Game 7: 1, 2, 3… Jump!
What you need to play
- An adult and a child with plenty of energy
- A sidewalk, a quiet street, or a park
- Creativity to see obstacles where others only see cement!
Objective
Transform a walk into a jumping adventure! The child, with the adult's help, will jump over invisible (or almost invisible) obstacles like manhole covers, imaginary puddles, small holes, or suspicious stains on the ground. All with great excitement!
Rules
- The pair walks side by side, holding hands.
- The adult observes the path and chooses a fun obstacle to jump over:
- Manhole cover
- Red hydrant cover (those for fire!)
- Paint stains
- Puddles (even if it's dry!)
- Pedestrian crossings, drains, large leaves, or whatever comes to mind!
- As they approach the obstacle, the pair shouts together:
"One, two, three… JUMP!"
(Or: "Um, dois, três… PULAR!" / "Eins, zwei, drei… Spring!" / "Uno, dos, tres… ¡Salta!") - The adult holds the child by the arms and gives them a gentle pull to cross the imaginary obstacle as if they were flying.
- After landing, they can celebrate like Olympic athletes! Every jump is a victory!
Besides being a fun and movement-filled game, this activity also helps develop motor coordination, imagination, and even learning numbers in other languages. It works especially well when the child is already a bit tired — or bored — during the walk. And, let's face it: it's much lighter (for the adults' backs!) than carrying them in your arms or piggyback the whole time.