Hello there! We are officially back from vacation! We had an incredible time in Grand Cayman…but it feels so good to be back home. I will be sure to share an entire blog post with all of the details (and loads of pictures) from our family trip…but for now, we’d like to get back to sharing some of our favorite summertime activities. I still can’t believe that it’s almost August – this summer has gone by in a flash. But there’s still plenty of time for some fun in the sun…and this Sight Word Stomp + Splash activity is absolutely perfect for a hot summer day!
Colorful water is always a hit with children. But what happens when you combine that colorful water, with the opportunity to create giant, colorful splashes? Well…putting it simply, it’s an activity that will launch you to the tippy top of the best parent list! π Kids LOVE splashing in water on hot summer days, and if the water is colorful, the fun factor increases ten-fold. But, what if you want the activity to be a hit with parents too? Well, that’s easy…just turn it into a learning activity! When you combine learning and fun, you appeal to both parents and children…and you make the learning process that much more engaging for everyone.
When teaching little ones how to read, most experts recommend starting with sight words. There are a few varying definitions, but sight words are most often known as a collection of words that are extremely common and frequently-used. They consist of approximately 100 words that reappear on almost any page of text (i.e. the, me, we, and, it, is, etc.). Children are often encouraged to learn to recognize sight words without sounding them out β mostly because a lot of sight words fail to follow our basic phonics principles, making them extremely difficult for our youngest readers to decode. When it comes down to it, sight words basically create a great foundation for children to build their vocabulary upon.
So…how can you make learning sight words more fun for everyone? With this simple Sight Word Stomp + Splash activity!
Sight Word Stomp + Splash
Supplies:
- Ziploc Bags (sandwich size)
- Black Marker
- Liquid Watercolor Paint
- Water
Instructions:
- Using a black marker, start by writing sight words on the Ziploc bags (one sight word per bag).
- Place a few drops of liquid watercolor paint into each bag…in whatever colors your heart desires.
- Fill the bags approximately 3/4 full with water. Since it has been so hot lately, we decided to use cold water…but you could always use warmer water, if desired.
- Seal the bags and place them in a bowl or container (to make it easier to transport them outside).
- Find a place outdoors with a fairly flat, hard surface (i.e. deck, patio, sidewalk, etc.). Place the colorful sight word bags on the flat surface (sight words facing up).
- Now, it’s time to stomp and splash! Have your little ones find a bag, and then ask them to read the word on the bag. You can also ask them to spell the word, and use it in a sentence. Once all of the bases are covered, it’s time to jump on top of the bag, and watch the colorful water splash everywhere.
- Repeat the process with the remaining sight word bags…until all of the bags have been stomped…and the splashing has come to an end.
- If you want your kiddos to get a bit more sight word practice in, ask them to tell you the sight words one more time, as they pick up each bag off of the ground.
This Sight Word Stomp + Splash activity was a HUGE hit with our daughter! I could have made 1,000 colorful sight word bags and it still wouldn’t have been enough. π She was completely engaged throughout the entire process…running around our patio, shouting out all of the sight words that she recognized. When she came across a couple of words that she didn’t already know, or recognize, we slowed down and worked through them together. Being able to celebrate her sight word knowledge with a celebratory splash was the icing on the cake! When you make learning fun, magical things happen!
What I love the most about this activity (aside from the fact that it is totally fun and engaging), is the fact that it is super easy to setup (and clean up)…and it’s also extremely versatile! You can use this simple learning activity in so many different ways. If your little ones have yet to reach the sight word stage…you could work on letter and/or number recognition, by simply writing a letter or number on each bag. You could even leave the bags blank and use this activity to practice color recognition. If your kiddos are working on math skills, you could write an addition or subtraction equation on each bag – if the problem is solved correctly, a celebratory stomp and splash is in order!
The possibilities are truly endless! And one thing is for certain…your little ones will be smiling from ear to ear…all while begging for this learning activity to continue. π
If you’re looking for a few more fun sight word ideas, make sure to check out our Preschool Reading – Learning Sight Words post!
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