20 min
Bubble Chase
You blow. They chase. That is the whole thing and it works every time.
🔢
Hopscotch
Ten squares of chalk and a stone. Still undefeated.
Genuinely good for balance, counting and turn-taking, and it needs one piece of chalk.
What you need
- pavement chalk
- a small flat stone
How to do it
- Draw ten numbered squares, some single and some in pairs.
- Throw the stone onto square one.
- Hop through, skipping the square the stone is on, then turn and come back.
- Pick the stone up on the way past without putting your other foot down.
- Miss and it is the next players turn.
Why this is good for them
Single-leg hopping with a turn at the end is one of the harder balance tasks for a young child, and it improves visibly within a single session. The number sequence and the turn-taking come along free.
Adapting by age
3 to 4 yearsFive squares, two feet allowed, no stone.
9 to 12 yearsAdd a rule: recite something on each square, or go backwards.
Keep it safe
Away from roads. Not on wet or mossy paving.
Cleanup tip
Rain deals with it.
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