SKILLS GALORE OUTDOORS

Sometimes you just have to think outside the box to make standards more fun!

Reading Tree
Choose a poetry book, storybook, and non-fiction book to read outside under a shady tree. Can the children identify the books?


Reading Buddies
Divide children into pairs and let them each choose a favorite book. Go out on the playground, find a shady spot, and enjoy sharing their books with each other.
*Encourage them to ask each other questions about the books they read.


Alphabet Walk
Write letters on a paved surface with chalk. Challenge the children to step on the letters as they name them. Can they think of something that starts with each sound.

Word Hopscotch
Draw a hopscotch grid on a paved surface. Write high frequency words in each section. Children hop on the spaces as they read the words.


Talking Stick
Choose a stick on the playground and then have the children sit in a circle under a tree. Explain that you will start a story. As you pass the stick around, the child holding the stick can add to the story. Only the person holding the stick is allowed to talk. You might want to start a story about the day a space ship landed on the playground or the day animals started to talk.

Prepositions on the Move
Using playground equipment, call out various prepositions, such as on, off, over, under, by, between, to, from for the children to demonstrate.


We Can Do Opposites
Gather children around playground equipment and tell them you will call out a word. Can they demonstrate the opposite? For example, if the teacher said down, the children would climb up. If the teacher said front, the children would move to the back. Other words could be over, behind, inside, and so forth.


Verb Relays
Divide children into relay teams. The teacher names a verb and the children act out the meaning until everyone on their team has completed the movement. For example, you could have them walk, march, strut, prance, and so forth.
*It's a good way to integrate synonyms!

VERBS, VERBS, ACTION WORDS

If you can DO it, then it's a verb!

Verbs, Verbs, Action Words 

Verbs, verbs, action words
Things that you can do.
I’ll say a word, and if it’s a verb,
Show what you can do.
Run (Children run in place.)
Fly (Children pretend to fly.)
Dog (Children shout, “That’s not a verb.”)

Continue calling out verbs for the children to pantomime.


Charades
Let children take turns acting out verbs as their classmates try and guess what they are doing.


Pass the Story
Write verbs on index cards and place them in a sack. Have the class sit in a circle and begin passing the bag around. The first child chooses a word and begins the story by using that verb. The second child chooses a word and adds to the story with their word. Continue passing the bag as children add to the story using a verb from the bag.



Catch and Tell
Have children think of an action word in their head. The teacher throws a ball or beanbag to a child. That child states the verb they are thinking of and then passes the ball to another friend. Children continue passing the ball and saying verbs.

Say What?
Write simple verbs on the board. Invite children to come up and add different endings for their friends to read and then use the word in a sentence.

*Cover the end of a fly swatter with white paper. Write different endings on the paper (ing, ed, s). Children place the ending by verbs and read the new word.

READING FUN IN THE SUN

Sometimes you just have to think outside the box to make standards more fun!

Reading Tree
Choose a poetry book, storybook, and non-fiction book to read outside under a shady tree. 

Reading Buddies
Divide children into pairs and let them each choose a favorite book. Go out on the playground, find a shady spot, and enjoy sharing their books with each other.
*Encourage them to ask each other questions about the books they read.

Alphabet Walk
Write letters on a paved surface with chalk. Challenge the children to step on the letters as they name them. Can they think of something that starts with each sound.

Word Hopscotch
Draw a hopscotch grid on a paved surface. Write high frequency words in each section. Children hop on the spaces as they read the words.

Talking Stick
Choose a stick on the playground and then have the children sit in a circle under a tree. Explain that you will start a story. As you pass the stick around, the child holding the stick can add to the story. Only the person holding the stick is allowed to talk. You might want to start a story about the day a space ship landed on the playground or the day animals started to talk.

Prepositions on the Move
Using playground equipment, call out various prepositions, such as on, off, over, under, by, between, to, from for the children to demonstrate.

 We Can Do Opposites
Gather children around playground equipment and tell them you will call out a word. Can they demonstrate the opposite? For example, if the teacher said down, the children would climb up. If the teacher said front, the children would move to the back. Other words could be over, behind, inside, and so forth.

 Verb Relays
Divide children into relay teams. The teacher names a verb and the children act out the meaning until everyone on their team has completed the movement. For example, you could have them walk, march, strut, prance, and so forth.
*It's a good way to integrate synonyms!

WHAT'S A VERB?

If you can DO it, then it's a verb!

Verbs, Verbs, Action Words 
Verbs, verbs, action words
Things that you can do.
I’ll say a word, and if it’s a verb,
Show what you can do.
Run (Children run in place.)
Fly (Children pretend to fly.)
Dog (Children shout, “That’s not a verb.”)

Continue calling out verbs for the children to pantomime.


Charades
Let children take turns acting out verbs as their classmates try and guess what they are doing.


Pass the Story
Write verbs on index cards and place them in a sack. Have the class sit in a circle and begin passing the bag around. The first child chooses a word and begins the story by using that verb. The second child chooses a word and adds to the story with their word. Continue passing the bag as children add to the story using a verb from the bag.

Catch and Tell

Have children think of an action word in their head. The teacher throws a ball or beanbag to a child. That child states the verb they are thinking of and then passes the ball to another friend. Children continue passing the ball and saying verbs.

Say What?
Write simple verbs on the board. Invite children to come up and add different endings for their friends to read and then use the word in a sentence.

*Cover the end of a fly swatter with white paper. Write different endings on the paper (ing, ed, s). Children place the ending by verbs and read the new word.

WHAT'S A NOUN?

What's a Noun?(TUNE: She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain)
A noun is a person, place, or thing. Yee haw! (Fist in air.)
A noun is a person, place, or thing. Yee haw!
A noun is a person. (Point to a person.)
A noun is a place. (Point to a place in the room.)
A noun is a person, place, or thing. (Point to a place.)


Wacky Sentences
Write nouns and picture clues on 5 index cards and verbs on 5 index cards. Place them in lunch bags labeled “nouns” and “verbs.” Children choose a noun card and a verb card and write a sentence using the words.

Hint! They love to use nouns with their teacher’s name, principal, and other stars.


Noun Sort
Fold a sheet of paper into fourths. Write “people, animals, places, things” in the sections. Give children old newspapers and catalogs and ask them to cut out pictures of people, animals, places, and things and glue them in the appropriate section. Can they label their pictures?

Noun Hunt
Give children a clip board and challenge them to find all the nouns they can in the classroom. They can write the words or draw pictures.
*For homework ask them to make a list of the nouns in their home.


Noun Names
Make name cards for the students in your class from 8” sentence strips. Write each child’s name and glue their picture on the card. Use these for writing prompts in a center.

WHAT'S A VERB?

If you can DO it, then it's a verb! 

Verbs, Verbs, Action Words 
Verbs, verbs, action words
Things that you can do.
I’ll say a word, and if it’s a verb,
Show what you can do.
Run (Children run in place.)
Fly (Children pretend to fly.)
Dog (Children shout, “That’s not a verb.”)

Continue calling out verbs for the children to pantomime.


Charades
Let children take turns acting out verbs as their classmates try and guess what they are doing.


Pass the Story
Write verbs on index cards and place them in a sack. Have the class sit in a circle and begin passing the bag around. The first child chooses a word and begins the story by using that verb. The second child chooses a word and adds to the story with their word. Continue passing the bag as children add to the story using a verb from the bag.

Catch and Tell

Have children think of an action word in their head. The teacher throws a ball or beanbag to a child. That child states the verb they are thinking of and then passes the ball to another friend. Children continue passing the ball and saying verbs.


Say What?
Write simple verbs on the board. Invite children to come up and add different endings for their friends to read and then use the word in a sentence.

*Cover the end of a fly swatter with white paper. Write different endings on the paper (ing, ed, s). Children place the ending by verbs and read the new word.

VERBS, VERBS, ACTION WORDS

If you can DO it, then it's a verb!

Verbs, Verbs, Action Words 
Verbs, verbs, action words
Things that you can do.
I’ll say a word, and if it’s a verb,
Show what you can do.
Run (Children run in place.)
Fly (Children pretend to fly.)
Dog (Children shout, “That’s not a verb.”)

Continue calling out verbs for the children to pantomime.


Charades
Let children take turns acting out verbs as their classmates try and guess what they are doing.


Pass the Story
Write verbs on index cards and place them in a sack. Have the class sit in a circle and begin passing the bag around. The first child chooses a word and begins the story by using that verb. The second child chooses a word and adds to the story with their word. Continue passing the bag as children add to the story using a verb from the bag.

Catch and Tell

Have children think of an action word in their head. The teacher throws a ball or beanbag to a child. That child states the verb they are thinking of and then passes the ball to another friend. Children continue passing the ball and saying verbs.


Say What?
Write simple verbs on the board. Invite children to come up and add different endings for their friends to read and then use the word in a sentence.

*Cover the end of a fly swatter with white paper. Write different endings on the paper (ing, ed, s). Children place the ending by verbs and read the new word.

WHAT'S A VERB?

If you can DO it, then it's a verb!

Verbs, Verbs, Action Words (Kiss Your Brain CD)
Verbs, verbs, action words
Things that you can do.
I’ll say a word, and if it’s a verb,
Show what you can do.
Run (Children run in place.)
Fly (Children pretend to fly.)
Dog (Children shout, “That’s not a verb.”)

Continue calling out verbs for the children to pantomime.


Charades
Let children take turns acting out verbs as their classmates try and guess what they are doing.


Pass the Story
Write verbs on index cards and place them in a sack. Have the class sit in a circle and begin passing the bag around. The first child chooses a word and begins the story by using that verb. The second child chooses a word and adds to the story with their word. Continue passing the bag as children add to the story using a verb from the bag.



Catch and Tell

Have children think of an action word in their head. The teacher throws a ball or beanbag to a child. That child states the verb they are thinking of and then passes the ball to another friend. Children continue passing the ball and saying verbs.


Say What?
Write simple verbs on the board. Invite children to come up and add different endings for their friends to read and then use the word in a sentence.

                                    

*Cover the end of a fly swatter with white paper. Write different endings on the paper (ing, ed, s). Children place the ending by verbs and read the new word.

LITERACY OUTSIDE

After a year of screens, I hope you are all able to get outside now with your children.  We know that children need play and movement and nature more than they need worksheets now, so here are some activities where they can learn as they have FUN!

Reading Tree 


Choose a poetry book, storybook, and non-fiction book to read outside under a shady tree. Can the children identify the books? 



Reading Buddies 


Divide children into pairs and let them each choose a favorite book. Go out on the playground, find a shady spot, and enjoy sharing their books with each other. 
*Encourage them to ask each other questions about the books they read. 

A

Alphabet Walk 


Write letters on a paved surface with chalk. Challenge the children to step on the letters as they name them. Can they think of something that starts with each sound? 

      

Word Hopscotch 


Draw a hopscotch grid on a paved surface. Write high frequency words in each section. Children hop on the spaces as they read the words. 

S

Talking Stick 


Choose a stick on the playground and then have the children sit in a circle under a tree. Explain that you will start a story. As you pass the stick around, the child holding the stick can add to the story. Only the person holding the stick is allowed to talk. You might want to start a story about the day a space ship landed on the playground or the day animals started to talk. 


                                           

Prepositions on the Move 


Using playground equipment, call out various prepositions, such as on, off, over, under, by, between, to, from for the children to demonstrate. 



We Can Do Opposites 


Gather children around playground equipment and tell them you will call out a word. Can they demonstrate the opposite? For example, if the teacher said down, the children would climb up. If the teacher said front, the children would move to the back. Other words could be over, behind, inside, and so forth. 



Verb Relays 


Divide children into relay teams. The teacher names a verb and the children act out the meaning until everyone on their team has completed the movement. For example, you could have them walk, march, strut, prance, and so forth.