Position Words: The Over Under Game

Ever been stuck waiting with an impatient toddler? Try this position words game!

There is nothing worse than when the doctor’s office is running late. Or the restaurant is packed and you know the food is going to take awhile. Before you hand that cell phone over to your toddler (no judgement, we all do it) – try playing this fun position words game to pass the time.

I’m always looking for creative and simple ways to entertain my toddler during these waiting times. It makes me feel like Super Mom the longer I can hold out before handing him my cell phone. Easy, “on the fly” activities, like playing What’s Missing or I-Spy, can really help pass the time. My latest waiting room helper is a position words game we call “Over Under”.

You don’t need much to play this position words game.

Materials:
(this list contains affiliate links)

• Cup (or book or shoe or really anything…)
• Small object (in our photos, we used a car from our Melissa and Doug Parking Garage)

Here’s the low down on this game: You give a position word direction and your toddler follows it with their small object. “Put the car UNDER the cup.” “Put the car ON TOP OF the cup.” “Put the car BESIDE the cup.” I know it sounds crazy silly simple, but my toddler loves it and giggles up a storm following my directions.

Position words are used often in math. In fact, when I taught, kindergartners spent a whole unit focusing on these important words. They are also crucial to direction following – and who doesn’t want to help our toddlers learn to follow directions better?

Here’s a list of some of the phrases/words I use when playing this game:

• Next to
• In front of
• Beside
• Behind
• Under
• Over
• Below
• Above
• Around
• On
• Off
• Top
• Outside
• Inside

If you add another cup, you can add in phrases like “between” and “through”.

Even though it’s a simple game, playing Over Under really passes the time for us. My toddler and I take turns giving the directions and he thinks it’s riot telling me where to place the car. I think it’s fantastic vocabulary practice so jokes on him (wink).

Would this position words game help you pass the time?