Hiking Games
For Spatial Awareness & Cognitive development
Rock Root
Rocks and roots along a hiking path can cause children to trip and fall. To help children attend to the obstacles on the ground as they are hiking, play the game-Rock Root. As you are walking along a particularly bumpy section of the trail, call out, “rock-root!”. Children and adults must quickly move their feet until one foot is on a rock and one on a root. Wait until every child has been successful and then move on. Vary the game with calls of “root, root”, “rock, rock” , “stick, stone”, “leaf, seed” or whatever else you see on the hiking path. Give the children the opportunity to be the caller as well. It is a fun way to practice spatial awareness, keep safe on a trail, and a reminder to look down at the ground at the treasures found along the hiking path.
Tic-Tac-Toe
Let childrens’ bodies get a physical break on the hiking trail by stopping and playing tic-tac-toe to exercise their minds. Simply use 4 sticks to create a tic-tac-toe board, or draw a board on the dirt trail using a stick. Then ask each child to collect 4 of the same natural materials to use as their X or O for the game. If there are no easily available natural materials, feel free to draw traditional Xs and Os in the dirt with a stick. Tic-tac-toe will allow for a fun break when hiking, while also helping children develop complex thinking (thinking ahead and of multiple things at once), coordination, spatial awareness, turn taking, rules, and concentration.
Nature Grid Game
This is a fun way to connect with nature and get some practice with spatial awareness at the same time. Make a 3x3 grid (or bigger depending on child’s age) and fill it with natural materials. You can use felt for the grid, simply draw a grid in the dirt, or make one out of sticks. Find a variety of natural items (like sticks, rocks, seeds, flowers, etc.) and place them in different sections of the grid. Have your child replicate the arrangement on their own grid. (You can choose to provide materials ahead of time for the replication or make finding the natural materials a part of the game!) This is a very telling activity- you can immediately see which children need more spatial awareness practice.
