Learn Through Movement: Reading - I Spy Neighborhood Walk

I am thrilled to bring you some fun Learn Through Movement activities with my friend from Train Up a Child. We are sharing all kinds of activities that will help kids learn while moving and having fun. Monday, we all shared some math activities. I shared our Math Number Hunt which got the kids outside where they practiced counting and numerical order. Today's activity - I Spy Neighborhood Walk - focuses on Reading and includes free printables.

I decided it would be fun for the kids to go on an I Spy neighborhood walk. I created some free printables which you can get below. On the printables, I included sights that kids might see on a stroll around the neighborhood, and a place for them to record their post walk thoughts. There are pictures and words to help emergent readers make the connection between words and print. My 3 year old is not reading yet so the pictures were a big help to her. My 4 year old twins are readers so they used the words more than the pictures as they walked along.

I got some cheap clipboards at the Dollar Store and used them for this activity. Simply tie a pencil to a clipboard and the checklist can be completed on the walk. Before we left we talked about what a neighborhood was and what sorts of things we might see. The kids had lots of great ideas for things I hadn't even thought to put on my list. I then gave them their clipboards and asked them to read me the names of the things they would be looking for.

Get the I Spy Neighborhood Walk by clicking here.

We didn't have to go far to check our first item off the list. As soon as we stepped outside the door, my daughter spotted a car.

Then they took off down the block in search of other items on their list.

We spotted some rocks in a neighbors front yard.

There were lots of flowers, so that got checked off the list right away.

A stop sign was a little more elusive, but we finally found one. The kids were so excited, they couldn't help running.

The kids managed to find most of the items on their list with the exception of a traffic light and a bicycle. When we got back home they wrote about their favorite thing from the walk and read me what they wrote. They also created an illustration from the walk.

The neighborhood walk was a huge hit! The kids keep asking when we can do it again. I would have never thought that something as simple as taking a walk through our neighborhood could be so much fun for kids. I guess it just goes to show that even with all the technological toys that kids have access to, sometimes you just can't beat a good old fashioned walk.

For more Reading through movement activities check out:

Gross Motor Phonics Games from Train Up A Child

If you missed Learn Through Movement Math, you can find those activities here:

Gross Motor Addition Game

Add It Up

Number Hunt

Learn Through Movement is a series from Train Up a Child  and Mess For Less. Join us on Friday for Learn through Movement - Science. 

For some great Play Inspired by Nature check out these posts from The PLAY Group members Growing a Jeweled Rose and Housing a Forest.

Rain Painting

Rainy Day Puddle Play