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Lesson Plan
Search For Activities
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- April 2004 Activities -
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This month we will be using some simple
“tools” to help a child learn. Toothpicks and dice will challenge all
children to develop their visual memory and problem solving skills. These
activities are adaptable for using with a partner or group of friends.
#1 Toothpicks come in a variety of styles and even colors and they
make great learning tools.
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If using colored
toothpicks encourage a child to sort by color and count the number
of yellow, green, or red toothpicks.
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To help a child with
visual memory, place 2 or 3 toothpicks on a table. Ask the child to
look carefully at the placement and color of toothpicks and then
cover them up with a piece of paper. You can make designs ahead of
time and glue them onto paper for a child to duplicate some other
time.
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Let a child duplicate
the covered pattern and uncover the original to see how accurately
it was copied.
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Make more difficult
designs to copy by using more toothpicks. Try beginning with simple
patterns so a child feels success.
Creativity can be
encouraged by selecting 20 toothpicks and allowing a child to create
their own design. |
(Click photos to enlarge image.) |
#2 Problem solving can also be practiced with toothpicks. Allow a
child time to think and figure out the answers. This could take a few
moments or a few days.
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Here are
some web sites that give some other toothpick puzzle ideas:
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(Click photos to enlarge image.) |
#3 Certain games are classics. Games with dice, numbers, and letters
such as Scrabble and poker are always favorites. This idea uses alphabet
dice. The set I use has 8 die with some letters used multiple times.
Alphabet dice can be purchased in educational stores or ordered from
educational sites on the Internet such as
LearningResources.com,
ABCstuff:
Resources for Reading or the
Eclectic Shop.
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Shake all 8 die (put in
a container to shake for a young child) and put them in alphabetical
order according to the letters that landed face up.
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A young child may look
at a copy of the alphabet if this is too hard.
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For example, a roll of
the die yielded the letters: J E R H A P F N
When put in alphabetical order the die will read: A E F H J N P R
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(Click photos to enlarge image.) |
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Adjust the number of
die used to the age of the child. If putting 8 die in alphabetical
order is too hard, try using 3 or 4.
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A child may also select
one die and say the letter aloud or find an item that either
begins/ends with the letter.
L = ladder lamp or tell mail
#4 All ages of children and adults can discover that alphabet die are
wonderful tools for learning. The child’s age, type of game, and number of
people playing will allow you to make your own variations of “ABC” games.
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Select 2 die, shake and
roll. In one minute everyone makes as many words as they can
containing those two letters. If a U and F are rolled, here are some
words you could write down.
fun, fortunate, uniform, unsuccessful, outfit
You could try this with 3 or 4 die also.
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Another idea is to
shake all the die. See how many different words you can spell using
2 or more of the die. If C E G K L L S Y is rolled here are
possible words to make: leg, sell, key, yells, sly, cell, …..
ABC dice are classic toys
that can be part of family activities for years. |
(Click photos to enlarge image.) |
Let me
know by e-mail what your favorite activity was this month. I am compiling information for a resource book
and want your input. Thanks.
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