Time Required:
10 minutes
Tools Required:
- Big chess board
- Giant pieces: 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 8 pawns, 4 knights, queen, king
Chess Objective(s):
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate how each chess piece moves
General Objective(s):
- Improve coordination and gross motor skills
- Enhance focus
- Exercise
- Contrast straight lines to diagonal lines
Description:
The children run a huge circuit of pieces to learn the movements for the rooks, bishops, pawns, knights, queen, and king, then repeat the circuit. See diagram below. You will have to walk them through the first time. This activity is easiest with help of a second instructor.
Movements:
- Rook to rook: run straight line
- Bishop to bishop: run diagonal
- Pawns: move forward one space at a time
- Knight: run an L-shape between knights. You can use bean bags or tape to show hop-hop-left or hop-hop-right
- Queen: touch queen with arm and run in a circle around it to demonstrate that the queen can go any direction
- King: tap the king to finish the circuit, then take a step to get back in line for rook!
Description for Parents
As they move around the circuit, the children practice moving like every single chess piece!