action, action 1, 2, 3!

Owen was nutty today.

I honestly think he had enough energy this afternoon to run a marathon. Except that it was raining. Again. And he and Cora were starting to get whiny, crazy, cranky, and rough.

We were going to have a low-key, playing games kind of afternoon once Maddy returned from school, but I could tell it just wasn't going to fly.

I thought fast, grabbed some huge index cards and big red dice, and Maddy and I got to work.

• Action, Action 1, 2, 3: Really, this game was made with supplies that we had close by: large index cards, markers, and a set of huge red dice that just happened to be on Owen's bedroom floor today.
  

I said, Okay, friends, I need some help. I know of a really awesome game we can play together that will make our hearts happy and let us exercise inside today since it's rainy and muddy outside.

First, we need to think of as many actions as we can, and I'll write them on these big cards. After I write the words, you guys can draw a picture underneath that shows the action. Here's the first action I thought of--'Hop on one foot'. Who wants to draw the picture for this one?

A bunch of our Action Cards

We came up with a bunch of actions like Run in place, Swim, Dance, Roll, Clap your feet, and Wiggle. Here are the Action 1, 2, 3 Cards to download.

Maddy drew most of the pictures, but Owen and Cora illustrated a few.

After all of the pictures were drawn, Maddy slowly read the whole pile of cards to Owen and Cora. We laughed at some and talked about the difference between a somersault and a roll.

Then I said, Here's how we play this game: First you roll your choice of one or two dice, and you tell us what number you rolled. Then you flip a card and try to do that action as many times as the number.

I'll roll the dice. Let's count the number--right. Six. Now I'll flip a card. Oooooh a good one! This card says 'Clap your feet. Let's see if I can clap my feet six times.

Woot, woot! Maddy has to catch the ball five times!
Can she do it? Sure!

After my feet-clapping, Maddy wanted in. And Owen wanted in. And Cora wanted in. Woo-hoo! I got lucky with this one. . . We took turns rolling, flipping, and acting. It was fun. And it was a distraction and a little something new. And luckily, Owen rolled a '12' for Running in place and a '10' for Hopping, and everyone Swam, Danced, and Wiggled together.

It got our bodies movin' and threw in a little counting and reading practice, and that kind of learning always makes this mama happy.

Lately, I've tried to have Maddy and Owen read more written print, because kiddos do need practice reading both type and print, but downloading these Action 1, 2, 3 Cards is a time-saver, which goodness knows we all need.

I left space for tiny artists' pictures under the words. Giving little ones some ownership over their learning materials is super-important because it makes them more active participants in their education, plus they'll feel a teeny-tiny bit more invested in the activity.

Happy rainy day reading and action fun!