Doggy! Doggy! Where’s Your Bone Game

📝 This post, Teaching Left and Right, was originally published in 2012 and has been updated with new information and resources.

Left and right — two little words that cause so much confusion for young children! And honestly, can you blame them? Even some adults still have to hold up their fingers to figure it out! 😄

Why Teach Left and Right?

But here is the thing — knowing left from right is so much more than just a fun skill to practice. It is foundational! Children use left and right awareness every single day — in reading, in writing, in math, in PE, and even just navigating their way around the classroom and school. When a child struggles with left and right, it can affect everything from following directions to learning letter formations.

The good news? Teaching left and right does not have to be complicated or boring! Young children learn best through movement, play, and repetition — and there are so many fun and engaging ways to help them master this important skill. A little practice goes a long way, and before you know it, your students will be confidently pointing left and right without even thinking about it!

One of my favorite ways to practice left and right is with games. This simple dog-themed game gets students moving left and right while having fun at the same time!

Doggy Doggy Where’s Your Bone: A Left and Right Game

In this game, players move left and right along a dog path while collecting dog bones! It is simple to prep, easy to play, and perfect for K-2 students who are just learning their left from their right!

Materials Needed

✔️Doggy! Doggy! Where’s Your Bone Game
✔️scissors
✔️beans, pennies, or cubes (optional)

Preparing the Game

✔️Print the Doggy! Doggy! Where’s Your Bone Game? templates

✔️Cut out the dogs and bones.

✔️ Cut out the game cards.

✔️Cut and assemble the path.

Purpose of the Game

🥅 The goal is to collect as many dog bones as players practice left and right. 

To Play

🦴Place a dog bone on all the spaces.

🦴Player chooses a playing piece (dog) and puts it on any one of the spaces on the path.

🦴 Players take turns picking a card from the pile, then do what the card says to do. If there is a bone in that space, the player takes it.

🦴Players continue this way until all the bones have been collected. 

🦴 The “winner” has the most bones at the end of the game.

Tips for Play

💡Add more bones to the board for longer playtime.

💡Provide a Left and Right visual aid to support players. Download our FREE Left and Right Visual Aid!

💡Have players write an ‘L’ and  ‘R’ on their hands with a washable marker while playing.

💡 Trace and cut out your child’s hands and place them nearby for reference!

I hope this simple game helps make practicing left and right fun and meaningful for your students or child!

Looking for More Left and Right Ideas?

Left and Right Practice Pages

Left and Right Game

How do you practice left and right with your kids? Share in the comments below!