Toy Chase

Activity Overview

Exposure to new concepts and ideas helps children with language acquisition. This activity exposes children to a combination of familiar and unfamiliar prepositional terms. Phrases like, “up here,” and “down here,” may already have meaning to an early learner, but some of the more complex phrases in this activity may be new. Having new ideas linked with old helps young learners create a context that helps them decipher the new ideas. This framing of new vocabulary, ideas, or concepts using old in a building block of early childhood education. Additionally, this activity also helps practice both fine and gross motor skills.

What You Need

• Hey, Kitty Kitty! by Brenda Ponnay

• Recycled materials and craft supplies

• A long piece of string or yarn

Steps

1. Read Hey, Kitty Kitty! by Brenda Ponnay. As you read, discuss where the kitty has to go to find the feather toy. Use the language up here, in here, over here, down here, through here, around here, in the box, and out of the box.

2. Guide your student to think about what type of toy they would chase if they were a kitty (for example: a fish, a bird, a squirrel). Make the toy using recycled materials and craft supplies. Be sure to attach a long string or piece of yarn to the end of the toy.

3. Guide your student on a toy chase around the home! As your student pretends to be a cat, pull around the cat toy using the string or yarn, and use positional language to tell your student where to go. Be sure to include the following prepositional phrases:

   1. Up here

   2. Down here

   3. In here

   4. Over here

   5. Through here

   6. Around here

   7. In the box

   8. Out of the box

Guiding Questions

• Where is the toy?

• Where does the cat need to go to get the toy?

• If you were a cat, what type of toy would you like to play with?

• What materials should we use to make your cat toy?

Extensions

• As you read the story, guide your student to find the cat toy on each page.

• Grab a flashlight and play a positional words game in the dark! Point the light up, down, and all around, and guide your student to verbally express where the light is shining.

• Play a positional words game using toys. For example, put a ball inside a box and ask your student where it is. Continue with different phrases.