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Hands on

Learning

Games

Rachel

http://teachingthefuture.net

Hands on Learning Games

Back to School Skillsbuster

Workbook


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Hands-On Learning Games: Best 4 Ways to Find Time to Work With Your Child

You know you need to spend time working with your

child.

You’ve even gone so far as to schedule it into your

calendar. Somehow, though, life steps in, and by the time

you’ve cleaned up the Cheerios on the rug and the mess

made by the 3 year old in the bathroom (who couldn’t

read the “we aim to please-please aim too please” sign),

the day is over, and you’re dead tired.

Another day has passed, and you feel like kicking yourself: how are you supposed to teach your child

and deal with life too?

Fortunately, with a bit of planning, you don’t have to make the choice between working with your

child, and tackling the never-ending stack of laundry. By following these 4 tips, you’ll have plenty of

time to work with your child, and keep up with the rest of life’s demands.

1) Think of every moment as a teachable opportunity.

A lot of parents assume teaching your child means sitting at the table with a basketful of materials.

That’s a big mistake. Sure, learning can and does take place during these sessions, but why ignore the

literally hundreds of opportunities a day your child has to practice his skills?

A pile of laundry is a great chance for your child to practice numerous skills.

� Sorting: Have your child dig out her clothing from the pile. Then have her sort out the socks,

pants, shirts, etc. into baskets or piles on her bed.

� Fine Motor Skills: Letting your child practice folding towels and pants will not only help

improve his fine motor coordination, but will strengthen his motor memory as well.

� Listening Skills: When you tell your child where to put the clothing away, she must interpret

and carefully execute what you say. Use one step directions in the beginning, gradually building

up to 2 step and then 3 step instructions.


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2) Know what your child’s goals are.

If you keep track of what skills you want your child to accomplish, you’ll have an easier time

incorporating learning time into your daily routine.

Write down 2 or 3 simple goals in a place where you are likely to see them several times a day, and

keep looking at them. Doing this will make it easier for you to remember what you’re doing, so that

you can stick it into your day to day activities.

3. Involve the whole family.

When I was teaching my foster daughter colors, I wrote the names of the colors on index cards, and

put them up on the refrigerator. I also colored a section of the index card with the appropriate color.

Then I told everyone-husband, kids, and friends, that we were working on the colors red and blue.

When my oldest daughter made a strawberry jelly sandwich for lunch for my foster daughter, she

pointed out the color.

When we chose clothing in the morning, she pointed to all the clothing that had blue in it. When my

7 year old supervised toy clean up, he told her to pick up only the red clicks.

4. Be proud of what you accomplish. I sometimes have to remind myself to be happy with

whatever I accomplish that day. Moms have a tendency to feel guilty about the fact that they could

have accomplished so much more, if x,y, and z hadn’t occurred.

Don’t do this. It’s not just counter-productive, it’s simply not true. Just tell yourself out loud that you

did the best you could today, and pat yourelf on the back for what you did accomplish. And if you

didn’t do anything, don’t let that stop you from trying again tomorrow.


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Hands-on Learning Games: Teach Your Child Numbers

This is a simple game that your child will ask to play again and

again. The great thing about it is that it can be used not only for

learning quantity and numbers, but also for beginning addition.

Children especially like the fact that it uses money; they feel as if

they’ve fallen into quite a windfall of money!

Materials:

- 6 sheets of red cardboard (standard size)

- 45 pennies, plus a small container to store them in

Make the Game:

1) Cut 5 of the sheets of cardboard in half. You’ll have ten half-sheets.

2) On each one, write a number (0-9). The number should fill only about half to two-thirds of the

sheet.

3) Underneath each number, draw the number of circles represented by each number. So the

number 1 has one circle, 2 has two circles, and so on. Leave the number zero empty. Use a penny as a

stencil for drawing the circles. (In the picture above the circles are colored red – that’s optional).

4) Now cut the last sheet of cardboard in half length-wise.

5) Now write the numbers 0-9 from left to right. Your child will use this to help him lay out the

numbers in order on his own.

How to Play:

1) Place the card with the zero down in front of your child. Say, ‘this is zero,” and point to the zero.


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2) Now take the card with the number one, and lay it to the right of the zero card. Say, “this is one.”

Now take out one penny, place it in your child’s palm, saying “one” as you do so.

3) Show them where to place the penny on the card. Have them say “one” as they place the money on

the circle.

4) For the first session, do up until number 2. Every two days or so you can add on a new number. At

the start of each session, review the names of the numbers.

5) After you’ve reviewed the numbers for a few days, ask your child to show you “the 2 (or a different

number). This is easier for your child than pointing to a number and asking them to tell you what the

number is; you’ll do this only after your child can successfully point to the number you name.

6) In a few weeks, your child will have learned:

� one-on-one correspondence (one circle gets one penny)

� how to count consecutively

� a number represents a particular quantity (the number 2 represents two items).

� to recognize and name numbers

all in one game!


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Hands-On Learning Games: How to Teach Consonant Sounds

Learning letters need not be a painful process where

your child is drilled on letter sounds. This is a game

that not only teaches your child the consonant sounds,

but also helps them learn how to recognize sounds as

they naturally occur in words.

Materials:

- Sturdy paper or cardboard-one piece is enough for

four letters

- Objects or pictures of objects beginning with each

consonant sound ( be careful NOT to choose a word

with a blend. For example, book instead of bread). You

can glue the pictures on cardboard or laminate them for durability and to make it easier for your

child to pick up.

How to Make:

� Fold each paper in half.

� Now fold the same paper in half again, so that you have four sections.

� Cut the paper into four sections, and print four letters on each section.

� Laminate or cover with clear contact paper for durability.

� Glue the pictures on small pieces of cardboard about half the size of each letter. On the back of

each picture write the sound that it starts with.

How to Play:

Stage 1

1. Choose two letters that look and sound different. Place them in front of your child.

2. Point to one and say, “This is “S”. This is “B .” Make sure to tell your child the sound the letter

makes, NOT the letter name. Many children get confused between letter names and letter


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sounds, and so it is better to teach the letter names at a later stage. You should also teach the

hard consonant sounds first: c for cat, not c(s) for circle.

3. Ask your child, “Show me the “S.” Show me the “B.” If your child gets confused, simply tell them

the correct answer.

If your child has trouble remembering the letter sounds, don’t spend time drilling him on it over and

over again. Children (and adults too) learn and remember better when there is a space between

learning periods.

Come back to the letters a few hours later; even if it takes your child a few days to remember each set,

she will still be finished in only a few weeks.

Stage 2

Once your child knows at least two letters, you can introduce the object pictures.

1. Choose two letters. Place each one level with each other, with a bit of a distance between them.

2. Take the pictures of objects that go with those sounds, and mix them up in a pile to the left of the

letters.

3. Choose one, asking your child to tell you what it is. Model sounding out the words, stretching out

the sound of the first letter. Then place that picture under the corresponding letter.

4. Do one more, and then let your child try it out. Show her how to check her work when she is

done, by flipping over the picture.

TIP: Stay with your child the first few times she plays this game; she will need help stretching out the

first sound.


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Hands-on Learning Games: Help Your Child Learn to Sequence

Looking to help your child improve his sequencing

skills? Here is a fun hands-on learning game that will

improve your child’s skills using their favorite

children’s songs.

Why is sequencing important anyway?

Helping your child learn to sequence is important for

several reasons. First of all, sequencing allows your

child to manage his time effectively, and helps him see

the relationship between actions and consequences. A

child who has difficulty in this area will be consistently

“time challenged.”

They will be late to school, late coming home, or will

take longer than necessary to complete an assignment because they are unable to estimate how much

time something should take.

Strong sequencing skills allows him to communicate meaningfully with others, whether it is with

words, sentences, or paragraphs. Children who are weak in this area will start a joke with the

punchline. Their stories will be jumbled and difficult to understand because they find it difficult to

present events in the order in which they occurred.

Good sequencing skills also means your child will be able to make a better connection between his

actions and the consequences that naturally follow. Children with weak sequencing skills will

sometimes appear as if they never learn from their mistakes. Despite warnings, threats, and

punishments, they seem intent on repeating the same ineffective behaviors time and time again.

By playing this hands-on learning game with your child, you will find both your child’s ability to

learn and his behavior will show an improvement.


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Materials:

For this game you will use songs which use sequencing, plus you will need to make pictures to go

along with them. For children under 5, or more challenged children, try Raffi’s “Brown bear.” For

children 5 and up, try Fred Koch’s “I had a rooster,” or “Today is Monday.”

More advanced children can try “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.” Any song that uses a

sequence of objects, and is easy to understand, can be used.

You will need to write down in order all of the objects that are named, and find clear pictures for each

one. Each picture should not be smaller in size than a playing card. Each picture should also be on a

separate piece of paper. You can laminate each picture or print it out on card stock for durability.

How to play:

Listen to the song once with your child in order to help familiarize her with the song. As each item is

mentioned, lay it in front of your child. Most of the songs add a new item, and then repeat the

previous ones. When this occurs, your child should point to each object in order.

For example, in “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly,” by the time you get to the cat, you will

have in front of you a fly, spider, bird, and the cat. You will add the cat when the singer sings it, and

then you will point to the cat, the bird, the spider, and the fly.

After you’ve done it once, let your child try it out. Here are some variations on the game you can use

to make this game harder or easier:

� To make the game harder, do not use pictures, but ask your child to tellyou the names of the

animals, forwards and backwards. You can make it easier for him by giving him a hint-the first

letter of each word.

� To make it easier, let your child sequence the pictures as the song is being sung. You can stop the

song to give your child time to lay out the picture. You can make it slightly harder by asking your

child to sequence the animals after they’ve heard the song.


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Hands-on Learning Games: Helping the Child Who Has Trouble Cutting With Scissors

It’s not uncommon for children all the way up to first grade to have

trouble cutting with scissors. Usually the child has trouble with her

fine motor skills: the acts of grasping the scissors, holding and

manipulating the paper, and opening and closing the scissors, are

actually more difficult than most parents (and teachers) realize.

This exercise is useful in helping your child master the practical

skills of how to cut paper; however if your child also has trouble

buttoning his clothing, manipulating food or writing implements,

or other fine motor issues, then you should do additional fine

motor hands-on learning games with them.

Materials:

-Scissors. These should be comfortable for your child to use; try out several different pairs. It’s preferable

to use regular scissors vs. “training scissors.” This will avoid your child having to learn how to cut twice-

once with the training scissors and once with the regular ones.

-Small squares of 4”× 4”heavy paper. Your child will enjoy especially enjoy cutting if you use colored

paper.

How to Play the Game:

There are ten different cutting patterns. Start from the first one, even if you think it’s too easy for your

child; if it is, he will finish it quickly and move onto the next one.

Once your child is fully able to cut out one pattern (100% of the time) he may go on to the next pattern.

Stick to this routine even if your child wants to just “try out” a more complicated pattern; it is the

excitement of trying out something new that will help motivate him to complete the present pattern.

You can practice cutting with your child once a day; you should see significant improvement in a few

weeks.


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How to Use Books to Improve Your Child’s Critical Thinking Skills in 2 Weeks or Less-Language Development

Does your child have trouble expressing himself, or explaining what he’s learned in daycare or

school?

This is a simple way to improve your child’s language development, and boost his expressive

language skills. It doesn’t require any special materials, and teaches you how to make an activity you

already do – reading to your child – into an activity that boosts your child’s expressive language

skills.

After a week or two, you’ll see major improvement in your child’s ability to understand and think

critically when reading a book.

Here’s what you do:

Days 1 -2: Teach your child to use the pictures to understand the story.

On the first 2 days you’ll be reading your child’s favorite book, but with a twist. First, ask your child

to tell you the name of the book. That’s an easy one, of course. Next, have them show you where on

the front cover it says the name of the book. If they don’t know, point it out, being particular to read

and point to each word separately.

This teaches them important information about how to read a book, but they will also learn to

recognize the words. Do the same thing with the name of the author. You can also show them that

inside the book it says the name of the book, and the author.


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As you go through the book, there are 2 types of questions you’ll be asking: questions about the

pictures, or questions about what’s written. As you flip through the pages, ask your child to tell you a

little bit about the pictures.

What does she think is happening? How does she know? Ask her to tell you what she sees in the

picture makes her think that – a happy face, scary pictures, etc. Guide her through the pictures first,

helping her to use the pictures to predict what the story will be about.

Days 3-4: Help your child notice words and think critically about what she hears.

As you go through the book, you are going to draw your child’s attention to two aspects of the text:

the words themselves, and what is being said.

When you talk about the words themselves, you’ll point out things like whether one word rhymes

with another, or you might explain what a new word means. For example, in Where the Wild Things

Are, the word mischief is introduced.

You can see if your child can guess what it means, referring her to the pictures as a clue, and then ask

her if there was ever a time when she made mischief of one kind or another.

When you focus on what is actually being said, you’re looking at the bigger picture. For example,

in Where the Wild Things Are, you can ask your child, “Why did Max’s mother call him a wild thing?

Why was he lonely? Did he really go to another place?”

You can also extend this even further, asking your child what they do if they feel like making mischief

– how do they handle it? Do they sometimes feel lonely?


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Of course you don’t need to do all of this at once. Take your time to introduce ideas as you go through

the book several times, each time deepening the level of the questions you ask your child. Your child

will have gained valuable thinking skills that are critical to being a good reader – all in the space of a

few bedtime readings.

TIP: Check out this post to find out how you can use wordless picture books to improve your child’s

expressive language skills.


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Hands-on Learning Games: 6 Fun Games to Help Improve Your Child’s Fine Motor Coordination

School has only begun, but your children are already itching to put away their school books and head

out to play., you’re hoping to sneak in a little bit of learning during summer break.

Getting your children to cooperate may seem like an impossible task – unless you try these fun hands

-on learning games that will have even your older kids giving it a try:

1) Sugar cube transfer

A simple pair of kitchen tongs, two cups, and sugar cups, are all you need for this game. Your child

uses the kitchen tongs to transfer the sugar cubes from one cup to the other. If your child can’t resist

eating the sugar cubes, you can use small Legos instead. You can also make this game harder by

using tweezers instead of tongs.

2) Nail cutting

Kids love this game because it turns what is often a mildly uncomfortable experience into a chance to

show off their cutting skills. Trace your child’s hands on a plain piece of paper, making sure to draw

in the nails and the nail beds.

If you’re using a computer you can get fancy and color in the nails, or you can just make several

copies of each hand and print that out. Cut out the hands (you can cut out several pages at one time).

Next, give your child a pair of nail scissors or nail cutters, and show her how to use them. Provide a

plastic plate for her to cut over, and show her how to dispose of her “nails” in the garbage.


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3. Sorting rice

This one is not just fun, but practical as well. Buy a bag of rice, and pour some onto a plate. Show

your child how to recognize the rice that is discolored (more than is usual for for rice), and provide a

container for her to put it in. Let her put the “clean” rice in a separate bowl.

4. Polishing money

Children especially enjoy watching a dull copper penny transform into a shiny, new coin. Prepare a

solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice in a cup, and add 2 tablespoons of salt.

Have your child place the penny inside, swirl the cup with the penny inside around gently. Let your

child take out the penny, and dry it off carefully with a soft cloth. Although it’s not technically

polishing, kids still enjoy carefully wiping the pennies clean.

5. Bead sorting

This is a good use for all of the beads you may have lying around from an old jewelry making set. If

you don’t already have one, you can easily buy one at the dollar store.

Mix up all the beads, and let your child use the container they come in to sort them. There are all

sorts of ways to sort the beads-by color, by shape, and even by the size of the hole inside.

6. Smearing plasticine

Plasticine is quite different from play dough. It is harder, and less pliable when cool, but when it’s

warmed up from playing it can be easily manipulated.

First warm up the plasticine by rolling it into a ball, and kneading it for a minute or two. You’ll see

and feel the difference when it softens up. Then, give your child a piece of paper with a shape drawn

on it, and place a glob of plasticine on top.

Show your child how to smear the plasticine on his paper by starting from the middle of the glob and

smearing it outwards. It will take some work, but it’s great for helping strengthen those finger

muscles. Your child can experiment by adding different colors onto the original, creating tie-die like

swirls and patterns.

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