The Colored Footprint Trail
Children wear a red sticker on one shoe and a blue one on the other, and walk along a trail of paper footprints, stepping on each one with the matching foot. It works on alternating feet and laterality with visual support.
How to play
- The teacher puts red and blue stickers on each child's shoes; the child picks which foot gets which color (2 min).
- Show the footprint trail taped to the floor: some red, some blue (1 min).
- Walk the trail stepping on each footprint with the matching foot, one child after another (4 min).
- The teacher moves a few footprints: two reds in a row mean a little hop on the same foot (3 min).
- Take the stickers off, swap them to the other shoes and walk the trail again (3 min).
- Walk the trail backward, slowly (1 min).
Rules
- Step on each footprint with the foot of its color.
- Wait until the person ahead has left two footprints free.
- If you use the other foot, go back and try again.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, footprints always alternate red-blue and are big and close together.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, add a few same-color pairs for a little hop on one foot.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, set up several crossing trails to choose from; add handprints so the matching hand touches down too.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child goes alongside the trail in a wheelchair, touching the footprints of their color with a hand.
- Visual impairment: give footprints different textures (sandpaper for red, foam for blue).
- Less coordination: an adult or classmate holds their hand and the footprints are closer together.
Learning goals
- Alternate feet following a visual pattern.
- Tell one foot from the other by color.
- Adjust step length.
Equipment for a class of 25
- laminated paper footprints: 30
- large red stickers: 25
- large blue stickers: 25
- masking tape: 1
Teacher tip
Laminate the footprints and tape the edges down so they don't slip. Set up several parallel trails to avoid long lines.
PatioLab has "The Colored Footprint Trail" and 8714 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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