Games for Young Children

I wanted to share a range of games that I play with my children. I find I forget games if I haven't played them for a while, so this is a way of documenting a range of games for me to remember, as well as sharing games with others to learn and to play.  Sharing is caring!  There is a range of games that can be played at mat time, and there are also games to play outside.  Some of the mat time games are musical games, and there is a range of physical games, listening games, quiet, sit-down games and co-operative games listed here. Some I have made up to play with the children, and some I may think I have made up but have probably come from a memory of games played years before as a child (or at some point in my life); some I have learnt from other teachers whom I have had the pleasure of working with; while many are well known games. You can find other musical games and physical action songs suitable for mat time here. You can find a range of counting songs here (many of which are also physical, depending on how you decide to present them).
I have also created my own board games and dice games ideal for small groups of children. Click on the link for a range of easy to make Christmas themed games, and you can use the inspirations to adapt to any kind of theme.  When the children were into Superheroes, they helped me to make an awesome Super-hero board game.
Finally, when you want to send children off to wash their hands for lunch, click on the link for a variety of songs for transition times.

Mat Time Games

Good Morning Mr Brown

This is a listening game that my 6 year old nephew taught me.  One child is chosen to be "Mr Brown".  Mr Brown stands in a corner facing away from everybody.  One child is chosen to say "Good morning Mr Brown".  That child might try to disguise their voice.  "Mr Brown" then tries to guess who the speaker was.  The speaker then gets to be "Mr Brown".

On, Off, Over

Draw a line across the floor (I use chalk on carpet, but you could lay down a long rope) and get children to stand behind it.  The teacher calls out either 'On', 'Off', or 'Over'.

On - children jump on the line.

Off - children jump back behind the line.

Over - children jump forward, over the line.

This is good for listening to instructions.

How Many?

This is a simple listening and counting game. You need a tin or jar (I like using the baby formula tins) and some marbles (or anything to drop into the jar that will make a sound). It is a quick and easy game to play, and is an ideal game to play if you have some children ready and waiting on the mat but others are finishing tidying up etc. Children need to count quietly in their head and put their quiet hands up, to let other children concentrate and think. Drop marbles into a tin/jar, one by one. When you are done, children put up their hand to say how many marbles they counted. I don't say "Right" or "Wrong", I just simply ask "how many do you think there was?"and I ask a number of children for their answer. Then I tip the marbles out and we count together to check how many, and we compare our guesses with the final amount. Then we do it again.

Memory Game

I made up this game to help children develop their memory skills and processing information. It is really interesting to see who can do it, who struggles, who does it backwards, and who does something completely different to the instructions. This is best played with a small group of children.

You can play this game in various ways. I first started playing this game using peg boards and coloured pegs. Everyone had a peg board and a range of coloured pegs in front of them. I call out 3 colours, eg, Red, Yellow, Blue. I only say it once and do not repeat it. The idea is for children to put the right coloured pegs on the board in the right order. 

I find that children will watch each other and copy each other, so I give them a piece of felt fabric each to cover up their work so no one can copy them. Then we reveal our boards when we are all ready.

I have made blank cards with 3 segments on them, and I also use these to play other variations, such as with coloured shapes, and I might call out "red square, blue triangle, yellow circle", and children place these on their cards. I do one as well, so children can see what it was supposed to look like.

This is an intense brain game, and children can only play this for a short period of time.

I went to the Supermarket and I bought...

This is a memory and language game that encourages children to use full sentences. You may like to use pictures if you have a Shopping Game in your room when you first teach this game, to support children with thinking of items and remembering past items, especially as the shopping list gets longer and longer. I play this with children who are nearly 4, and older.

Sit in a circle. First person says "I went to the supermarket and I bought..." And they say something they might buy at a supermarket, eg. An Apple. (If you are using pictures, turn the pictures face down. Child picks up a picture when it is his turn, and uses this as their item. They keep the picture).
The person next to them has to then say something that they would buy, (eg. Chocolate) and adds on the first person's item: "I went to the supermarket and I bought Chocolate and an apple."
The next person adds on their item, eg. "I went to the supermarket and I bought milk, chocolate, and an apple".
Play continues around the circle, with children adding on a new item and trying to remember everyone else's.

You can adapt this game according to your children's interest:
Animals - "I went to the zoo and I saw ..." OR "I went on Safari and I saw..." OR "I went to the farm and I saw..."
Transport/Countries - "I am going to Fiji and I'm going to take..." (Items you might take on holiday such as sunglasses, shorts, towel, sunblock, etc)

Statue Game

This is a simple movement game I made up to help get the wriggles out of children and allow them to move, especially if they have been sitting for some time.
Call out a variety of movements, eg
Jump, jump, jump,
Hop, hop, hop,
Turn, turn, turn,
Shake, shake, shake,
Ballerina - Freeze! (Children have to freeze like a ballerina).
Repeat by calling out more movements then freeze like a ...
Other ideas for statues: Giraffe; Elephant; Palm Tree; Banana; Mouse; Tiger; Lion; Monkey; Gorilla; Rainbow; Spider-Man: Superman; Batman; Ninja Turtle; Octopus; Teacher; Big Bad Wolf; Fireman; Policeman; Baby; Spider; Chair; Teapot; Clock. The children will have lots of fun ideas too.

Destination Game

Choose 4 destinations. You might choose NZ cities, or countries that represent where your children are from, eg. China, Australia, Fiji, South Africa. I print off pictures that represent each country to give children an easy visual reference. Put each picture on a different wall. Call out a destination, eg. "Fiji", and children have to run to that destination. Once this becomes easy, you might give out clues instead, such as "Where do pandas live?", or "Where is the Sydney Opera House?".

There is a version of this game that eliminates players. I tend not to play elimination games as I want children to get the full benefits of playing games, and I find that children who are eliminated, get bored and fidgety and can require behaviour management, and I don't think that sitting down and waiting is teaching them anything positive.
But if you do want to eliminate players (you could use this as a way of sending children to wash their hands before mealtimes), have one person in the middle, with their eyes shut or blindfolded. Children go to a destination of their choosing. The person in the middle calls out a destination, and everyone standing at that destination is out and they can go wash their hands. The remaining children run to another destination (or stay where they are if they wish), and the person in the middle calls out another destination. All children at that destination are now out and can go wash their hands. Repeat until everyone or nearly everyone is out.

You can adapt this game to a Space theme and have planets up on the wall for children to run to, if your children are interested in Space.

Going on a Bear Hunt

I made up this game when the children were showing lots of interest in the book 'We're going on a bear hunt'. I have also got a NZ version of this book, called 'We're going on a Moa Hunt'. I printed off a picture of a bear and a moa, and laminated them. The children face a wall and count to 30 while I hide the bear (or moa, depending on which game the children choose). Then they go off and look for the bear. The first child to find it then hides it while everyone else counts to 30. 

My Lovely Lycra / Ball bounce game

You will need a large piece of stretchy fabric and a ball for this game. Children stand in a circle and all take hold of the fabric.
This song helps to guide and direct children's movements: (Tune - The wheels on the bus)
My lovely Lycra goes up and down.        (raise the Lycra up high and down low)
Up and down
Up and down
My lovely Lycra goes up and down
Up and down

My lovely Lycra goes in and out.      (Walk in towards the middle of the circle and back out again)
In and out
In and out
My lovely Lycra goes in and out
In and out

My lovely Lycra goes side to side.    (move arms from one side to the other)
Side to side
Side to side
My lovely Lycra goes side to side
Side to side

My lovely Lycra goes wobble wobble wobble
Wobble wobble wobble
Wobble wobble wobble
My lovely Lycra goes wobble wobble wobble
Wobble wobble wobble

Add other movements to make up more verses, such as Shake, shake, shake; slow, slow, slow; round and round (walk around in a circle)

Put a ball into the fabric and move the fabric up and down to bounce the ball. Try not to let the ball roll off. You could try this with balloons, lots of little balls, or 1 or more bigger balls.

Number Swat

You will need two fly swats, and numbers along the wall.  Two children have a turn at a time, while the other children sit on the mat (you might like to separate the children into two teams). Mark out a starting line for children to stand behind (or you might use a small mat for children to stand on). Call out a number. The two children race each other to the wall and try to hit the correct number with the fly swat. They run back to their starting point, and then it's two other children's turn. For children who are really good with number identification, you could challenge them by saying "The number after...", or "The number before..." Or "The number in between...".
You can do this game with anything... Shapes, colours, letters of the alphabet, animals, forms of transport, etc.
Children love using the fly swat to hit the numbers (or whatever you are using) with.
You could slow children down by putting a large stretchy hair-band around their ankles  - helps develop strength in their legs; or put children in two teams of two and they do a three legged race to the wall (use the stretchy hairbands to connect the two children's legs together).

Give Us A Clue

You can use anything for this game - a box of simple pictures, a basket of items such as a pencil, food from the family corner, toy animals, trucks, etc. If your children have a particular interest, you might like to use relevant pictures, such as African animals if children are interested in animals, or a variety of vehicles if children are into transport.
I give out clues - eg, it has 4 wheels; it has a siren; it drives on the road; it helps in an emergency; it takes people to hospital - yes, it is an ambulance!
Children need to use quiet hands (not shouting out) to give other children a chance to think.

Who Is Hiding?

This is similar to the musical freeze game. Children dance around to music. When the music stops, children drop to the floor and curl up into a 'Turtle'. Cover one child with a blanket. You might like to sing "Who is hiding? Who is hiding? Who can it be? Who can it be? I wonder who it is, I wonder who it is, who can it be?" (Tune - Frere Jacques). Children get up and try to guess who is under the blanket.

Kim's Game (Memory Game)

Choose a variety of objects, eg scissors, pencil, a toy tiger, a toy car, a cup, pretend food from the family corner, etc. Lay them out on the floor and get the children to say what they are. Then cover them up. Get children to remember as many as they can. I write down their answers so we can see what has been mentioned.  Take one item away and uncover the objects - which one is missing? Repeat with a different item missing.

I Spy

I play this game to encourage creative thinking.  I might say "I spy... something with four sides - GO!" and children go off and look for something with 4 sides and bring it back to the mat. It is good to compare and see all the different things that have been found with 4 sides (and yes, there will always be someone holding up a round plate!).

Some things you might say:

"I Spy... something green"

"I Spy... something round"

"I Spy... something long"

"I Spy... something made from trees"

Guess Who?

Children sit down in on the mat (in a circle is best). One child is put in the middle, blindfolded, and they find a child and sit down on their lap.  Second child says "Oink! Oink!" Blindfolded child has to guess who they are sitting on.

Traffic Light Game

This is a movement game that requires listening.
Green Light = you can move freely around the room
Orange Light = you have to do the movement on the spot
Red Light = Freeze.
Decide on a movement, and call out the colour Traffic Light, eg "Green Light, stomping".
I generally choose the first movement and get the children to offer suggestions for other movement ideas - eg walking, hopping, jumping, marching, skipping, rolling, swinging arms, star jumps, crawling, creeping, stamping, tip toe, ballet, galloping, criss-cross.

Circle Games

Fruit Salad

Everyone sits on a chair in a circle, facing inwards.  Children are allocated a fruit/number/item (you might choose to have 3-4 different items, depending on the number of children). The teacher calls out a fruit/number/item, and all those children jump up and switch places.  You can increase the intensity by calling out 2 items at the same time, or by yelling out "Fruit Bowl!" in which everyone jumps up and has to switch places.

You could take one chair away, which leaves one person out, who I then make the caller.  However, I have noticed that children want to be the caller, and they will stand in the middle and refuse to sit down because they want to be the last, so I have stopped doing this.

This game is easy to adapt for Christmas - I allocate children to be either Santa, Elf, or Reindeer, and if I call out "Christmas Eve", everyone jumps up and switches.

Another variation I do to help support alphabet recognition, is using children's names, and I call out 3 letters of the alphabet.  If a child has one of those letters in their name, they have to run and switch places. To help support children with this, I give them their name in writing, so they can see the letters in their name.

Beanbag Rush

I made this game up one afternoon when energy in the class felt low and I wanted to get everyone moving (This is one of the games I think I have made up but I probably knew it from years ago).  Everyone stands in a circle.  Allocate numbers 1,2,3 to children.  Put some beanbags in the middle of the circle. Call out a number (eg. 1).  All the number 1's run into the middle and try to get a beanbag.  Some will get a beanbag, some might miss out.  Chuck the beanbags back into the middle and call out another number (or the same number, just to be tricky and see who is listening!). It is awesome when a child who has previously missed out on getting a beanbag, manages to get a beanbag! They feel very pleased with themselves when they get it.

Variations: If you have beanbags with the letters of the alphabet on them, you could put them in the middle and call out a letter.  If a child's name starts with that letter, they rush in and try to get that beanbag.  If you don't have beanbags with letters on, you could probably use cards with letters of the alphabet written on them instead.

If you have different coloured beanbags, you could call out a colour and all children wearing that colour could run in and try to get that colour beanbag. (Coloured balls would work as well).

Poison Alphabet

I don't know how this game got it's name, but children really enjoy it. Children line up along a line.  The caller calls out a letter of the alphabet.  If a child has that letter in their name, they take a step forward.  If that letter occurs twice in their name, they take 2 steps (and if it occurs 3 times, they take 3 steps).  The first to reach the other end of the room wins.

Cat and Mouse

This is a game I learnt at school in England.  One child is chosen to be Mouse, another child is chosen to be Cat.   The rest of the children stand in a circle, making sure there is space between each child for someone to pass through.  Children hold hands and lift their arms, making arches.

The Cat has to try to catch the Mouse. The cat and mouse chase each other around the outside of the circle.  The mouse is allowed to go through the arches in the circle, but the cat is not.  If the cat tries to get through the arch, the children bring their hands down to stop him. Cat has to use speed and cunning (switching directions) to try and get the mouse.

Little Johnny All Alone

Children sit in a circle. One person is in the middle.

Everyone sings, "Little Johnny (use child's name) sitting all alone, he's crying, crying, because he's on his own.  Stand up Johnny, wipe your tears away, point to the one you love the most and then dance away".

Johnny points to a child, who then gets up and joins Johnny in the circle. They dance around in the middle while everyone sings, "La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la la, la, la".

Johnny then joins the circle while the next person sits down in the middle.

Get The Keys to the Castle

This is a quiet game that develops listening and body control.

Everyone sits in a large circle.  The Taniwha (or Dragon) sits in the middle, either blindfolded or crouching down on hands and knees, with eyes closed.  The taniwha is guarding a set of keys (I use my car-keys) which are on the floor next to him.
One child is chosen to get the keys.  The child has to creep as quietly as possible to get to the keys without being heard.  The Taniwha has to listen carefully and point to the direction he thinks the sound is coming from.  If the Taniwha points at the child, the child has been turned to stone and the game starts over with a new child trying to steal the keys.  If the child manages to get to the keys without the Taniwha pointing at him, he then becomes the Taniwha and the game starts over.

Charlie Over The Ocean

This is a musical game, similar to Duck, Duck, Goose.  Everyone stands in a circle.  Make sure there is space around the outside for running.  One person is Charlie, who skips around the outside of the circle as they sing.  This is an echo song, so Charlie sings the first line and everyone else repeats.
"Charlie over the ocean (Charlie over the ocean)
Charlie over the sea (Charlie over the sea)
Charlie caught a big fish (Charlie caught a big fish)
You can't catch me!" (You can't catch me!)"
At this point, Charlie stops, tags the person he is standing behind, and runs off around the circle to try to get back to the child's spot without being caught.  The person tagged has to chase Charlie around the circle and try to catch him.

Who Stole The Cookie From The Cookie Jar

Everyone sits in a circle.  This is a rhythmic clapping game. Clap hands and then pat knees in time with the words.
Everyone: "Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?"
First caller: "David stole the cookie from the cookie jar!"
David: "Who, me?"
Everyone: "Yes, you!"
David: "Couldn't have been!"
Everyone: "Then who?"
David: "Jane stole the cookie from the cookie jar"
Each person chooses a new person who they accuse of stealing the cookie.

 

Marbles

I love playing this game at the end of the day.  Children sit in a large circle, spread out.  I give them 3 marbles each. Put one marble in the middle.  Children take turns to go round the circle and roll their marble into the middle to try to hit another marble.  If they hit a marble, they get both their marble and the marble they hit, back.  If they hit 2 marbles, they get their own marble and the 2 that they hit.

 

If children run out of marbles, they sit and wait and can't go.  If a child rolls their marble and it isn't their turn, then they have just lost that marble and they will run out of marbles quicker than the rest.  We keep going until it has gone on long enough, and then we count out our marbles, see who has the most/same/least, put them all in the middle, and get 3 each again. 

Marbles is great for developing eye-tracking (which is needed for reading), learning about control and force, as wells as turn-taking, patience, and counting.

The Hoppy Birds

I learnt this game at the Rudolf Steiner school in Tauranga, when I was on placement there. I have played this with 3 1/2 year olds up to 6 year olds, and they love it.  Children will need to take their shoes off to play.

Set-up: Children stand in a large circle (try and make it as large as possible).  Give each children a small mat or something for their 'nest'.  On a mat in the middle of the circle, put a pile of marbles.

The children are a special type of bird called a 'Hoppy Bird'. These birds can only hop on one leg. A wicked witch has stolen all of the hoppy birds eggs, and the hoppy birds have to try and get them back while the witch has gone out.  The hoppy birds have to hop on one leg, from their nest to the witches nest in the middle of the room, pick up an 'egg' (marble) with their toes, and hop back to their nest where they put it down in their nest.  Then they hop back and do it all again.
Children can only take 1 marble at a time.
If lots of children want to play, you could give them partners for easier management of the game. One partner at a time only is allowed to go and get a marble while the other guards the nest.  When the first partner has come back to the nest, the other one can go and get a marble.  I police this by picking up all the marbles of unguarded nests and putting them back into the middle.
When all the marbles have gone, children count how many marbles they have got.

Roll The Ball

You will need a ball to play this game - preferably a big one or at least football sized. Children sit in a circle. Start by calling out a name of a child and rolling the ball to them. They then call someone else's name and roll the ball to them. Continue calling names and rolling the ball to each other.

Musical Balls

You will need 2-3-4 balls (or beanbags), depending on how many children are in the circle. Children sit in a large circle.  While the music is playing, children pass the balls around to their neighbours in a circle. When the music stops, the children holding the balls must run and swap places with each other.

Other games that we play (which are so well known that I don't need to describe them) are:
Musical Chairs
Musical statues
Duck duck goose
Doggy doggy where's your bone

Small Group Games

Card Games

The children in my class have become very interested in playing card games. They are great for number recognition, sequencing, and ordination.  Below are a few of the games that we have been enjoying.

War

There is a card game called War (I call it Knights and Dragons), which the children love.  I have got a pack of cards with pictures of knights and dragons on but you can use a normal deck of playing cards and take out the picture cards.

This game is really only for 2 people, but you can play with more - it just then makes the game longer,

Deal out the pack of cards between players.  

Keep the cards face down in front of you.

On "1,2,3,Go!", players turn over one card.

The person with the highest number wins and takes both cards.

If the cards are the same number, then 'War' begins:  

Players turn over another card and place on top of the one already turned over.  Whoever has the highest number wins all the cards.
Players keep turning over cards until someone has a higher card than their opponent. The player with the highest number wins all the cards.

Sevens

We used to play this game as a family, around the table on Sunday evenings.  It is a great game for reinforcing before/after numbers.  

Deal out 7 cards to each player.

The remainder of the cards is put on the table as the 'pick-up pack'.

Players check their cards. Anyone who has a number 7 can put it down on the table, face up.

Players are to put down subsequent numbered cards to make a suit from Ace to King. Depending on the ages of the players, you might set rules such as red-black-red-black. 

If a player can't go, they pick up.  

First person to finish their cards, wins.  

Memory

Lay out the whole pack of cards (you can include jokers too, as long as you have both of them) face down over the table or floor.  Players take turns turning over two cards at a time.  If the cards match, the player keeps the pair and has another turn.  If the cards do not match, turn the cards back over face down and the next player has a turn.  The player with the most matching pairs wins.

Outside Games

Jack Frost (or Frozen)

I made up this game of tag in winter last year.  We had Jack Frost and the Sun, but you could adapt this and use Elsa and the Sun.  I made a blue crown and a yellow crown out of felt - Jack Frost wore the pale blue crown, and the Sun wore the yellow crown.

How to play:

Number of players: 5+ (the more, the better!)

Jack Frost runs around and tries to tag players and says "Freeze!" when he gets someone.

When tagged, a player turns to a frozen statue, with arms outstretched.

The sun runs around and untags players, saying "Defrosted!"

The defrosted player is then able to run around again.

This game allowed me to include a child with Cerebral Palsy, as he was the Sun - it did not matter that he could not run, because he didn't have to chase anyone. He could walk at his own pace to the frozen statues. It was a really lovely way of including children with a disability and allowing them to be an important part of the game.

Ninja Tag

This has to be one of my most brilliant ideas ever - SILENT tag! LMAO!!!  I came up with this idea during our Superheroes theme and the children were playing tag outside while the young children were trying to sleep. After numerous reminders of using quiet voices, I suggested being Ninjas, and ninjas are SILENT - they don't make any noise!  So this game is just like Tag, but silent!

The only problem is identifying who the tagger is - so you might like to give them a balaclava or a black beanie to wear, which gets given to whoever is the tagger.

Steal The Giant's Treasure

Number of people: 4+

How to play:

One person is the Giant, and stands with his back to everyone else (usually by a wall).

The giant has a beanbag (or whatever) on the ground behind him, as his treasure.

The starting line is marked where the children wait before starting.  Then they creep up to where the Giant is.

The Giant can turn around whenever he wants to.

When the Giant turns around, everyone has to freeze completely still.  If the Giant spots someone moving, he calls their name and they go back to the beginning.

The first person to get the beanbag becomes the next Giant.

I have adapted this many times to fit our current interest - it could be a Dragons Treasure, Dinosaur Egg, Super-heroes on their way to save the day (the baddie is the one who stands with his back to everyone), Tuatara and the flies, etc etc.

Click on the link for more of my teaching resources

Preparing children for school - skills and competencies

I strongly believe that children learn best through play. This belief has been developed and strengthened by reading, researching, and working with children. Children's work is their play. It is through child-led, creative play that they learn best. So what is the teacher's role in this and how do I encourage children to engage in other activities and learn skills they will need for school, if play is how they learn?

This blog post is not research based, and I am not going to refer to experts or other people. All views expressed are my own opinions and beliefs and are based on what I have found through my experience with working with young children. So here goes...

Children learn through repetition. They develop skills through practice. I learn songs by listening and singing them, over and over. I learn the ukulele by practising regularly. My drawing ability increases dramatically if I do it every day. Children are the same, all around the world. We all learn by watching, listening, doing. And doing, over and over and over. The trick is to engage children's interest by teaching the same thing in different ways.

For example - counting. Counting can be learnt through counting songs, and playing games. I share some of the games I play with the children here. There are many games and activities that support learning to count, such as Hide & Seek, What's  the time Mr Wolf, playing Card Games (eg Last Card or Snap), dice games, board games (eg Snakes & Ladders or Ludo) target practice by throwing beanbags at numbers drawn on the fence, counting how many people are at your table and counting out the right number of plates, bowls and spoons for your table, counting how many cups of flour goes into the playdough, how many shells have you put on your sandcastle, or counting to 30 as you wait for your turn.

So... If children learn through play, and the children are avid about trains at the moment, how do I get them to practise the skills they will need for school?
I try to find as many ways as possible to link in activities that relate to children's interests but that also help to reinforce and develop skills that they need. So if children are interested in trains or aeroplanes... I teach them to make tickets using a ruler, pencil, and scissors. I find I might set out to teach one child to make tickets, but I end up with a table full of children wanting to make tickets, and they need to wait for a ruler or for me to help them and show them how to do it. Or they can watch another child and learn from each other. They might make signs such as Train Station, or Departure Lounge, or Baggage Check In (I will do the lettering and they colour in the letters). We watched "Alphabet Train" on YouTube, and children then asked to make our own Alphabet Train. I made an alphabet train where you could lift the flap, so children can lift the flap to find a picture of something that starts with each letter of the alphabet. The children were the ones who came up with the suggestions for each letter, and they coloured them in, as well as the train and the 26 carriages.

We created an airport role play, where children went to the travel agent, chose their destination, and the travel agent (another child) created a ticket for them. They then went to the check in desk, where they put their bags through the X-Ray machine, got their tickets stamped, boarding passes issued, went through security before boarding the plane. They then read books or magazines while they waited for the pilot to prepare for take off. Weeks later, children are still making their own baggage check-ins in the block corner, as well as using the blocks to build elaborate gas stations, airports, and garages to hold their monster trucks that they bring in for Show & Tell. All this develops language, communication skills, sharing, fine motor skills, name recognition, book skills (turning the page, holding it the right way up), patience, resilience (what happens if it falls down?), self control, co-operation, problem solving, negotiating, listening to each other, maths (balance, symmetry, length, weight, shapes) not to mention the enjoyment, fun and wellbeing that they experience through play.

In the sandpit, children are digging tunnels, flattening roads, building bridges, filling up channels with water and sailing paper boats, as well as flying paper planes. Sandpit work helps develop children's strength and big muscles, as well as teamwork, language, relationships, and a sense of achievement with what they accomplish. Also a sense of wonder, dismay and disbelief as their paper boat disintegrates in the water.

Board games are easy to create according to children's interest. You could create a boardgame that involves cars, trains, planes or trucks (or one of each!) You can find some ideas for creating some  simple dice and counter boardgames here.  I created a variety of Christmas themed boardgames that can be easily adapted to whatever your children are interested in.  I made an interactive Super-hero boardgame with the children which is lots of fun to play.  The children also helped to make a Dinosaur Board Game.  Board games are great for learning to take turns, share, wait, developing patience, counting, and following rules.  Older children will be able to help create boardgames too, and often have some brilliant ideas. Some other transport-related ideas to encourage numeracy and literacy (again, which can be easily adapted to suit different interests) can be found here.


When the children showed an interest in doctor play last year, we set up a waiting room, chemist, and doctors office. Children sat in the waiting room reading magazines; the receptionist wrote down the names of the children who were waiting (this particular child then sat down with our Attendance Register, and copied out the name of every single child in the room - this was her idea and something she requested to do); the doctors saw the patients, fixed their broken arms and wrote out prescriptions: then the 'ladies' in the pharmacy sold the medicine (wooden blocks) to the patients. I told one of our Dads, who was a doctor, about their play, and the next day he came in with a real stethoscope for the children to use, bandages, gowns, hats, gloves... We created an emergency room with large cardboard dividers and a couple of beds, an old computer, and a waiting room with more magazines and books. This doctor play went on for nearly 2 months! I found some non-fiction books on our bodies at local op shops, and children sat down wanting to listen to entire books! The children would then pore over the books themselves, talking about the pictures, drawing upon their own knowledge of the human body, and asking questions and for clarification where necessary. Teachers drew around children's bodies, and children drew in their own organs, and teachers recorded what the children said about their body. They made X-ray art by drawing around their hand and gluing cotton buds down as the bones. This play helped develop fine motor skills, thinking, problem solving, talking, communication, writing, book confidence, co-operation, pencil grip, an understanding of how to look after themselves, and a growing understanding of how their body works.  We learnt how to brush our teeth, and there was a big focus on washing our hands and flushing the toilet, which was carried through to children's homes, where children would lecture their parents and siblings about washing hands! We also discussed healthy foods/unhealthy foods, and the benefits of fruit and what the different vitamins and minerals were good for.  I googled this on my iPad, thereby using technology with the children, as well as role modelling that it is ok not to know the answers, and how we can find out what we want to know.

Alongside these interest-related activities, we also have other things and routines in our room that form part of our preparation to school programme:
Name recognition - each bag hook has a child's name beside it; children also find their names on the wall where it says "I am not here" and put their name where it says "I am here".  Children also often use these names to copy when writing their name on their artwork.  I encourage children to write their own name on their art as much as possible.  We also have a Sign In sheet for children - this is optional, and not every child will do it, but children who want to have a go, or are confident at writing their name, are encouraged to do so.  If a child is reluctant because they think they can't do it, I encourage them to trace their name on the light table.

Show and Tell. This happens every day, and each child has a day where they can bring something to school and talk about it.  I encourage them to describe their item, and to say at least three things about it.  They then ask "Any questions?" and they choose someone with their hand up.  They get three questions. It is amazing to see the confidence that children display over time.  Children with English as a second language go from saying "This is my toy. Any questions?" when they first begin to do Show & Tell, to speaking for nearly 5 minutes, describing every little thing about their item!

Mat Time.  We have three mat times a day. The first mat time is Show & Tell time, as well as music and movement to get the brain and body moving and waking up, to prepare us for the day. Click on the clink for some fun movement songs that my kids enjoy as well as a range of counting songs that we do at mat time.
The 2nd mat time is just before lunch, and is story based.  I share some felt storyboards for telling stories that I have made. You can learn about making story-telling stones here, which are an interactive way of telling stories with children.
The 3rd mat time is just before afternoon tea, and is usually a game and a story or a couple of songs. Click on the link for some games we like to play at mat time.

This is just a little bit of what we do and how I encourage children to develop skills they need for school through using their interests.  I welcome your thoughts. 


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Pom poms

I saw a post on FB about making pompoms using a fork.  So I thought I would try it.  Usually I make pompoms using 2 circles of card with a hole cut out the middle, and it can be quite tricky for kids to get the knack of it.  It also takes a bit of time to get right around the whole circle.  I found the fork technique fantastic for making little pompoms, it was quick and simple and easy to tie them off. 

These pompoms are great for using up scraps and leftover bits of wool. 

You will need:
a fork
wool
scissors

 Wrap the wool around the fork.

 The more you wrap it, the bigger the pompom.

 Cut a piece of wool to tie it off with.  Poke through the middle rung of the fork and tie securely around the ball of wool.

 Slide off the fork.

 Snip through the loops of wool.

 The finished pom-pom.

A variety of pom-poms in different colours.  You can wrap two or more colours together at the same time, to create a multi-coloured pom-pom.

Paper Flowers

Yesterday, on one of my rare visits to the shops (I much prefer browsing second hand and charity shops than going to malls or large stores, but I wanted to get my nieces and nephew something for Easter), I found the We R Memory Keeper Flower Punch Board on special for $25 at The Warehouse, reduced from $40.  I find it hard to go past a craft bargain, and I love paper flowers, and anything that helps to make the process less fiddly and time consuming has got to be good.  So I bought it and took it home and I have been making paper flowers ever since!

I thought I would share how easy it is to make them using the punch.  As with all crafts, however, it does take time, so do make sure you have a bit of time to spend making them.

The punch comes with instructions, a paper creaser, and a tool for rolling around the petals, to create a curve.

The board states the measurements (both in inches and cm) for the different sizes of flowers.  Cut your paper into strips according to the size you want to make.  A paper cutter is helpful for this, otherwise use a craft knife, mat and ruler.  I cut several sheets of paper at a time, and used both 80gsm paper and 120gsm paper.

 Place your paper vertically and line up along the 'Start' line.  Push the punch down (this creates the petal shape) and use the paper creaser to crease the paper along the indented lines.  Move your paper down to line up your horizontal crease next to the line marked on the board (this will make more sense when you use it).  Push the punch down to create the next petal, and repeat until you have created 8 petals (the larger sizes use two strips of paper, so you will create 4 petals at a time). 

This is what it should like one you have completed one strip.  I do 3 strips at a time.  I think 4 strips might be a bit too much for the punch to cope with easily, but 1-3 strips works well. 

Once you have completed a strip, accordion fold along the creased lines (fold back and forth along the lines).  Again, I did this 3 strips at a time.

 Continue folding back and forth until you have completed the strip.  It will start to form a circle.

 The folded strips of paper.  You can see that one side has the pleats showing - this will be the back of the flower.

 Put a dab of glue on the end tab and stick down on the last petal.  .

The completed flower.

A variety of flowers, in different sizes and colours.

 Layer the flowers on one another. I have made a variety - some are 3 layers, some are 4 layers, and some are 2 layers.  I layered a large flower with an extra small flower.

 When you are happy with the arrangement, put a dab of glue in the middle of each flower and press the next layer into it.  I found it easiest to go from the bottom up. 

 You can cut off a petal (or 2 or 3) to make the flowers more 3D.  These flowers above have 7 petals instead of 8.

 Cut out a small circle (doesn't have to be a perfect circle) to stick in the middle.

 I cut out a larger circle to cover the backs of the flowers.

 Snip into the middle of the circle (especially when covering flowers with 7 petals or less) to give a neater finish.

 Put glue onto the circle and stick down, covering the folded pleats.

 The backs of the flowers.

You don't have to layer the flowers.  I created daisies by using the extra small size, and placing a circle of yellow in the middle.  I used metallic paper for these daisies.

You could use pages from old books to create a vintage or shabby chic look.  Experiment with printed paper, coloured paper, different weights, etc.

I haven't made stems or leaves yet.  The instructions detail how to create leaves using the punch.

Some ideas for using paper flowers: 

birthday decorations

party decorations

card making

attach a flower onto a present

string flowers together to create bunting

make posies

baby shower decorations

table decorations

Mothers Day

decorating Easter bonnets

Spring crafts

string up and attach to a coat hanger or a stick, to create a mobile.

Felt Story Boards

 The story of Ranginui and Papatuanuku.  I created this in felt, to help tell the Maori creation story. Details were drawn on felt using fine black Sharpie pens.  Do not use a Superfine nib - it catches on the felt.  Acrylic felt is best to use - aside from being half the price of wool felt, I find that wool felt is more likely to pull and become fluffy.

 The brothers trying to push Ranginui and Papatuanuku apart... Tangaroa (God of the Sea); Rongomatane (God of cultivated food); Tumatauenga (God of War) and Tawhiri Matea (God of wind).

 Tane Mahuta lay on his back and pushed Ranginui up into the sky.

 The brothers turned Papatuanuku over so she couldn't look up at Ranginui; Ranginui's tears formed the rivers and lakes and oceans; Tawhiri Matea went to live with his father in the sky; Ruaumoko stayed in his mothers womb.

 Felt train with numbered carriages; ideal for putting in numerical order, number identification, fill the carriages with the corresponding number of items, etc. Felt numbers glued onto felt cut-outs of carriages.

 The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  I used fabric paints and fabric markers to paint the details on the food.  The leaf, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly are all needle-felted.

The story of The Little Red Hen.  Details applied using fabric paint, fabric markers, and a fine Sharpie pen.


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Easter ideas and activities for young children

 I have been busy creating Easter themed resources to help promote numeracy and other skills.  The chicks were simple to create, using a basic template.  I have discovered a really easy way to create templates and stencils:  get a clear plastic sheet - I use acetate, but you could use a sealed clear laminating sheet; bring up a picture that you want on an ipad or tablet (or you might find a picture in a child's colouring book); place the plastic on top, and trace it with a permanent fine-tip marker pen.

 These chicks were cut out of craft foam using a template.  I got 20 chicks out of one A4 sheet.  I numbered ten chicks from 1-10, and left the other ten blank.  Craft foam is really easy to use, to draw on, to cut, and doesn't rip or tear so is durable with young children.  You could use the chicks for singing "5 Little Ducks" or convert that song to "5 Little Chicks". You could play games by throwing a dice and giving your chick that many eggs.
The numbered chicks can be used for ordering and sequencing; a fun game is where you take away one chick and the child has to figure out which number is missing. Also once the chicks are put into numerical order, give each chick the corresponding number of eggs.

I created a little egg template and drew around it to create lots of mini paper eggs - I used strips of card to make the eggs.

Easter Egg hunt.  We will be having an easter egg hunt this year.  I find that when you hunt for chocolate eggs, some children find lots of eggs and others get disappointed because they haven't found many.  The way I deal with this is by not hiding chocolate eggs - we hide paper easter eggs that the children have coloured in (which develops pencil control and skill; and colouring in easter eggs can help to motivate even the most reluctant artist). We usually spend a week making paper Easter eggs, ready for the Easter egg hunt.  This means we can hide lots and lots of eggs,  and the children then trade their paper eggs for a chocolate egg.  I use a simple cardboard template that I made a number of years ago now, and still use every year, and draw around it in black marker pen.  I draw some patterns in on some eggs,and the rest I leave blank for children to create their own designs.  The children colour them in and cut them out.

Pompoms

These pom-poms were really simple and fun to make and just used the bits and scraps of wool that I had.  Add a little orange felt triangle and two googly eyes to a yellow or orange pom-pom and you have a little chick.  Add two green felt feet and two googly eyes to a green pompom, and you have a frog.  Or just have a little basket full of bright colourful pom-poms and children can pretend they are Easter Eggs.  I will do a separate blog-post detailing how to make the pom-poms. 

 The Easter Bunny

These bunnies were created with a simple template that I made, and traced around it onto white craft foam.  I got 10 Easter bunnies out of 1 x A4 white foam sheet.  I filled in the details of the face and ears with felt tip pens and a black fine tip Sharpie.

You can use these bunnies for counting songs, stories, small world play and whatever else you or the children can think of.

Carrots for the Easter Bunny

These carrots are for feeding the Easter Bunny.  They are made out of craft foam. I drew one carrot, cut it out and traced around it to create the rest of the carrots.  I coloured in the tops of the carrots using a green sharpie, and drew the details in using a pencil.

 Easter Eggs - Number Matching

This is a simple numeracy activity that involves matching the number of dots to the the correct numeral.  These eggs were made out of craft foam, using a cardboard egg template. Once I had cut out the eggs, I used a Sharpie pen to write the numbers and do the dots, and then I cut the eggs in half. 

Cutting and Paper Folding
The children at school love cutting - cutting up paper, cutting up magazines, cutting out pictures.. if it is able to be cut, they want to cut it.  I have recently started showing children how to fold paper to cut, to create designs etc.  This is a really simple activity that teaches children about symmetry, as well as developing cutting skills, as it requires cutting around curves, which is a tricky skill for children.
Simply fold a piece of paper (it doesn't have to be in half), and on one side, draw half a rabbit. Cut out. Draw on eyes, nose, and mouth.

 

You could do the same for Easter Eggs, butterflies - anything that is symmetrical.

Easter Bunnies

 These bunnies are for small world play.  I am still figuring out the design (I'm just making it up as I go and adjust it slightly for each one). On the back of the rabbits is a little pom-pom for a tail.

Some Rabbit songs you could sing with the children...

Mrs Bunny
Mrs Bunny looks funny when she wriggles her nose
Mrs Bunny looks funny when she wriggles her toes
Two floppy ears and two big feet
I love Mrs Bunny 'cos she's so neat.

Mrs Bunny stretches
Mrs Bunny flops
Mrs Bunny hops and hops and hops and
Mrs Bunny hops and stops!


Oma Rapeti
Oma rapeti
Oma rapeti
Oma, oma, oma
Oma rapeti
Oma rapeti
Oma, oma, oma

Pako! Pako! Pako!
Goes the farmers gun
Oma rapeti, oma rapeti
Oma, oma, oma.

Run, rabbit
Run, rabbit,
Run, run, run,
Run, rabbit
Run, rabbit
Run, run, run.

Bang! Bang! Bang!
Goes the farmers gun
Run, rabbit, run, rabbit,
Run, run, run.


Sleeping Bunnies
(Tune: First verse - Baa baa black sheep)
Look at all the bunnies sleeping
till its nearly noon
shall we wake them
with a merry tune.

Why so still?
Are they ill?
Up little bunnies, up, up, up!
Jump little bunnies, jump, jump, jump!
Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop!
Stop little bunnies, stop, stop, stop!

 Mister Rabbit
I love this little ditty about Mister Rabbit! So cute and a fun message.
Mister Rabbit - Youtube


5 Little Chicks
5 little chicks went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Mother hen called, "Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck"
But only 4 little chicks came back.

(continue until no little chicks came back etc etc)

Ten Little Bunny Rabbits
(Tune: Ten Little Indians)
1 little, 2 little, 3 little bunny rabbits
4 little, 5 little,, 6 little bunny rabbits
7 little, ,8 little, 9 little bunny rabbits
10 little bunny rabbits.

10 little, 9 little, 8 little bunny rabbits
7 little, 6 little, 5 little bunny rabbits
4 little, 3 little, 2 little bunny rabbits
1 little bunny rabbit!


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