up of several sounds put together. And it works just as well outdoors, with chalk on a driveway, rather than construction paper taped to an indoor floor. It may be tough for your child at first, but it will get easier. And all that moving keeps things silly, which makes for low pressure and high energy fun. So if you want to help your child with reading, gather some paper, break out the markers, and get a jump on it! Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

More worksheets at: education.com/worksheets

Learning Horizons Inc.

Sports Round-up
Trace over each sport name, and then match each sport to its picture!

Created by:

Copyright 2012-2013 by Education.com

More worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets

SPORTS

Bookmarks!

Ask a grown-up to help cut these out after coloring.

This project works best printed on thicker paper!

F O O T B A L L

Pizza Toss Game

Turn your little one's favorite food into a silly sport! It's easy as pie to be a master chef with this target practice game played with a pizza board constructed out of felt and Velcro bean bag "toppings." This project utilizes your child's motor skills and coordination, as he cuts and makes the toppings and then attempts to aim his throws at the pizza board. This amusing activity can be played by just you and your child, but it is also a surefire hit to entertain all of his friends!

What You Need:

Large sheet of brown tagboard or cardboard (at least 2 sq. feet) Yellow felt (about 2 sq. feet) Brown, red, and green squares of felt (or other "topping" colors, at least 1 sq. foot each) Velcro strips (can be found at a craft or fabric store) Hot glue gun Dry beans or rice Black permanent marker

What You Do:

1. To create the pizza target board, help your child to cut the large sheet of cardboard into a giant circle of at least 20" diameter. Then, cut out a circle of yellow felt with a diameter that is 2" less than the circle of cardboard. 2. Ask your child to glue the circle of felt to the center of the cardboard. The small portion of brown cardboard visible will appear as the "crust" of the pizza, with the yellow circle inside being the "cheesy" center. 3. Invite your child to use a permanent marker to draw lines on the pizza to divide it into slices. 4. Ask your child to decide what kind of topping the pizza will have. If the pizza has pepperoni, sausage, and peppers, help him pick out colors of felt for each topping (red, brown, and green). Cut each topping in its shape out of the felt in pairs of two; for each piece of sausage, cut out two round ovals, a front and back side. 5. Ask your child to match each pair of two cut-out toppings and begin hot gluing them together around almost every opening, only leaving a small hole to fill each topping with beans. Ask your child to fill a small amount of beans into each felt topping (this will add weight to each topping as it is thrown). Help him glue up the hole so that each piece of felt is sealed. 6. When each topping is finished, take the Velcro strips and assist your child in gluing strips on the outside of each topping. Put a strip of Velcro on both the front and back of each topping. 7. When each topping is complete, hang the pizza pie up on a wall, or prop it up, and ask your child to stand a few feet away. Have him aim to toss his desired toppings onto the pizza. Challenge your child to see if he can land a topping on each different slice, or maybe right in the center. You can vary the objectives of each round to make the game more or less difficult. As your child's aim gets better, vary the distance that he stands from the pizza board to make it more challenging. Order up! Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Bowling for Phonics

"When two vowels go out walking, the first one does the talking." Remember that rule? There are exceptions, of course, but this rule can be helpful in the development of young readers in many cases. However, learning this only through worksheets can make kids restless. Instead, try this goofy game that turns old soda bottles into bowling pins, where your kids will "bowl" for vowel patterns they'll come across everyday. "Doublevowel" words can be very tricky for kids, but this game allows kids to stay active while building their reading vocabularyand it can make for hours of fun as well!

What You Need:

6 empty 2-liter soda bottles Nontoxic spray paint for plastic Sheet of clear plastic acetate (used for overhead projector slides and available at office supply stores) Clear plastic packing tape Index cards Sharpie pen

What to Do:
Setup: 1. Make sure that the soda bottles are empty and dry. Start by spray painting them with nontoxic paint, either in black or in a bright color. (Be sure to leave the caps on as you spray paint.) These will become your "bowling pins." If you plan to play indoors with a light "bowling" ball, you can leave the pins empty. Otherwise, use a heavier ball and add about 2 inches of sand to each bottle to keep it balanced and to make it a little harder to capsize instantly. 2. Cut up the plastic acetate sheet into six 4" wide by 1-1/2" high pieces. Horizontally place one plastic acetate sheet on the side of each bottle, and tape the bottom and sides of the sheet to create a "pouch." 3. Cut index cards in half, so that each one is 2 1/2" x 3", and divide them into "packs" of six. The word cards will be placed in the "pouch" on the soda bottles, and each "pack" will include a group of words using the "two vowels" rule. Pack 1: ea: leaf, bean, lead, treat, peak, seal, real, deal, leap, cheap (pick any six) Pack 2: ai: rain, pain, stain, gain, main, drain, train, main (pick any six) Pack 3: ie: field, thief, chief, yield, grief, belief Pack 4: oo: soon, moon, balloon, noon, raccoon, loon Pack 5: ee: see, bee, tree, deep, peep, creep, need, keep, green, peel, reel, sleep (pick any six) Pack 6: oa: boat, foam, goat, roam, float, throat, coat, moat (pick any six) How to play! 1. Start with the first pack, and place one index card inside each clear pouch so that the word shows clearly. Then line up the "bowling pin" soda bottles in a triangular formation with three in the back row, two in the middle row, and one in front. Give your child a ball (anything from a lightweight Nerf ball to a soccer ball, depending on whether you're indoors or outdoors and whether you've weighted your pins). Depending on the skill of your bowlers, you may also want to make an

alleyway with spare boards or children's blocks. 2. Have kids take turns "bowling" to knock down the pins. Once they've knocked some pins down, have them read each word in the pouch of the knocked over bottle. They will get one point for each word, so make sure to tell your kids they won't get a point unless they successfully read the word. Teammates can coach and provide support, but remember to hold the rule: no word, no point! Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Gold Medals for Kids

Word class athletes aren't the only ones who deserve a gold medal! Help your kindergartener create his own shiny medal that celebrates his amazing and award-worthy accomplishments.

What You Need:

Cardboard Scissors Glue stick Stapler Ribbon Gold glitter Gold acrylic paint Black marker Pencil

What You Do:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Draw a circle on the cardboard for the base of the medal. Use scissors to cut out the circle. Paint the cardboard circle gold and allow it to dry completely. Use a pencil to design the front of your medal. What achievements do you want to celebrate? Anything from a recent sports win to an impressive ballet recital would work! Outline the design you created with a black marker. Spread a glue stick over the entire front of your medal Sprinkle gold glitter over your medal. Shake the medal to allow the excess glitter to fall off. Make sure you do this over a trash can. Take the ribbon and measure it around your child's neck. His medal should hang squarely in the middle of his chest. Cut the ribbon to size. Staple each end of the ribbon to the back of the cardboard medal. Time for the awards ceremony!

Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

ARTHUR'S Play Ball

Incorporate words and music into your next game with this activity from PBS KIDS' Arthur. Click here to get started! Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Books About Sports!

Does your child love sports? Encourage their love of reading by helping them explore topics they love. Here's a list of some of PBS KIDS' favorite books about sports to get you started. Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

Blank slide 1
Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.

More to Explore!
PBS KIDS Arthur is the ultimate good sport. Check out more do-it-yourself activities with everyones best friend. Find out more! Image Credit: Courtesy of WGBH Copyright 2006-2012 Education.com All Rights Reserved.