sorting and matching and more

Last week, I picked up a new game for the kids called Seasons - Sort and Match Science Game from Lakeshore Learning. The kids had fun sorting the miniature figures into what they thought belonged to the right season. We took turns picking out an item from the box, and if it didn't go with their season card, it was the next person's turn.  As each object came out of the box, I asked questions about them. After Ava placed her sunglasses in "summer" I asked if we wear sunglasses any other time of the year? Or why we can't build a snowman in Spring? And general facts about weather...




The learning went on and on... Science is wonderful - and when its fun like this, its so much easier to play, imagine, and think of science as part of every day life.



We modified the game to "what doesn't belong?" - Ava liked closing her eyes and then trying to figure out which of the items I moved and switched up ... this was too easy... but fun!



These cute miniature things reminded me of practicing our letter sounds too. My sister gave me this idea - she created a tub full of miniature pieces she gathered from here and there, representing each of the alphabet letters to help her kids practice matching the letter sound each figure matched with. This gave me an idea. I combined the pieces from our Picnic game, and asked Ava to do the same, and match the object with its corresponding letter.



A few stumped her - she said the name out loud, but she wasn't sure if "clothes" started with the letter "C" or "K" - tricky I know... so let's keep practicing!

There are many ways you can play matching and sorting at home:

Gather items from around the house from their games or toys, or clip pictures from your used magazines or junk mail. {To make them sturdier, glue the pictures onto index cards, and cut the shape out}.

A set of alphabet letters, either the magnet kind for the fridge, or wooden ones from a puzzle, {or make your own using index cards and writing a letter on each sheet - no need to cut out}.

Spread the letters on the table, or spell out their name with it, and then have them find objects that go with the letter.

Other ideas:
Art project collage: If you use magazine clippings. Glue all the objects they found to match the letters in their name, or of a theme - on a piece of card board, or construction paper sheet and decorate!

Make your own themed wheel cards: as in this example with seasons, to practice more sorting -  Things that belong inside our home or outside? Vegetable or Fruit? Living or Non-Living?

Have fun!!