Schhol Walk by Rob Briscoe
Now that the kids are heading back to school, they'll have to find new ways to fit nature-based outdoor play around their busy weekly schedules. It can be difficult to gauge whether or not the kids are getting enough healthy playtime outside of the classroom during the school year but there are lots of ways families can get involved in outdoor play together.
To kick off our #backtoschool series, we're focusing on how to make the most of the school run. We’ve compiled a list of brilliant walking games that families can play to liven up that journey back to the school gates this September.
Games To Play On The School Run...
I Spy - This game is a classic that never gets old. To start, the first player picks an object that everyone can see. They then give the first letter of the object as a clue. For example, if the player chooses a cloud, they say, 'I spy with my little eye something beginning with C'. Then, all players take turns to call out guesses until someone gets the right answer.
Number Spotting - This is a variation of I Spy that involves numbers. Shout out a number and the first person to find that number (on a door, a bin, car registration plate, etc) gets to choose the next number. You can also amp up the mathematical aspect of the game and see if any of the players can add all the numbers up by the end of the walk!
Bug Safari - This walking game is a little time-consuming, so we’d recommend you’d plan this activity for the walk home rather than the morning rush. Basically, you go hunting for bugs and snap a photo of any that you find. Bonus points if it’s a bug you haven’t spotted before on the journey! If you want to add another element of fun, you can download the Caper app and complete the Bug Hunt there too!
Step Challenge - If you’re finding it hard to motivate the kids to walk to school instead of taking transport, why not try engaging them with a step challenge? Over the course of a week, month or even the entire school year you could encourage the kids to challenge themselves to walk to school more and more often. If you’re looking for a progress tracker to make this activity tangible, check this one out!
Grass Whistle - Another one for the walk home, this is a pretty accessible game for kids of all ages. If you’re walking past a field or green space on the way to school, stop for a few minutes and find a nice long shiny bit of grass. Press it between the sides of both your thumbs so that it's stretched tight. Blow gently through the space left in the centre and enjoy the high-pitched squeal it makes!
Shadow Tag - If there’s a section of your school run that isn’t near a busy road, this is a brilliant game to play at the beginning or end of the day when your shadow is the longest. It's tag but with a twist! First, decide who's going to be 'it' and then start running around. When the person who is 'it' steps on someone else's shadow, they become 'it' and the whole game starts again.
Alphabet Race - This is a classic “car ride” game that can easily be played while walking as well. All the players must find something that starts with the letter “A” and call it out for all to hear. After that move on to the letter “B” and so on through the alphabet. The person to find the most letters wins!
Sweet or Sour - This game is super interactive and can be a mood booster at the beginning or end of a long day! Explain to the kids that this game should only be played when you or another responsible adult is present. To play, all you have to do is smile and wave at other people on the street. If they wave back, they are sweet. If not, they are sour! Keep a tally and, when you reach your destination, see if your trip was sweet or sour.
Twenty Questions - This game is a more accessible version of charades! One person thinks of a famous person, a phrase, an animal, type of food, etc. (The categories should be decided by all players before the game begins). To start, the first player states the category they have in mind. All other players must ask questions to guess who/what they have in mind but are limited to only asking questions that have the answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’. If somebody guesses correctly in less than 20 questions they get a point. If no one guesses, then the first player gets a point!
Story Chain - This is the ultimate walking game for kids who want to sharpen their imagination and literacy skills. All you need to play is two or more people. The first player starts a story by contributing a sentence or small chunk of a story, and the next person carries it on. A more challenging, and hilarious, version of this game is to make it alphabetical so that each new sentence starts with the succeeding letter of the alphabet. See what uncanny stories you can come up with - the wackier the better!
COVER IMAGE : “Walking To School by State Farm