Follow the Footprints

Get the kids outside with this fun follow the footprints activity! 

We are at Letter f in our A-Z Play at Home Series and this activity was perfect- easy setup and educational entertainment guaranteed!

Simply head outside, armed with two colours of chalk, and draw footprints!

I started off with easy footprints: the way we walk. One colour for the left foot, one for the right. They had to figure out which foot goes where first. Tip: make sure your footprints represent the shape of our feet, more or less.

Then, I turned it around so that the kids must walk backwards, still aiming to place each foot in the correct print, then turn around again. Go sideways…

With some prints, the skill at work here is midline crossing. One leg should swing over the other to land on the correct footprint. Oh, and balance too.

My almost 7 year old found this activity easy, but my 4 year old found it a challenge. Not a challenge that he did not want to do, rather one that he wanted to conquer. Look at his body language here, trying to figure out his next move, planning what to do(executive functioning at its best):

He was also the one to do the activity over and over again to better himself and he was very proud when he got it right! These underlying skills of perserverance, concentration and building of self esteem are so important and usually develop through play. Providing an activity like follow the footprints feels like play, not work, so perfect to develop these skills.

Your bigger kids can design their own “path” while the younger ones can walk the path and work on the skills mentioned. 

A fun activity to play outside with only chalk and a few willing feet!

Practice number formation with a Fish Number Writing Tray by Adventures and Play:

Or make a Feather Crown like The Gingerbread House!

See you next week for letter G activities!