Tuesday 21 August 2012

Walk to School Treasure Hunt



So. Ruby starts big school next month.  It's a mixture of excitement and nerves in our house.  What worries me most, are those inevitable mornings when I hear the cry "Mummy, I don't want to go to school today".  I'm sure it will happen. We sometimes have it on nursery days, and that's only twice a week!

I've come up with this idea as a distraction, and hopefully it will make the walk to school fun and exciting, and we'll avoid those awful scenes where I have to drag her screaming up the road...

This treasure hunt can be adapted to your child's age, ability and environment. Thankfully our school is very close so we only have a short walk, but I've made a selection of cards so we can have variety each day.



You can make your own, or print off mine here.  I've included a section where she can mark of the day of the week and the weather, and this will help her reading and recognition of letters and words.

Then, choose a selection of items - flora; fauna; street furniture; vehicle types etc.  Use either your own sketches, photos or clip art.  Try and include some 'static' items that you know will always be spotted on your route (ie traffic lights; a particular coloured door etc) and some 'transient' ones like a cat; a feather; a blue car etc.

Once you have printed your sheets out, laminate them so they are wipeable and will last longer.  If you don't have a laminator, most print and copy shops will be able to do this for you.

Punch holes at the bottom of each sheet and thread a ribbon through.


Then your child can wear it around their neck, hands free on the walk to school.  A regular felt tip will work well and will wipe off so you can re-use the cards.

Ruby chose her treasure hunt list from the selection this morning and had a great time spotting all the items.  There was no whinging or whining about going to nursery at all!  I need to find some kind of holder to keep these near the front door by the coats, and it will simply be a case of choosing one each morning.


How are your back to school preparations going?

Linking up with the Back To School blog hop and this linky party and Monday's Parenting Pin it Party.


Kiddycharts Blog: Parenting Tips Linky

22 comments:

  1. This is such a lovely idea - I was always excited to go to school but my little sister really struggled, I wish we had thought of this as a way to make it easier for her!

    Jem xXx

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    1. Thanks Jem. We sometimes have total meltdown, so hoping this will distract.

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  2. anything that works to get your kids to school without tantrums and stress has to be a good idea in my book.

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    1. Thank you Elaine, here's hoping she continues to enjoy it. If I keep varying them, then there's no reason why not. x

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  3. I think this might work for any walk out and about, and could just possibly help to build awareness of surroundings, particularly in children with some attention issues...

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    1. Thanks for your comment Jax. You're right of course, it could work for any trip out. x

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  4. What a lovely idea! I especially like that you can out it around your neck!

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    1. Thanks Emma, I was wondering if anyone would shout at me for putting something round her neck, but then I thought, we'll I'm hardly going to let her walk alone, I'll be with her!

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  5. You are so clever! I'm saving this for 2 years time! :)

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  6. This is such a wonderful activity - will have to do it for preschool for the inevitable I don't want to go days as well.

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  7. You are firmly in my head now as one clever lady. Great idea for a littlie.

    Thanks so much for your comment/idea regarding decoupaging my vanity case - that is such a great idea and it never crossed my mind. Thanks again!

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  8. Such a very sweet and fun idea! I bet she will love love love going to school if she gets to play this game each time. Perfect.

    Thank you for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!

    Maggy

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  9. This is such a fantastic idea, my Isabella will start at school nursery in October and although she is so excited I have a feeling the five days a week may be a bit of a stretch. It might make our journey quicker too, running to find our next item ;)

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  10. You are some kind of genius - thank you X

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  11. I can feel how much you love Ruby by doing this. ;) Most kids are afraid of the thought of going to a big school instead of just being at home. With this treasure hunt activity you organized along the path leading to her school, you helped lessen that fear. Very smart, Missie! ;) I’m sure she’ll remember this every time she goes to school. It might even excite her in the long run.

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  12. What a fabulous idea! Am definitely doing this for the boy. I love it. Thanks so much for linking to the Pin It Party. have pinned and followed :) http://pinterest.com/jbmumofone/

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  13. what a fabulous idea, im going to try this one!

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  14. What a great piece of advice - turning it into something fun, and stopping them thinking about what they are actually going to be doing - awesome - thanks so much for linking up to the Parenting Tips Linky for Starting School :-D

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