Activity Name: V Freeze Tag
In “V’ is for Vacation”, Duck finds many things that are shaped like the letter V, including a “V” formed by birds flying together. In this game, you and your child can have fun making the letter “V” with your hands, legs and bodies.
Related Episode: 107 B. V is for Vacation
Age Range: 3-5
Skills: Recognizing the letter V.
Subjects: Literacy and Language Development.
Materials:
- A piece of paper with the letter “V” written on it.
- Tape.
Directions:
Note: This game is best with three or more players.
- All the players move around the room. One child has the letter V written on a piece of paper taped to her back (or taped to a toy cape or a blanket draped over her shoulders). After a little while, the child with the “V” says, “V Freeze” and all the players freeze by forming the letter “V” with their bodies.
- The child with the “V” then goes over to each player one at a time to unfreeze them by tapping their shoulders. Once children are unfrozen, they can continue moving around the room. The last person to be unfrozen becomes “it” and gets the “V”.
- In addition to saying “V freeze,” the child with the “V” can say, “group V freeze.” When she says this, everyone has to join together to create one big “V” with their bodies by lying on the ground.
Variation: Try playing this activity with other letters of the alphabet. Have players choose another letter of the alphabet. Write that letter down on a piece of paper and have the person who is “it” tape that to her back. When it is time to freeze, she can say the name of the letter and followed by “freeze” (for example, “O Freeze”, “A freeze”, etc. ) to let children know what letter they need to make when they freeze.
Take it Further:
- “V” Hide and Seek – Make a “V” out of poster board (or other sturdy material). Then take turns hiding and finding the “V” in different places in the house. You and your child can each take turns hiding and finding the “V”. If you have more than two people, one can hide the “V” and the others can find it. When someone finds the “V”, he can say “V, V, I found the V”, to help everyone become familiar with the name of the letter.
-
Going on a “V” Hunt –Cut a piece of sturdy paper or poster board into the shape of the letter “V”. Make enough “V”s so that each parent and child has one. Glue each “V” to a popsicle stick or hang the “V” on a thick, sturdy piece of yarn and wear it like a necklace. Use your “V” necklaces/popsicle sticks to remind your child what the letter V looks like on your “V” hunt. Here are some ideas of what you and your child can do on your hunt:
-
• Look for things around the house and outside that are shaped like the letter V-a tree branch, fingers in the “V” shape, a V-neck shirt, designs, etc.
-
• Look for the letter V in signs and posters in the neighborhood.
-
• Look for boxes and labels (of food, etc.) around the house with the letter V in them, such as vitamins, olives, videos, vest, etc.
-
• Look for the letter V as you read with your child.
- V Book – Draw the letter V on a piece of cardboard or sturdy paper. Trace that letter onto pieces of paper. Cut out the “V” shapes and staple them together in the upper left-hand corner. On each page, write a word that starts with the letter “V” on one branch of the “V” and a corresponding picture on the other branch. (For example, write the word “vest” on the left side of one of the pages and draw a picture of a vest on the right side of that “V”). Enjoy reading your homemade “V” book.
