Memory Game

The activity – Paper Plate Alphabet Memory Game 

Skills covered - Turn-taking, social interaction, attention & listening

In a nutshell this is a king-size variation of the good old pair matching game. Take several paper plates and markers and write some letters if you want your little ones to practice literacy or draw shapes, animals and other items if it’s time to build their vocabulary. What you need – A dozen paper plates and pens

Sequencing Skills for Younger Children - Everyday Activities

Choose some everyday sequencing activities and encourage the child to carry them out e.g.:

Making a cup of juice

Making a sandwich

Drawing a person

Play sequences-making a railway track, making pretend meals

Dressing

Any activity where a sequence of actions is required. Comment on what the child is doing as they are carrying out the activity. Give the child a turn at talking about what they are doing. Silly me! Carry out an activity but pretend that you have forgotten how to do it or do silly things e.g. leave the juice bottle lid on while making a drink, carry out the activity in the wrong order. Give the child an opportunity to tell you how to do the activity/what you did wrong. Model the use of first, next, and then, last.

Fun Activities to add to your Routine

• Try sharing familiar books at bedtime. Pause when reading so that your child can join in. Talk about the sounds at the beginning of words and words that start with the same sound (like words beginning with P).
• Encourage your child to recall what has happened in the story. For example, ‘Why is bear feeling sad?’ Ask them to guess what might happen – ‘What should they do next?’ – or how the story might end – ‘Do you think they’re going to find the treasure? Where could it be?’

Other Ideas

• Try role-playing games together such as shopping. Set items out on the sofa, give your child a bag and some pretend money. Then switch roles and let them be the shopkeeper.
• Play teddy bears’ picnic. Put soft toys in a circle and give your child a few cups and spoons. Give your child a chance to tell you what to do like, ‘Stir teddy’s tea.’  You could chat to them as you are doing actions, for example, ‘let’s cut the cake in half’.
• Start conversations by using open questions with lots of possible answers, for example, ‘What are you going to play with today?’
• Plan a treasure hunt game, where your child has to listen to your instructions to find a clue or an object. For example, ‘Try looking behind the sofa’. Help your child look for a specific number of objects and count them together – such as 3 cups, 2 pink socks, 5 pens.
• Help your child make a puppet show about their favourite story using objects around the house.
• Play sorting games together. Collect a range of different household objects and practise sorting them into different groups, perhaps by size or colour. Once you have finished, count all the objects in each group.
• Play a make-believe journey game with your child. Make a car out of a cardboard box that you decorate together, or just grab some cushions, pile in a few teddy bear passengers, and let your child drive you off on an adventure.
  
  HM Government -Hungry Little Minds

Apps

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