Harry the Dirty Dog Alliteration Jumping Game

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There is no better way to learn a new concept than to have fun and play a game while learning! This simple Jump & Clap Alliteration Game teaches kids what an alliteration is and gets their minds & bodies moving at the same time!

Harry the Dirty Dog Alliteration Jumping Game, gross motor reading game to teach kids alliteration

I love combining movement with learning – it’s something that has so much research backing it up, yet I still feel like it’s really rarely done or is looked at as a “break” from “real learning.”

This alliteration jumping game is a great way to get kids’ minds and bodies moving at the same time. You can play one-on-one or as a group (I’ll give options for that below) but either way it is a fun, positive way to work on a new concept.

First, you have to start by learning what an alliteration is – “the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.”

Some examples of alliteration are:

  • Connected cables
  • Dirty dog
  • Elegant elephants
  • Fabulous, furry Fred
  • Gigantic, glowing gators
  • Hilarious, happy hippos

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We were inspired to come up with this easy, no-prep language game after reading Gene Zion’s Harry the Dirty Dog. It’s a classic story with modish, 1950s-style illustrations following Harry “a white dog with black spots who loves everything except baths” as he runs away from home and gets progressively dirtier. Harry explores the streets, parks and railroads of his city before returning home where his family doesn’t even recognize him under all that dirt!

There are so many activities you can do after reading this book – I have a few more listed at the bottom of this post. I initially planned on just playing a game of Soggy Doggy with my daughter, but I thought she could benefit from some jumping and learning!

 

How to Play the Alliteration Jumping Game

After explaining what an alliteration is and discussing a few examples (and a few examples of what alliterations are not) you’re ready to play.

You can progress through the alphabet, or write each letter on a post-it or index card.

Call out a letter. The “jumper” has to make an alliteration with that letter, jumping at the beginning of each word and then clapping once when they are done.

If you’re playing in a group, you can flip over an index card for each new player, or each person has to come up with a new alliteration for every letter. This is a cooperative game with no element of competition. Everyone gets the time and support to come up with an alliteration that works.

We had so much fun coming up with silly or absurd alliterations. We used the names of people we knew for many of our alliterations, which led to lots of giggles!

 

Pin this easy Alliteration Gross Motor Activity:

Check out these other awesome kids’ activities inspired by Harry the Dirty Dog:

Pet Store Shopping Game – Inspiration Laboratories

Harry the Dirty Dog Printable Counting Activity- JDaniel4’s Mom

Biology for Kids: Animal Observation Activity – Mama Smiles

Edible Dirty Dog Washing Sensory Play – Views from a Step Stool 

 

For more gross motor learning activities, check out our Mister Sun Yoga for Kids or our Space Yoga for Kids.

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