Move Like the Animals

• When kangaroos hop, or jump, they keep their back legs together. Have your child bend his elbows and wrists the way a kangaroo holds its arms, and then try hopping. How far can he go in a single hop? In five? Measure the distance with a tape measure.
• Tell your child that a male grey kangaroo can travel about 30 feet in a single hop. Help your child mark a starting point, then measure and mark a finish line 30 feet away. How many jumps does it take for your child to cover this distance?

• A duck’s webbed feet are great for swimming, but not as good for walking on land. Have your child try walking around in swim fins.
• When ducks get scared, they move much faster by flapping their wings as they walk. The flapping helps the ducks be less anchored to the ground. Have your child flap her arms as she waddles to see if it helps her go faster.

• Many seals move by stretching forward and gripping the ground with their front flippers. Then they hunch their backs to pull the rest of their body forward before stretching again. They don’t use their hind flippers on land.
• Have your child try wriggling like a seal with her legs together and feet splayed apart. Ask your child what else she can do like a seal. Can she bark or clap like a seal?

There are a lot of ways to get from here to there. Have your child jump like a frog, crawl like a croc, slither like a snake, and pounce like a cat.