Christmas Peek-a-boo Game: A fun virtual game
Looking for a fun Christmas game to do with your toddler, preschooler or kindergarten students? Check out this Christmas slide deck to work on visual perceptual, sensory motor, communication, gross motor skills and more. The best part…this one is sent to you in a hyperlink that can be shared with students using any device, even if they are doing therapy on a smart phone.
Most little kids love the excitement of playing peek-a-boo.
As children become older this game can evolve into games like hide and seek and ghosts in the graveyard.
I still remember when my youngest started to play hide-and-seek. He would tell us to count to 10.
Then, he would go and hide. Once we reached 10 and said “Ready or not here we come!”, he would yell “I’m in the closet” and reveal his hiding place EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!
My oldest would get so upset that his little brother couldn’t get the concept of this game!
Years later, however, my two boys will still play this game for hours on end with each other and their neighborhood friends.
How does peek-a-boo help a child’s development?
Peek-a-boo and hide and seek games teach so many great skills including:
Connection (Babies get our undivided attention, eye contact and love during peek-a-boo). Get more ideas on how to boost your babies brain development and connect with your baby in this post!
Patience…waiting for the “reveal”.
Persistence and teamwork (in searching for the hidden person)
Motor Imitation (making silly faces during peek-a-boo)
Problem Solving (if playing peek a boo with a blanket over head)
Gross Motor Skills (sitting up, bringing hands to face, and later on running, jumping, etc.)
Fine Motor Skills (to grasp blanket to pull off head, closing fingers together to cover eyes)
Visual Scanning (to search the environment for the person hiding)
A virtual version of Peek-a-boo
As a pediatric Occupational Therapist that works virtually, I’m always striving to make sure that I use the screen to facilitate skills that young children need to learn but in the most hands-on way possible.
I adhere to a parent coaching model in my practice with the youngest of learners, but will use engaging activities through the screen when children are ready for additional learning opportunities to prepare for the pre-academic world.
I believe wholeheartedly that young children do NOT need screens and can learn everything through hands-on play and movement.
However, I’m also aware that many therapists and families are needing additional resources to continue their teletherapy sessions.
So, here’s a new Christmas slide deck to try with toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarten students.
This virtual game will have your children begging to play it over and over! (my 5 year old helped to create it and has asked to play it everyday since).
Christmas game: Who’s hiding behind the Christmas tree?
This Christmas game is a series of slides that will practice skills of:
Visual figure ground (being able to locate something in a busy background).
Visual closure (Being able to identify an object when only seeing a portion of it).
Visual attention (waiting for the next hidden object to appear on screen).
Language (could target “wh” questions, single words, beginning sounds, naming colors, shapes, etc.).
Gross motor skills/Motor Planning (imitate various movements using video, therapist or caregiver model).
Fine motor skills (For older students, could practice writing the first letter of each hidden object or the entire word).
How to use the Christmas slide deck
Sign up for your free copy of the game below.
Grab the link that is sent to you and bookmark it for easy access.
When it’s time for your therapy session, simply paste the link into your browser and screen share with your student.
or
Send the link to your student via email ahead of time and have them screen share with you.
Christmas Visual Perceptual Activities
There are 11 different objects hidden behind the Christmas tree.
Penguin
Reindeer
Santa
Snowman
Elf
Angel
Gingerbread Man
Candy Cane
Gingerbread house
Stocking
Snowflake
The first slide will have only a small part of the hidden object revealed.
The second slide will have half of the hidden object revealed.
The third slide will reveal the hidden object and have the printed word above.
You can grade this activity up/down by increasing or decreasing the speed in which you change from slide to slide.
You could also have older students practice writing the words to make their guesses or make it into a memory game and have them write as many as they can remember at the end of the game.
Christmas Gross Motor Skills Activities
After each hidden object is revealed, there will be a movement slide to encourage imitation and motor planning of a gross motor action with a picture or short animation demonstrating the movements.
These slides will target 11 gross motor skills including:
Waddle like a penguin
Jump like a reindeer
Dance like Santa
Roll like a snowball
Lift presents like an elf
Fly like an angel
Run fast like the gingerbread man
Candy Cane twist
Walk backward out the gingerbread door
Jump like you’re in a stocking
Fall like a snowflake
Grade each of these movements as you feel necessary to suit your child’s developmental levels.
You can also grade up/down by increasing/decreasing the amount of time the movement is performed.
Or maybe you can test your student’s memory by having them remember the movements in order and do them every time a new movement is added.
I hope you find this slide deck helpful to your practice. If you use it with your students, please let me know how it goes.
Grab your FREE Christmas game HERE!
Looking for more like this?
Parent coaching IS best practice in the field of Occupational Therapy when working with young children. But, it’s not something we were taught in school. It takes time and practice to become an effective parent coach. Read on to find out 5 of the best things you can do to start coaching your families to success today!