Use the characters from Mr Gumpy's Outing to make a listening game.
Key learning intentions
To maintain attention, concentrate, and sit quietly when appropriate To work as part of a group, taking turns and sharing fairly, understanding that there needs to be agreed values and codes of behaviour for groups of people
To use the everyday words to describe position
To begin to use the vocabulary involved in adding and subtracting
Resources
Two identical boats (large drawn ones laminated for durability or large model boats with a clearly defined front and back to the boat and the seats marked inside); two sets of story characters (toy animals or hand drawn - and again laminated for durability); large screen
Activity content
* Divide the children into two equal teams and give each team a boat and a set of characters.
* Place the screen between the two teams, so that they cannot see each other's boats.
* Ask the first team to choose a character and place it in the boat. They then describe this for the opposite team. For example, 'The pig is sitting on the middle seat in the boat.'
* The opposing team then place their matching character in the same position.
* It is then their turn to place an animal in the boat, describing its position for the first team to guess.
* Play continues until all the characters are in the boat.
* Remove the screen to reveal both boats.
* Compare the seating arrangements! (This game has no winners or losers.) Things to do and say
* Model the use of key vocabulary, such as on the left, second, middle, at the edge.
* Encourage the use of increasingly sophisticated clues. For example, 'The animal that squabbled is sitting on the left of the boat at the back.'
* Help the children compare the seating arrangements at the end of the game. What's the same/different?
* Ensure the resources are available so the children can play the game independently.
Stepping stones
* Children with little experience will sustain interest in the activity.
* Children with some experience will show increasing confidence, and will begin to link up with others to work as a team.
* Children with more experience will find objects from directional clues.
They will sustain involvement for a long period.
Extension ideas
* Add a different set of animals to the boat.
* Change the method of transport (using a train with carriages would give further opportunities to introduce ordinal numbers).
* Encourage the children to invent similar games, devising their own sets of rules.
