Shape Matching File Folder Game

Good morning all!!

Today I'm back with yet another file folder game! (I've mentioned how much I like these.. right??)

Shape matching! This game goes beyond the basic square, circle, triangle, and introduces preschoolers to a larger range of shapes. Now, I'm not expecting a toddler to understand the difference between a hexagon and an octagon straight up, but there is no harm in exposing them to these shapes and words from the get go.

For younger kids it will be a simple matching game, and learning to recognise the shapes, their names, and also colours (eg, What colour is the star?, Which shape is green?) For older kids you can talk about the shapes some more, for example, how many sides they have or what other things in life resemble the shapes.

New to file folder games? It's super simple to do!

Here's How!

You'll need to download the files at the bottom of this post. The PDF contains both sets of shapes and a cover page.

Print out each set twice.

Take one copy of each set and laminate the entire sheet. If you don't have a laminate machine you can use clear contact, or if you like you can leave the sheets as is. I laminate everything, so it can be used over and over.

Stick these 2 laminated sheets into the inside of your file folder. I used double sided tape to attach them as I find it sticks better.

Take the second copy of each set and cut the shapes out. Laminate the shapes, and cut them from the laminate sheet.

Here comes the fun part.. Velcro dots! I know I've talked about these before, but honestly, the VERY best way of attaching Velcro to laminate is by using the self adhesive sticky Velcro dots! Easy!

Place one dot on the back of the shape, and the other on the shape it matches on the folder. That's it! Your done!

If you are not using laminate or contact to cover your pieces, then I strongly recommend that you also avoid the Velcro. The pieces will rip when being removed if you have Velcro on them, so just sliding them into place would work fine. If this is the option you use, you can store the pieces in an envelope, and stick the envelope to the back of the folder, so pieces don't go missing.

Put the cover on the folder. Again, I used double sided tape. Boy I love that stuff!

That's it lovelies, you are done! Now let your toddler/preschooler have some fun with it!

Nature Play Dough Mat - Free Printable

Good morning all!

Well, we're officially in winter here now in Australia, and it's been getting colder and colder! This means lots more inside time with Master J.

This week I whipped up a new playdough mat set for Master J, and I have to say, he just loves it!

Not only is this a great set for play dough, but it is also perfect for dry erase markers AND for some outside play. That's right, because these are laminated you can take them outside! Master J had a blast sticking leaves on the tree and picking flowers from the lawn to put on the stalks. A quick wipe when we were done and the mats are good as new!

This set has a rainbow, flower stalks and 2 trees, one with leaves and one without.

New to play dough mats? It's easy as can be! Download the file, print it, laminate the sheets and BAM! That's it, you are done.  Grab the PDF below!

Multiple Use Sticker Squares for Learning and Games

Morning all!

Sometimes, the most versatile busy bag games can also be the cheapest! Which is always a plus when you have little ones to entertain!

Today's project is so cheap and simple, but it has a whole variety of uses, sticker cards!

That's right. Stickers and cardstock. Sounds pretty basic right? Well, it is! In fact, it's barely a tutorial, it's so simple.

I picked up these packs of 180 stickers from The Reject Shop last year, they cost me only $2 a pack, and as of writing this, they still have them available too, wahoo! If you don't have a Reject Shop in your area, most discount/bargain stores stock packs of stickers, cheap.

You'll also need some cardstock. I have a stack of A4 sized coloured cardstock I picked up for $3.

Optional: A laminate machine! Now, you don't NEED one of these. In fact, the sticker cards work EXACTLY the same without being covered. I prefer to use it, because it means my cards will last longer, and be able to be used year after year. You could also cover them with clear contact if you wanted to.

Cut your cardstock into squares. Mine are 1.5 inches (just shy of 4cm)

 

Stick your stickers to the middle of the squares.

Laminate, if you wish!

See, I told you it was simple!

What I love about these cards though, simplicity aside, is how many things you can use them for!

Colour Matching.

Kids can match either the colour of the cardstock or the colour of the stickers.

Grouping.
Group together the same items (even if they have different coloured backgrounds)

Play a game of Memory.
This can be a simple 4 or 9 square game for smaller kids, right up to as many cards as you can make for older ones. Imagine using all 180 stickers for the ultimate Memory challenge!

Pattern Recognition.
Figuring out what comes next in a sequence, either with the sticker, or flipping them over and using the blank side to make patterns from the colours. For older children, the challenge could be matching the sequence with both the card colour and the sticker!

Story Prompts.
This is a great one for older kids to practice their creative writing skills. Get them to pick out 3-5 cards at random, and write a story using the images as prompts. Lots of fun!

So, there are just a handful of ideas of fun and learning games, all from $5 worth of supplies. Budget games? Yes please! 

Felt Board Shapes - Ant Picnic

Good morning all!

Woohoo, it's time for some more felt shapes! This months set is.... Ant Picnic!

Master J has such a fascination for ants. He'll sit there watching them for ages, and follow them about the yard to see where they go. Super cute! I figured an Ant Picnic might be a fun play set and boy was I right!

This set includes some oversized foods, and of course, the ants! It's all really simple to make too, yay!

Never made felt board shapes before? It's sooooo easy! Here's how!

First, gather your supplies. You'll need some felt, some scissors, some glue (I use 450 quick dry), and if you like some paint! I use fabric puff paint, but really, most would work just fine.

1: Download and print the template. You can download the PDF file here.

2: Cut out the templates from the paper. Then, you can either use them to trace around with a pen onto the felt, or pin them to the felt. I prefer to trace, it's much easier. Chalk works great for darker colours!

3: Cut all the felt pieces out. You may want to cut more than one of each thing. We did extra ants, 2 apples (one green and one red) and used the same shape for cheese, a piece of pie, and a couple of cakes!

You'll also need to cut out some thin strips for the ants legs and glue them to the back of the ant. Trust me, its WAY easier to do that and glue them on, cutting around tiny legs, insane!

Glue the stem on the strawberry, and the rind behind the flesh of the watermelon.

4: Optional. If you want to add more detail to your pieces, this is where you get the paints out! I tend to mainly just outline mine, but you can go as crazy as you like here!

That's it, your done! See, super simple!

Number Puzzle File Folder Game

Morning all!

We've been exploring file folder games for a while now, and Master J really REALLY enjoys them! I really enjoy how easy they are to store, and to make.

Not only are they oodles of fun, but they are educational, and great for hand eye co-ordination too. I've got a few more of these up my sleeve this year so keep an eye out for them!

Today's file folder game is for puzzle number matching. We've been working on numbers a lot lately so I thought a puzzle match would be fantastic to help with number/word recognition and also matching. I have colour coded them to help out younger kids, but if you want to make it a little more challenging you could always print it in black and white.

If you've never made a file folder game before, they are super easy to do!

Here's How!

First, grab the files and print them, you can find them at the bottom of this post

Cut the pieces out! Now, I laminate EVERYTHING because I want them to last got a long time, but if you don't have one, you could always clear contact them, or not cover them at all and just use the pieces as they are, however I wouldn't use Velcro on them if you are not covering them, as they may rip easily.

I positioned the word side of each puzzle on some coloured paper and laminated the entire sheet, and then stuck it into the file folder with double sided tape.

For the other half of the puzzles, I laminated them cut them out, and used velcro self sticking dots for attaching them to the file folder in the right spots. Honestly, I had such trouble finding a way of sticking things to laminate! I went through 5 types of glue and nothing would hold, and then a friend mentioned the self sticking dots and they work PERFECTLY! So forget the glue, and grab the dots! I picked mine up from Woolworths (a big pack for around $6), but most craft/grocery/discount stores have them.

Then stick the cover on the folder and your done! Told you it was easy peasy. I used double sided tape for the cover too, and I didn't bother to laminate that piece.

The only thing left to do now is enjoy it with your little one!

Insect Play Dough Mats

Good morning lovelies!

Wow, we're ending out the second week in March already! Is it just me, or does it feel like this year is really flying? We're gearing up for both Mr Mamma, and Miss C's birthdays at the end of this month, busy busy!

Today I have for you, some super adorable insect play dough mats! Master J loves bugs. He loves to watch snails, chase grass hoppers and squeals with delight at butterflies as they fly past.

This set of mats incorporates some simple instructions, but as always, can absolutely be used for free play. We've also been using them for counting practice and colour recognition. What colour are the caterpillars stripes? How many spots are on the butterflies wings? Oodles of educational fun!

I've gone with A5 for these ones, like I did with the Monster Mats, instead of A4. I think I'll do that for all future ones as well. They just seem to work better that way. Because the sheets are laminated, you could also use them with a dry erase marker for even more usability!

This set has a lady bug, a butterfly, a bee and a caterpillar.

New to play dough mats? It's easy as can be! Download the file at the bottom of this post, print it, laminate the sheets and BAM! That's it, you are done.

Felt Board Shapes - Sweet Treats

Good morning all!

I'm so excited about today's felt shapes! I have to admit, I have a bit of a sweet tooth, actually our entire family does. Thankfully, these sweet treats are sugar free, fat free, and won't leave a mess on your toddlers hands (or have them bouncing off the walls!)

The Sweet Treat felt set comprises of donuts, ice-cream, cupcakes and of course cake! Because no dessert set would be complete without some good old fashioned layer butter cake! Om nom nom.

Never made felt board shapes before? It's sooooo easy! Here's how!

First, gather your supplies. You'll need some felt, some scissors, and if you like some paint! I use fabric puff paint, but really, most would work just fine.

1: Download and print the template. You can download the PDF file here.

2: Cut out the templates from the paper. Then, you can either use them to trace around with a pen onto the felt, or pin them to the felt. I prefer to trace, it's much easier.

3: Cut all the felt pieces out. You may want to cut more than one of each thing. We made 5 candles, 3 donuts, 2 cakes, 4 different cake frosting "flavours" and a heap ice-cream scoops and cupcake pieces! Because mixing and matching is fun!

4: Optional. If you want to add more detail to your pieces, this is where you get the paints out!

For the ice creams, I outlines the scoops in a matching colour, and added some detail on the cone with diagonal stripes. Waffle cones would look great too! You could also add sprinkles with paint, or choc chips, as well. I didn't, because I cut some leftover felt up into tiny strips to use as sprinkles. Make extra scoops for stacking fun.

For the donuts, I only outlined the icing, and not the actual donut. Again, you could add sprinkles to these too, and a whole variety of colours!

Candles! Such fun little additions. I made 5 initially, but I want to go back soon and do some more. They are excellent for counting! I outlined both the flame and the candle, and added some lines to give it that swirling texture that birthday candles often have.

I didn't outline the cake pieces. Mostly because so many other decorations usually get placed on the top, that I thought leaving them plain would create more open ended options for play. We've had sprinkles, candles and cherries from this set, but we have also put numbers and letters on the top of the cake, and fruits from another felt set. Oodles of fun!

Cupcakes! I have the most fun with these ones, because there are oodles and oodles of designs you can put on the cases! Try spots, dots, lines, stripes, flowers and even stars! Don't forget to make a few little cherries/berries for the tops! After all, decorating cupcakes is always a lot of fun.

That's it lovelies! That is the Sweet Treats set all done! Wait for all the paint to dry overnight and it's finished.

Play Dough Mats - Gumball Machine

Good morning lovelies!

If there's one thing Master J loves to do more than any other messy activity, it's play dough! He loves to squash it, smash it, pull it, poke it, roll it and jab it! He will happily spend a good 30 minutes totally engrossed in a blob of play dough and a few cookie cutters.

I decided to extent his play with a little educational aspect to it. He might be a little too little yet for a lot of numbers, but it never hurts to start introducing them into his play.

The idea for the gumball machines actually came from Miss L, who helped me design them in Photoshop, and picked out the colours! She has some more ideas, and so do I, so you can expect to see some more throughout the year.

Play dough mats are a fantastic resource for kids. They encourage learning while having fun, and add extra play aspects to their activities. The mats are laminated too, so they can be re-used again and again! Right now, he just has fun putting play dough blobs onto the shadows in the gumball machines, and doesn't seem too concerned about the numbers. He is, after all, only just (as in last week!) 3. But eventually we'll swap them out for a set without the shadows. The set has numbers 1-5, we'll eventually add to 10, but 5 seemed like a good starting point for his age.

We're also going to use them for placing pompoms on with a pair of tweezers, to help with his motor skills!

You can download the set of 5 with shadows and without in PDF format at the bottom of this post.

Simply save, print, laminate and play!

Felt Board Shapes - Cars

Good morning lovelies!!

The first in "new segments" for the blog this year is Felt Board templates!

Oh boy, does Master J just LOOOOOVE his felt board. It's so old and ratty looking, but he doesn't care, he loves that thing! I think though, I have equal amounts of fun planning and making little felt shapes for him to play with, and I figure, you guys might like them too!

Felt boards are cheap as chips to pick up, or you can make your own by simply gluing some felt to a piece of sturdy cardboard, or even in a photo frame (with no glass of course) or you could forego the board all together and just lay down a large piece of felt to use as a base for the pieces to stick to.

For our first felt set for the year, I thought we'd start with one of Master J's favs. Cars! These are super simple to make. In fact, it takes longer waiting for the fabric paint to dry than it does actually making the set! These make fun quiet time play toys, are excellent story prompts and also make fantastic gifts!

Here's how!

You will need:
Access to a printer
Some felt in various colours
Scissors
Puff Paint or Fabric Paint (I used both, but mostly a puff paint from Kmart)
Glue (I used good ol' 450 craft glue)
A Marker
Popcorn. Because mamma needs a mid project snack!

Let's get started

1: Grab the PDF file and print it. You can find the file HERE



2: Cut out the templates from the paper you just printed

3: Lay the template on the felt and either cut around it, or trace around it and then cut the pieces out.

4: Glue! Grab your glue and start putting your pieces together. Doors and windows onto cars, add the wheels too. Glue signs onto sign posts as well.

Eat some popcorn while you wait for the glue to dry enough to hold everything in place when you move it.

5: Paint! Get your puff paint or fabric paint and add white lines to the road (or yellow), stripes on the traffic cones, STOP to the stop sign, and lights on the traffic lights. You could add more detail to the cars if you like, but by this stage I was over squeezing paint out of tiny bottles.


Wait for it all to dry overnight and TADAA! A new set of felt cars for your little one!