Swimming Pool Sound Match
When it gets hot, it’s hard to think about learning activities for the kiddos, but this Swimming Pool Sound Match game was a winner with my girls because it was fun, easy, and kept us cool! It can be done as a collaborative or solo activity. You just need foam bath letters and anything you can throw into your kids’ pool.
Lay out your objects with each beginning letter to make sure you will have matches for your littler swimmer(s) to find.
Gather the matches in a container and be sure to show your kids an example match when you explain how to play.
Dump them in and start matching!
Both girls (almost 4) also became interested in the sink or float aspect of the objects as they swam around matching and laying matches along the outside edge of the pool. I loved that it was a collaborative game with no one trying to beat the other one in matches. They won by working together and helping each other if they got stuck on finding the right letter for an object.
Please tell me that you couldn’t save your foam letters from baby bite marks, either! :)
They thought it was fun and I thought it was a little too easy for them, so we’ll do more than eight matches next time. I’ll also ask them to help gather objects from around the house for even more beginning sound practice. Making predictions about whether the objects they choose will sink or float and discussing why they think so will extend their learning even further.
Your kids can play, learn, and stay cool and I bet it won’t take you more than five minutes to prep. That sounds like a win for everyone!
Variations:
- Use a timer and see if your child can beat their own best time making all the matches.
- Practice spelling and name recognition by putting letters to spell your child’s name or family names in the pool.
- Match objects with ending sounds if beginning sounds are too easy for your child.
- Practice one to one correspondence by using foam bath numbers and objects. Example: 1 and one rubber duck, 2 and two Legos, 3 and three spoons, etc.
Like this idea? Be sure to check out our Sight Word Dive activity as well!
Amy is a former reading and third grade teacher as well as a mother to three little girls with big personalities. She believes joy can always be found in playing, learning, and ice cream.
Amy is a former reading and third grade teacher as well as a mother to three little girls with big personalities. She believes joy can always be found in playing, learning, and ice cream.
