The Shape Game

Note: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Orchard Valley Harvest. The opinions and text are all mine.

The shape game was an accidental game Max and I made up together.  I love it for 3 reasons. 1) It’s played outdoors 2) We can play it anywhere with a piece of chalk and cement 3) It’s educational!  The game started in our backyard, but is now played at the park, neighbors driveways, or anywhere with a little pad of cement. The game began because Maxwell liked for me to draw him pictures of things he could name. A few of his faves include planet, lizard, and star! Once I realized he could name star, I thought why not teach him some more shapes. So we started working on triangle and circle, and now he knows tons of shapes including hexagon. I teamed up with Orchard Valley Harvest to share how I keep myself fueled for outdoor adventures with my kids. Whether I’m teaching Maxwell shapes at the park or on my way to yoga, it’s handy to have convenient grab & go packs of healthy snacks that are delicious and energizing on hand!

The beauty of this game is that all you really need is a single peice of chalk and an excited toddler. (Snacks are always a plus!)

How to Play the Shape Game:

If your toddler already knows a shape or 2, start by drawing those on the cement and asking if he or she can stand in the shape. Then add a few more and keep playing.  I usually say, “Maxwell, Can you stand in the triangle?” and he runs to the triangle. Then we continue with more shapes and lots of high fives. Eventually this led to, “Maxwell, can you put a leaf/rock/ball in the moon?” Or “Can you stand on one foot in the heart?” Standing on one foot is a skill that does not come naturally to 2 year olds, or at least mine, ha! He’s getting so much better at the one foot game. And then one day Maxwell decided that instead of just taking himself to the square, he needed to take his whole car to the square!

That led us to putting the scooter in the heart and so one and so on. The game is ever evolving and we both make up new ways to play everyday. Oh and the game did not always look so pretty. I made this fancy version just for pictures. There are usually lizards and balloons and bugs scribbled in and around all of the shapes. Oh and it is fair to mention that the shape game only lasts for about 2-3 minutes at a time, but we might play it 6 times in an hour in between munching on healthy snacks like dark chocolate covered almonds.

Cheers to making learning fun and to healthy (easy) snacks to keep both mama and kiddos fueled for outdoor adventures this summer! Orchard Valley Harvest has a variety of grab and go sized snack packs that include Cranberry Almond Cashew Trail Mix, Dark Chocolate Almonds and Chocolate Raisin Nut Trail Mix. They are available in the produce section of Walmart, among the fruits, vegetables and other products that help promote a healthier lifestyle. I love that entire product line is non-GMO project verified, and there are sweet and savory options available.