|
New
Early Learning Games
|
 Games:
Zingo-to-Go! A great travel variation of the popular Zingo! game. No tiles with this one; word pictures are displayed on 2 multi-sided dice contained in a "car". Children ages 4 and up flip the traffic lights to get ZINGO!
This is a fun bingo-like game. Use the picture/word combinations as a launching board for developing PHONEMIC awareness and phonics.. This is the ability to delineate a single sound or a series of sounds from an entire word. Since your child isn't reading yet, she/he will only use the pictures to play, but since the words are right there under the picture, you can point out certain sounds. Just keep it heavy on play (your child will be observing and beginning to make connections), and light on the lesson. Keep it FUN!
Flipover! Players search their cards to complete a barnyard animal, then use the Barnyard Flipper to turn over the card and reveal the next image to be matched. Images help children match, while the writing on each card will help early readers make associations between the words and the image.
S'Match - A new take on the classic memory game, S’Match challenges young players to find matching pairs by color, number or category. Only here, it’s the S’Match Spinner that decides which way to match—and every player gets a spin! Pictures and words allow pre-readers and early readers to play together and enjoy hours of memory-building fun. Ages 4 and up
Early Elementary Riddles for the car:
Dr. DooRiddles A1 & A2 - These riddles will give your child a reason to make associations between letters and sounds. These are a favorite! There is a printable sample page of each of these on my website.
Just click on Printable Sample Pages & Software Demos. This will bring you to my old "Bright Minds" site. Click on any of the tabs to enter the site to use the quick search. Each level has a link to "samples" on the right - opening the thumbnail images that appear will open them to full-size. Just "Control P" to print. The format of the pages makes it easy to copy on colored paper, cut into individual riddles to fill a jar. Kids love 'em!
|
|
"Mom - It's too HOT to play outside"
SUMMER BOREDOM BUSTER IDEAS |
Building Thinking Skills software Download the free demos!
Use the software version of a book you've been working on to make computer time more productive this vacation! Brainteasers & riddles are great fun & pass time when you can't play outside! ThinkerDoodles - SMART Coloring Books
for preschool to grade 4 Clues & Choose or Half'n Half Animals | | |
|
Tips for Using
Building Thinking Skills |
Each level of the BTS series is comprised of both figural and verbal activities for developing right brain (figural/visual/concrete) and left brain (verbal/auditory/abstract) processing. Do both types of activities simultaneously. Either do one page of each a day, or alternate, assigning one page a day Assign the first page from the section your child is most proficient at to instill a sense of achievement and confidence. If your child is developmentally behind grade level in either the figural or the verbal element, complete the entire section in the skills he is most proficient. Once that entire section or book is complete, he will have the skills needed to complete the alternate section. Help him to make connections to the same work he may have done in the previous section. (For example - if you chose to do the figural activities first, when you do the section on verbal similarities, help him to make the connection necessary to use the same strategies he used while finding figural similarities by showing him one of his previous assignments in that section.)
Chapter 1 of the Figural Section of both BTS Level 1 & Level 2 involve discribing shapes. Some writing is necessary. If your child is not ready for this section, it is fine to skip to Chapter 2 and complete it when you have finished the rest of the Figural Section of the book. | | | |
|
Have a SMART Summer!
We've compiled a list of our favorite games & activities for for helping keep everyone's minds sharp during those long car rides, camping trips, and outdoor get-togethers with family & friends.
I've included some of our favorites - and some fun variations that we've discovered along the way. Have fun this summer!
Keep checking back as we add new game ideas! |
|
Get The Conversation Going!
New!
from Family Talk
Conversation starting questions created FOR KIDS BY KIDS!
 BUDDY TalkTaking your child's friend along with you on a trip? Maybe the neighborhood kids need something to do besides just play video games when they're stuck inside your house. Try Buddy Talk!
50 Great conversation starters that will get friends talking for HOURS! Whether they're in the backseat or sitting around the lunch table, break out these cards and watch them become totally engaged in getting to know each other better!
 CAMP Talk
Tuck this set of 50 conversation starter cards into your child's overnight bag. Cards are on a cool clip with built-in flashlight and compass. Great for kids going off to camp AND for family camping trips! It's also a perfect way for kids to get to know new friends at camp!
 TEEN Talk
Created BY TEENS FOR TEENS!
This set of 50 diverse question cards is sure to spark some colorful conversation among teens. The cool carabiner clip attaches to backpacks, sports bags or overnight bags for fun conversations anytime, anywhere!
|
|
Head-to-Head in the Backseat!
Two player games for head-to-head play!
Who could have known that making change could be SO much fun! Counting up, making change, and critical thinking skills are challenged and strengthened through this great electronic game that fits right on the seat between 2 players.
There are 5 different games - and up to 3 levels in each game. In "Add it up!" players are given an amount (like 67¢) and have to press the coin keys to add it up before the other player. To make it more interesting (and keep their observation skills acute) if they press one of the buttons at the same time as their oppoent, their coin may not 'register'. So they need to keep an eye on their current amount and use critical thinking skills to recalculate to reach the goal amount - without going over!
Game #2 is "Change it Up!" - Played the same way as "Add it Up!", "Change it Up!" adds a twist by stating "no dimes" or "no quarters", causing them to work around the missing coin value.
Game #3 is "Fewest Coins", which is self-explanatory - and Game #4 is "Coin Master" where they will be given a goal amount and told exactly how MANY coins to use to reach that amount. At level 3, we received the challenge "$3.18 - 22 coins" - how would you do it?
Game #5, "Dollar Dash" is all about making change for a dollar. Players are given an amount, and they must press coin buttons to count up from that amount to a dollar. Let's rid the world of cashiers that can't make change!
CASH BASH also can be played as a sinlge player challenge and has 2 headphone jacks (or you can use the volume control) for quiet car play. Although be prepared to repeatedly hear, "Awww, just one penny and I would've won!"
And don't let the age range of 5-8 fool you - my teenagers play cutthroat CASH BASH and they don't always win when playing with my younger children. I enjoy playing it, too! Games are short and turns can be exchanged quickly for larger groups agreeing to "play the winner".
Quess Who? and Hangman unite in this word game - includes 2 of the trays shown that fit conveniently in each person's lap - perfect for the car.
|
|
|
Backseat FUN! |
|
Ages 8 - adult
Great for focused & concentrated backseat FUN!
See if you can get the 6 pieces apart. But even more FUN, get the 6 pieces back together so you can challenge your family and friends. Whether you do use the takeapart/reassembly diagrams or do it on your own, you'll go Zig Zag NUTS with this great puzzle game!
under construction
Fun ANYWHERE!
Over a hundred 2-dimensional & 3-dimensional challenges!
Fits right in a purse or glove compartment for fun on the road, at restaurants, waiting rooms - anywhere you need to help make time FLY! | | |
|
Family FUN NIGHT Ideas |
|
Fun for the entire family & up to 10 players (we've played with more)
A hilarious game of comparisons - which of your cards is best described by the judge's card? Are you convincing enough to persuade the judge to choose your card and win the hand, without him knowing it's your card?
3-8 players - $16.99
Players use the 72 Shape Cards to build pictures of items listed on the Squint Cards. The Squint Cards include over 1000 different items providing hundreds of hours of fun!
Click on title for Educational Aspects of SQUINT
ages 5-adult - $5.99
WHEEDLE® is the freewheeling stock trading game where 4-6 players jockey for corporate control. In a flurry of no-holds-barred trading, only the craftiest players will survive. The first player claiming majority control is the winner.
| | | | |
