Lesson 6: Rhyming Hopscotch
Main Concept
Children will practice rhyming by incorporating physical activity through a fun game of hopscotch, where they jump and rhyme with each square.
Warm-Up Activity: Silly Stories
- Take turns making up a rhyming story
- You: “A cat with a hat sat on a mat…”
- Child: “…Then met a rat swinging a bat!”
- Set up a hopscotch grid outside using sidewalk chalk or indoors using painter's tape
- As the child hops on each square, say a word aloud (e.g., "cat"), and ask the child to jump to the next square while saying a word that rhymes with it (e.g., "hat," "bat," "mat").
- Continue with other words, mixing both familiar rhyming words and made-up silly ones (e.g., "slop," "flop," "mop").
- Make it playful by encouraging children to hop or skip, matching the rhythm of the words with their movements.
- Candy Cane Draw: Use red and white crayons to make “candy cane” strokes on festive paper.
- Fishing for Canes: Hide paper candy canes in a sensory bin. Have kids fish them out and trace the shape with fingers or crayons.
- Cane Walk: Make a large “cane” shape on the ground with tape—walk or drive toy cars along the path.
- Rhyming Dance Party: Play some music, and when it stops, call out a word. Children have to freeze and come up with a rhyme for it before the music starts again.
- Rhyming with Actions: Have children come up with an action for each rhyming word (e.g., "hop" for "top," "clap" for "map") and incorporate the actions while hopping on the squares.