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Use the search filters below to return results. Keep an eye out for some of my top favorites-- my "BookSmart Picks"-- that are sure to entertain and educate your kids! And, many activities use common materials you likely have at home already. Look for entries marked with the "Common Items" icon to find activities that shouldn't require any purchase.
Morph the most discs to win! Move the ball from disc to disc, but only change one attribute at a time, whether it is the color, the pattern, or the size of the center circle. Each player’s turn continues, collecting the discs as they go, until there are no more possibilities on the board. And with 60 discs in the game…
Morph the most discs to win! Move the ball from disc to disc, but only change one attribute at a time, whether it is the color, the pattern, or the size of the center circle. Each player’s turn continues, collecting the discs as they go, until there are no more possibilities on the board. And with 60 discs in the game, there are plenty to replenish the board between turns. While the rules are simple, this game tests pattern recognition, planning, and logic skills, along with strategic thinking.
Hannah loves collecting things—barrettes, popsicle sticks, feathers, seashells, and more! She sorts them in different ways, whether by color, shape, or size. But now her teacher has given her an assignment, to bring in just one collection to show the class…
Hannah loves collecting things—barrettes, popsicle sticks, feathers, seashells, and more! She sorts them in different ways, whether by color, shape, or size. But now her teacher has given her an assignment, to bring in just one collection to show the class. Hannah struggles to pick just one favorite, but with some problem solving she finds the perfect solution. Using the beautiful collage art throughout, your child can use multiple math skills as they enjoy this book—observing, sorting, and counting.
The Puddle Pail stars two crocodile brothers, Sol and younger brother Ernst. Sol loves collecting things, whether it’s rocks, feathers, or rubber bands, and he encourages Ernst to also start a collection of things that he finds interesting. However, Ernst struggles to find interesting items that he can actually collect; what he finds most interesting are the clouds or stars. But, undeterred by his older brother’s confusion, Ernst shows creativity and perseverance…
The Puddle Pail stars two crocodile brothers, Sol and younger brother Ernst. Sol loves collecting things, whether it’s rocks, feathers, or rubber bands, and he encourages Ernst to also start a collection of things that he finds interesting. However, Ernst struggles to find interesting items that he can actually collect; what he finds most interesting are the clouds or stars. But, undeterred by his older brother’s confusion, Ernst shows creativity and perseverance to collect what he enjoys the most—puddles and the items reflected in them. Ernst decides to gather the different kinds of puddles he finds, based on what they reflect, into his pail and later uses the water for his watercolor paintings of everything he saw. This is a wonderfully told story that demonstrates how siblings can bring different strengths and creative vision to the table, while also using problem solving skills.
This Dr. Seuss book meant for early readers asks a series of “Would you rather…” questions, prompting children to think about the differences and do some comparing while also using their imaginations, all skills that will help them in their understanding of sorting and classification. Would your child rather be a dog or a cat? A hammer or a nail? A whale or a minnow? Dr. Seuss uses simple words and rhymes…
This Dr. Seuss book meant for early readers asks a series of “Would you rather…” questions, prompting children to think about the differences and do some comparing while also using their imaginations, all skills that will help them in their understanding of sorting and classification. Would your child rather be a dog or a cat? A hammer or a nail? A whale or a minnow? Dr. Seuss uses simple words and rhymes, complemented by colorful illustrations, making it a great book to keep coming back to, perhaps coming up with different answers or different reasoning for the many choices provided.
A classic card game! Players race to be the first to get rid of all their cards by matching numbers or colors. Players take turns getting rid of their cards, but the game can easily change with various action cards, like reversing the direction of play or a ‘draw four’ card that forces another player to draw four cards (perfect for when they are just about to get rid of the rest of their cards!)…
A classic card game! Players race to be the first to get rid of all their cards by matching numbers or colors. Players take turns getting rid of their cards, but the game can easily change with various action cards, like reversing the direction of play or a ‘draw four’ card that forces another player to draw four cards (perfect for when they are just about to get rid of the rest of their cards!). And you cannot forget to say “Uno!” when you are down to only one card—if someone else says it before you, you must draw. With simple rules, but plenty of room for strategy, this game is fun for a wide range of ages.
In this fun, colorful game, an inventor has built dozens of robot bodies, but needs help matching the heads to the bodies. Using the Robot Randomizer, players determine the attributes of the matching head and search the board for that particular head. With everyone searching at once, it’s a race to find the matching head and score a token…
In this fun, colorful game, an inventor has built dozens of robot bodies, but needs help matching the heads to the bodies. Using the Robot Randomizer, players determine the attributes of the matching head and search the board for that particular head. With everyone searching at once, it’s a race to find the matching head and score a token. The first player to earn five tokens wins the game. Finding the head with the correct color nose, eyes, mouth, and face helps develop classification and reasoning skills. And with 120 different robot heads, the game doesn’t get old!
In this game, players seek out matches based on the value of the cards. It is a math card game that builds visual memory and spatial reasoning— both critical skills for mathematics. And sorting and classifying objects aids in building an understanding of grouping for later math work.
In this game, players seek out matches based on the value of the cards. It is a math card game that builds visual memory and spatial reasoning— both critical skills for mathematics. And sorting and classifying objects aids in building an understanding of grouping for later math work.
In Guess My Number, players use math vocabulary to ask yes or no questions in order to determine a secret number. There are many ways to differentiate this math card game according to your child’s ability, using vocabulary and understanding of place value at their level.
In Guess My Number, players use math vocabulary to ask yes or no questions in order to determine a secret number. There are many ways to differentiate this math card game according to your child’s ability, using vocabulary and understanding of place value at their level. More experienced children can be assessed on their comprehension of multiples and factors, while younger children can further their understanding of comparing numbers using terms like “greater than” and “less than.”
Classification is a crucial skill for young children to master before number work begins. Sorting and classifying objects aids in building an understanding of grouping for this later number work. Classifying and sorting objects in different ways can also promote flexible thinking, so a variety of responses should be encouraged and discussed.
Classification is a crucial skill for young children to master before number work begins. Sorting and classifying objects aids in building an understanding of grouping for this later number work. Classifying and sorting objects in different ways can also promote flexible thinking, so a variety of responses should be encouraged and discussed.
Hankie is a very predictable horse since he tends to do the same things each day. His friends have been watching him and keeping track of his daily patterns so that they can predict what he will do. Each pattern is clearly laid out in a chart…
Hankie is a very predictable horse since he tends to do the same things each day. His friends have been watching him and keeping track of his daily patterns so that they can predict what he will do. Each pattern is clearly laid out in a chart, so that you can have your child make predictions based on Hankie’s patterns as well. This book could also lead to a discussion on probability, since there are instances that Hankie does something on most days, but not every day, so you can talk about terms like “likely” and “unlikely”.
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