Estimated Time Required :
Approximately 30 -40 minutes including time to read story
Materials :
- ABC Cards supplied under Printables
Directions :
This activity can be played at home or in the classroom. It is a variation on the car game: “I’m going on a picnic and I’m taking _________”. In this version, children use cards with letters of the alphabet to stimulate and organize their thinking about a certain research topic. For example, a game about animal actions could go like this:
- Read a story about animals (such as any of Bill Martin and Eric Carle’s books: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See? Or Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you Hear?)
- Cut out the alphabet cards on the Activity Sheet listed under Printables.
- Pick a card and think of something that relates to the topic of your game. In this case, it is animal actions. So if you draw a “g”, you may remember that goats eat grass, and so you’ll sing the song under Step 4.
- To the tune of “Hokey Pokey” as you or your child selects a card:
I put my right hand in,
I took my right hand out,
I put my right in,
and I picked the letter __g__,
___G___ is for ____goat______
who likes to ____eat grass_____,
That's what it's all about!
- Now it's your turn to pick a card and think of an animal and an action. If whoever picks cannot think of an animal starting with that letter, just put the card in the pile for next time.
- You may want to have on hand a simple animal reference book such as Stanley's Great Book of Everything, or any animal atlas. This will provide handy access for children who need ideas for either their letter or their animal's action.
Credits :
This parent/educator activity was created by Julie Matz.
Printables :
