With school being closed and team sports being put on hold, I set out to find a way to combine them both. I created a learn and play session with my 5 year old son Aiden. Our backyard was transformed into an educational arena!

First thing we did was make our own "sports" die. I took some cardboard I had, created a die and on each side I added a team sport (we chose Baseball, Basketball, Football, Racket sport, Soccer and dad threw in a mystery selection, (muahahah!). You'll need some cardboard and tape, plus the sports balls or equipment for each sport you use on the die. 

Here's the breakdown on how each sport worked when the die landed on it:

Baseball (Distance learning): We had 4 different baseballs and Aiden gave it his all and hit each one. I then quizzed him on which ball was the furthest from the baseball tee, or which was the closest, etc (each correct guess counted as 1 point).

Basketball (Shape learning): I chose a shape and Aiden had to guess it correctly and take a shot from that shape (basket counts for 2 points and a miss is 0).

Football (Letter learning): It was time to test out that arm strength and accuracy! We spelled out Aiden's name on our fence and dad chose the letter and Aiden had to hit it (correct letter guess worth 1 point and a direct hit on the letter was worth 2 points).

Racket Sports (Color learning): Think of the color game Simon meets tennis! Dad chose a color pattern (3-4, example: blue, green, pink, blue) and Aiden had to correctly guess the pattern (1 point for being correct).

Soccer (Number learning): Dad chose the number and Aiden had to kick the ball to that cone. We kept the numbers pretty basic, but I rotated out other numbers and combine some to make larger numbers (1 point for being correct).

Mystery Selection: Anytime this was rolled it was time to get a little more active! From doing burpees, to jumping jacks to short runs, Aiden surely got some exercise in.

This can be catered to kids of all ages. Here are some ideas if your child is older and more advanced learning is required:

Shapes: Change basic shapes for more complex shapes (Heptagon, Scalene Triangle, Trapezoid, etc).

Colors: Colors can be changed to "if you combine this color and this color, what color would you get?".

Numbers: Think of more complex math problems (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division etc.).

Letters: Create sentences that introduce verbs and nouns and have them target those.

Aiden's favorite learning sport was Baseball! As a bonus, we decided to create a fun basketball trick shot video: