Dora's Obstacle Course Soccer Game

Play Dora's Soccer Obstacle Course Game in your backyard or at a local park--it's a great game for one child or many. Just like on Dora the Explorer, kids will have to overcome two obstacles before getting to the "goal"--in this case, a soccer goal! If you don't have a soccer goal, use two old sweatshirts to mark a goal at the end of your obstacle course.

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Materials

• Map printable
• Soccer goal or 2 cones (or 2 old sweatshirts)
• Child-sized soccer ball

Directions

1. Step 1

   Set up your playing field, keeping in mind the age and ability of your child when deciding on the course size. You'll want to have two or three obstacles for your child to overcome to reach the goal. For example, a swing set can be the Swinging Vines, a rose bush can be the Prickly Forest, a tree can be the Spooky Forest, and a garden hose can be Snake Lake.

2. Step 2

   Print out the <u><a href="obstacle-soccer-map.jhtml">Map</a></u> printable and help your child draw in the obstacles you've set up. Talk together about the steps and their order. For example, say to your child, "To score a goal, we have to kick the ball around the tree, go over the sandbox, and run around the swings! Tree, sandbox, swings!"

3. Step 3

   Roll the ball to your child to begin the game. Have her dribble (move the ball with her feet) around the tree. Encourage her to dribble the ball with both her left and right foot, as this will improve her coordination. (Two- to three-year-olds will be doing great if they can just kick the ball around the obstacles.) If you're playing with more than one child, have them pass the ball back and forth to each other as they move about the field.

4. Step 4

   Move on to the second obstacle. Depending on the child's age, you may want to make this one a bit more challenging, such as kicking the ball past the obstacle (for younger kids) or kicking it over the obstacle (for older kids).

5. Step 5

   Now it's time to score! As your child approaches the final obstacle, prompt her to kick the ball through the goal. Celebrate your victory by singing the "We Did It" song!

6. Step 6

   After your child has mastered the basic structure of the game, let your imaginations run wild finding harder obstacles and fun and fancy names for them. Encourage kids to use their imaginations to choose and name the obstacles for the next game.