WINNING WITH GAMES!

I used to love to make and play games in my classroom. I would often tell my children, “If you work hard in reading group, then we’ll have time to play a game at the end.” What they didn’t realize was that the game usually reinforced a skill we were working on.

Over the next few days I'll share a few of my “favorite games” that I have played with children over the years. Adapt them, change them, and, above all, have FUN with them! 

Hint! Games are also a great way to reinforce skills that might be part of your assessment at the end of the year.


Flippers
SKILLS: letters; sounds; math facts; contractions; antonyms, etc.
MATERIALS: spatula, poster board, markers
DIRECTIONS: Cut 3 ½” circles out of poster board. Write uppercase letters on one side and lowercase letters on the other. Place the circles on the floor or a table. Children name the letter on one side, and then flip it over to self-check.

Hint! Craft foam and corrugated cardboard also make good flippers.

More! Write words on one side and glue matching pictures on the back.

Write children’s names on one side and glue their picture on back. 

Put pictures on one side and initial consonants or vowels on back.

Put sets, number words, or math facts on one side and the answer on
 the reverse side. 

Write antonyms on opposite sides. 

Write two words on the front and the contraction on the back.


What’s Up, Pup?
SKILLS: phonics; rhymes; sets and numerals; math facts
MATERIALS: Construction paper, scissors, markers, old workbooks, glue
DIRECTIONS: Cut puppies out of construction similar to the one shown.
Cut pictures of familiar objects from workbooks. Glue a picture on the puppy’s tummy and the corresponding initial letter under the ear. Children identify the sound and then check by lifting the ear. 

More! Use this pattern for matching upper and lowercase letters, words and pictures, math facts, etc.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljZGxkcDZmaFQ4UVU/view?usp=sharing


Go Fishing
Why? letters, sight words, math facts, etc.
What? stick, string, magnet, brad fastener
How? Cut out fish using the pattern on the following page. Write skills on the fish and attach a brad fastener for eyes. Tie one end of a piece of string to the stick and attach the magnet to the other end of the string. Spread the fish out on the floor. Children try to catch a fish by dangling the magnet over the eye. They can keep the fish if they can identify the information on it.




Tic Tac Toe
Children will need paper, crayons, and a hard surface. Tell them to make a big tic tac toe frame in the middle of their paper. Next, ask them to write a letter in each section. Randomly call out alphabet letters. If they have that letter on their grid they can color it in. The first one to get three in a row or cover their whole frame wins.
*Adapt for numbers, sight words, or other skills.