Categories

This is a game of critical thinking that we do in the teaching world. I decided to introduce the game to "A" who is going into 1st grade next year. You want to take picture of something that are related, but not completely. For example you could do geometric shapes but not all triangles or animals but not all mammals. I chose to teach "A" the game with animals because I just happened to have a bunch of National Geographic animal cards that come in the Little Kids magazine (love this magazine for primary kiddos). I know they also have similar cards in the Zoobook magazines.


The way you play Categories is to have the child sort the cards into different categories of their choosing. You can tell them they can sort it by type of animal, color, where they live, whatever they want it is their choice but all the cards in that category must be related somehow. Tell them you will guess which categories they chose when they are ton. Then sit back and RESIST THE URGE to tell them what to do or direct them in any way. The point of the game is critical thinking so they need to work it out for themselves. I left the room actually. When "A" was done he called me in to guess. His first were things that live in water, near water, and completely on land. It was a tricky one. Have the child explain the categories and why they chose them (part of the critical thinking process). Next I sorted the cards and he guessed. This is a great way to model how to play. He loved it and we played many rounds of taking turns making categories. Here is some of the categories we came up with:

With shells

Birds

Baby Animals (another group was unsure of age)

Have Spots

Stripes

What continent they live on (that was me not me 6 year old)

The sky is the limit on the different categories you can make just with the animal cards alone. In a school setting we have played this game for almost every unit we teach: plants, colonial life, Native Americans, geometry, landforms, habitat and environment, rocks & minerals, etc. If you don't have cards make ones from magazine cut-outs or Google images. Kids love thinking they can stump, and better yet, teach adults-its empowering!

Happy Playing Everyone!

Sight Word Grid Game

Ahh, it has been impossible to blog lately. In fact, it has been impossible to do much of anything! I am finishing up the last task before I begin Student Teaching in January. I am so grateful to have a month off to enjoy time with my family. I normally trying to hide my homework from the boys but these last two weeks they have seen Mommy working her tail off to complete all my coursework.

I do have some Thanksgiving things in the works and will share them (hopefully before the actual holiday). Other than that we are still plugging away at those sight words. The most recent thing I did was put the sight words on a grid numbered 1-6 for the rows and A-F for the columns. (easily done in Excel). Then taking two dice (one with left normal and A-F stickers placed on the other) he rolls to figure out which word to read. It is a little funner than a worksheet, but relatively easy for me to throw together with little to no time on my hands.

Popcorn Sight Words

I found the game POP for Sight Words recommended in either the Family Fun magazine or Scholastic for Teachers. I immediately wanted it for "A". The thing is it ranges from $10-$20 and with me Student Teaching (AKA not bringing home any bacon) it wasn't in the cards. I decided to make one for myself. Cost-$1.99!!!

The one for sale by Learning Resources

 "A" got sent home his first set of 25 sight words. I typed them up with a popcorn graphic in the background. I typed each word twice (one with a capital letter for the beginning and one with a lowercase letter). I also typed 6 popcorn with the word Pop on them. I then printed it out on card stock that I had around the house. I cut them out and put them in foldable cardboard popcorn boxes that I got in a set of 4 for $1.99 at Target. The great thing is when the next set of words comes home I will add them to the already existing ones. It grows as his learning does.

My very own version

The way you play the game: Each person draws a card from the box (without looking). The say the word and add it to their pile. If you grab the word Pop you have to put your pile back in the box. The person with the biggest pile wins. This game could go on FOREVER, so we put a time limit on it. What is great is the Pop cards even out the playing field. My son actually won even though he is an emerging reader because I kept drawing the Pop. The ratio of Pop cards should be about 1:10. When you put your pile back don't include the Pop cards-set the used ones aside.

I have seen other variations of this game with apples with the Pop being Rot instead (those have a worm on them). I also think there is a version with Firecrackers or something with Pop being Bang. Look around and search what you like best, but my son is learning his sight words!

P.S. I just found an online game version of this exact same game at Fun4the Brain called Popcorn Words.

Rapido

About a month ago I went to Goodwill and got some awesome finds in the game area. Not only did I get Melissa and Doug Opposites Puzzle and Number Dominoes for $1.99 (WHAT?!) but a game called Rapido. Weird I know but I was intrigued because it is made entirely of bamboo (all except a rope that is) which makes it completely natural. I also liked that it had an international feel to it. I finally got around to playing it and all though it is simple "A" loved it and it is excellent at teaching patterns.

 You put the rope which is already in a circular shape on the floor and then put wooden balls (think marble size) in a cup with no bottom or top. Then draw a pattern card. Lift up the cup and release the balls. The object is bamboo rod contraption grab the balls on your pattern card. First one to fill the rod wins, but it must match the pattern exactly. I picked up this game for $2.99 and I tell you it was a steal!

Gives you an idea of the box. Nice tape Huh! Remember it was well loved people.

A rubberband captures the ball (don't ask me how it works)

If you can't find the game it would be fun to make pattern cards and then find some type of marker (bear, food, transportation counters, marbles, etc.) and then using a hand claw or tongs race to see who could match the card the fastest. This would be easy to replicate. Hmmm...my little wheels are turning! What a fun way to teach pre-K math skills of sequencing and patterns.

Also on a side note you can find excellent children books at Goodwill too. The most expensive books are about $2 but I have found tons for only a 25 cents.

Activity Bag #2

Well we have been doing activity bags for about three weeks and we love it. I normally keep it in the car and have used it frequently on long drives and mostly at restaurants. Once we even used it to wait in the passport line and all the other kiddos were jealous and wanted to join in. We have exhausted most items so it's time to rotate in some new fun items (mostly found at the dollar bin at Target). He wants to play with it now but he has to wait for a time when I really need it --come on parents you know when I mean!

The newest activity bag

(still kept in his green canvas bag he decorated with his name):

All the goodies in one place!

Target $1 Mickey Grab-N-Go back with coloring book, stickers, and crayons

Mickey Paint Chips: I have two of each to play memory or I thought we could use to markers and a mini boggle thing to play a made up came that involves counting forward and backwards.

$1 Target Putty: I don't know how this will go or just be a complete mess. It's about being a kid right!

Target Halloween Stamps $1 and Frankenstein Monster notepads also for $1

LeapFrog Explorerer. I hate video games but he it was xmas gift. He loves it and it has great educational games.

These are left over from the last activity bag: Little Kids mag (my fave for preschoolers) and sight word Go Fish cards.

A small wooden tractor puzzle (part of a 4 set made by Melissa and Doug)

Four See and Spell Wood Cards that have CVC words on them and the letters (also by Melissa and Doug)

Is it bad that I want to play with it too?

Games to Get You Moving!

If you are like me you have an active child. It's very tempting to try to calm the little beasts. We want them to sit still for dinners, stories, crafts, learning, etc. Sometimes it's nice to encourage the craziness! Not only is it great exercise but it let's children who are active be themselves-both of these are confidence boosters. So I propose two homemade games that you can do anywhere.

The first is game is Active ABCs. We have printable ABC exercise cards that we got from Homeschool Share when we did our Human Body Lapbook. We instantly loved the fun exercise ideas like "I is for act like an inchworm" and "Z is for run in a zig-zag". It dawned in me that they are doing no good stored away in the lapbook but should be pulled out. They would be great to bring along on road-trips! I decided to make a game by putting ABC letter stickers on Bingo Markers I had lying around. The first part of the game is having your child lay out the ABC cards in order (a little alphabetizing lesson). Then put the markers in a bag or hat. Have a person draw a letter and match it to the card. Then you have to do what the card says. Take turns until you are done. Trust me laughing will ensue and your kids love to see you doing the exercise activities almost as much as doing it themselves! This is a great way to teach exercises, ABCs, Matching, Phonics, etc. Love it!!!

U is for lie down and pretend you are riding a Unicycle.

The second game is one my son and my mom made up. This is so simple you won't believe it. Put activities on strips of paper and put in a bowl. Each person rolls one dice. Who ever has the highest (we have also played the lowest) draws a strip and does what it says.This is a great way to mix both learning and exercising together. It also teaches number recognition and telling highest and lowest.  The ideas really are endless. Some ideas:

• Find an item that is red (or any color you put)
• Pat your head and rub your tummy
• Sing ABC song
• Count backwards from 10
• 10 jumping jacks
• Dance as you sing your favorite song
• 5 sit-up
• Say a nursery rhyme, tell a joke, or say a tongue twister
• Stand on a chair
• Spin around 3x fast
• Say Pledge of Allegiance
• Find something that starts with the letter S
• Hop like a bunny

A little out of focus but you get the idea

"A" dancing with his "Disco Beads"

This is his favorite thing to add to the slips (scoot across the floor on your bum-just hope you don't grab it)

 They are both store so easily and are perfect for rainy days, activity bags, and just when you know you child needs to get some wiggles out. Trust me if you play it with them you will laugh your head off as you make fools of yourself!

Ready to grab and play!

Lego Math Two Ways

The first lego math activity is all over the blogging world so it is nothing new. You just find lego pieces and create simple addition/subtraction problems. If you put two pieces together (addition) have your child find the piece it would make. If you have one piece and take away a portion of it (subtraction) what piece would remain. I went back and forth on if the lego's  I chose should be the same color (and easy to find the matching block). I was afraid it would be too easy but I did it that way anyway. I did put the answer blocks mixed in with a handful of other blocks so he was actually looking at the pieces and not just matching colors. It was the right choice because it was just the right level of difficulty. Perhaps in the future I will have the colors all mixed up so he will have to choose more critical thinking.

The second math activity was introducing the idea of inequality: greater than, less than, and equals. My friend at Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational created a fabulous game to teach these concepts using  two things boys love: Construction Vehicles and legos. She made a game board of two dirt piles at a construction site. Then taking two handfuls and placing legos at each dirt pile a student can count the legos to see if they are greater than, less than, or equal. For the cases where the piles greater than/less than she made cards with front loaders with the scoop making the inequality signs. For when the piles were equal she made a pick-up (or dumptruck) grill be the equal sign. The way she explains it is "that the front loader always wants to pick up the heaviest load so the scoop needs to face the largest load". What a brilliant way to build a connection for boys (and girls) in regard to a difficult and easily forgettable concept. "A" loved this and in between each problem he helped on the construction of the building. We will definetly do this activity again! To get the printable for the boards and cards go to her sight above. Trust me you won't regret it-she has tons of fabulous ideas!

Guidecraft Goodies

This summer I had the awesome privilege of doing the Smart Summer Challenge created by Naturally Educational, Pink and Green Mama, and Teach Mama (3 amazing women bloggers). Each week we did an educational theme to work on avoiding the summer slide children get during summer break. At the end of the week was a Linky with a winner picked with always amazing prizes. I was the lucky winner for the water fun, week 5. The prize was $200 shopping spree at Guidecraft (an amazing store of educational toys and children's furniture)-they even paid the additional shipping. I was so excited I couldn't contain myself. I never win anything, until now that is! My experience with Guidecraft was amazing. The people knew who I was, got my order reading overnight, and shipped it the next day. They had some amazing furniture but since we are moving I chose to go with smaller toys-a total of seven in all! After much anticipation the box finally arrived today!

Absolutely Glorious!

What I chose:

3D Look and Find: Take the circle cut-outs and the have child reach in the bag and see if they can find match by feel.

The teacher in me loved these fraction cups.

This See Saw Sorter teaches balance and patterns - plus it just looks so cool

Sound Boxes: Each box has a matching box with the same rattling sound. Have child try to find match by sound

The boxes were more difficult than expect (which is a good thing). The boxes have color dots on bottom if you get stuck.

I got this for "A" in particular. The Block Mate Dinosaurs are pieces that go on wooden blocks to make fun dino toys.

The stacking rainbow pyramid is so pretty and be stacked in numerous pyramid shapes.

"B" had to get in on the block action!

This is one of my faves: Animal Train Sort and Match

"A" love finding all the new ways to make animal train scenarios

Thank you Smart Summer Challange not only for the amazing learning experience but for choosing me for the Linky. Can I just say I LOVE blogging!!!

Side Note: Since I am talking about educational toys I also wanted to mention another toy my hubby got us that I am loving. It is not from Guidecraft but Melissa and Doug-Magnetic Pattern Blocks. "A" has been playing with it quietly for hours. That is always a good sign! I wish I could find more pattern cards though.