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Learning should be fun for children and teaching through games is a great educational opportunity for young children to increase their cognitive skills.
Parents and care-givers can make wonderful file folder games using inexpensive materials. These games will focus on teaching your child how to take in information and organize it. Kids can see how to make connections and how to solve problems while increasing their vocabulary skills too.
You will need:
Letter sized file folders
Scissors
Velcro strips or dots
Cardstock Paper
Crayons or Markers
Coloring Book Patterns
There are many variations on topics and themes to use in creating your file folders. This article will only touch on a few suggestions you can use as file folders are very easy to custom tailor to specific learning needs. Parents are encouraged to talk to their Childs pre-school or kindergarten teachers and decide which activity folders would be the most beneficial to your Childs individual needs.
All file folders will need a cover picture and file name glued to the front of the file with instructions on how to play. Write the name of the game on the raised file tab as well. Make an answer key listing correct matches and glue it to the back of the folder in the lower right hand corner.
Using a coloring book pattern or freehand your drawings. Generally, file folders have room for 5-8 matching pictures per side of the folder. You will need to cut out an identical matching object out of cardstock for durability.
FUNNY BONES
How to Play:
Match the pieces whose pictures go together
To Make:
Cut out 10 Bones and draw matching pictures one picture for each end of the bone. Cut the bones in half like puzzle piece. Glue one half of the bone to the inside of the folder and laminate the other piece to be attached with Velcro.
Answer Key:
Raindrop-Umbrella; Fishing Pole-Fish; Hammer-Nail; Bread-Jam; Letters-Mailbox; Key-Lock; Bat-Ball; Carrot-Rabbit; Sock-Shoe; Rake-Leaves
BUNCH OF BANANA'S
How to Play:
Match numbers and sets.
To Make:
Cut out 10 partly pealed banana's with a different number drawn on each banana and glue it to the folder 5 on each side. Make coordinating dots on the fruit of the banana 1 dot to match the number 1, etc. After laminating your folder carefully slit a whole in the peeling banana cutout so that the child can slide the right answer into the hole. Velcro will not be needed in this case and a answer key is also not necessary for this game.
RABBIT RHYMES
How to play:
Match the rhyming pictures.
To make:
Cut out 12 3 1/2" Rabbits with a smaller picture of household items inside the rabbit picture.
Answer key:
Coat-Boat; Net-Wet; Snail-Mail; Chain-Rain; Nose-Rose; Rake-Cake; Moon-Spoon; Bag-Flag; Tree-Bee; Rock-Sock; Can-Pan; Log-Dog; Ring-King; Tie-Eye; Duck-Truck; Bat-Hat.
OCTOPUS OPPOSITES
How to Play:
Match the opposites
To Make:
Cut out 10 Octopi with small pictures drawn inside.
Answer Key:
White Crayon-Black Crayon; Wet Boy in Shower-Toweling Dry Boy in Shower; Arrow up-Arrow Down; Right Hand-Left Hand; Happy Face-Sad Face; Old Face-Young Face; Front of Face-Back of Head; Sleeping Girl-Girl Awake; Dirty Face-Clean Face; Girl-Boy.
SHIP SHAPE
How to Play:
Match shapes to make a picture.
To Make:
Choose a picture from a coloring book that includes lots of triangles, circles, rectangles and squares. You could draw your own picture also using a sun, water, round fish and boat made up of a combination of several triangles, rectangles and squares. Make two copies of the same picture, large enough to fit one picture on each side of the inside folder. On the left side of the folder show the completed colored picture. On the right side of the folder do not color in the shapes but leave the lines in black and white. Laminate the folder. Cut out colored cardstock of the shapes your child will need to complete the right hand side of the folder.
File your new folder games in a location where the kids have easy access. These games are also a good quiet time activity or take along travel game!
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