Tree and Back
What you need
- a soft toy to sit by the tree
How to do it
- Stand together a short run from a tree or bench and point at it.
- Say 'to the tree and back!' and let them run there, touch it and run back to you.
- Each time, change how they go: tiptoe, giant steps, jumping, walking backwards a few steps.
- Let them choose the next way and you have a turn too.
Why it matters
A tree to touch and a grown-up to come back to turns plain running into a game with a start, a middle and an end.
What they're learning
- Running and turning
- Touching the tree and heading back means slowing, turning and setting off again.
- Following a two-part ask
- 'To the tree and back' holds two places in one instruction.
- Different ways to move
- Tiptoes, big steps and jumps all use the legs differently.
What to look for
Notice them remembering to come back without being called.
A tip
Pick a tree well away from paths, roads and water, and check the grass for anything sharp or left by dogs before they run.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: move closer to the tree and just run there and back
Harder: add a stop in the middle, like 'touch the bench, then the tree, then back'
