PIN ME!
Here are 7, yes SEVEN, fun ideas on how you can use these cards and develop skills your kiddos will need for school!
First up: Simple Matching
This is a good activity to start off with young children. Simply match each Flip Flop with its pair, one by one. Say the colors to develop language and vocabulary.
Two: Memory Game
Turn the cards face down and play a memory game where a player turns two cards around hoping to find a pair. Remember where a certain color is and find all the pairs. Start with only a few pairs and add more the more confident the player(s) get.
Three: Count in Pairs
Use the pairs to count by twos (skip counting). A great way to show the concept of skip counting with physical objects (the cards).
Four: Simple Counting
Choose a number and count out that number of Flip Flops. One can even do simple word sums using the cards. Example: "Mary has 4 pairs of Flip Flops. After a visit to the beach, one of the pairs got lost. How many does she have now?"
Five: Visual Memory
Use the cards to expand visual memory. (Start with one card and then add more.) Show a card quickly. Ask the child to look for the matching one in his pile. If correct, show 2 cards. Do this until it is too challenging.
Six: Patterns
Pack out a pattern with one of the pair. Place the other pair in the wrong order. Ask the child to "fix it up". Or, make a pattern(start with only 2 cards, then add more). Show the child the pattern for a few seconds. Cover up the pattern and ask the child to copy the pattern from memory.
Seven: Match using lines
Place cards on a blackboard or whiteboard as shown in the image below. Ask the child to draw a line to match the pairs. This is a good activity to develop pre-writing skills, hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness.
Such fun activities and that with only a pack of Flip Flop cards! Also check out this Garden Memory Game!
This post was contributed by:
Nadia from Teach Me Mommy
Nadia is a South African mommy of two and a therapist at a elementary remedial school. She blogs over at Teach me Mommy about easy and playful activities with the aim to teach. You can follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
