For the full video visit our Show Me How channel.

It’s time to squeeze in as much fun outdoors with your little ones before the weather gets cold. Read on for instructions to play a fun outdoor scavenger hunt that will put everyone’s reading skills to the test! This activity focuses on sight word recognition. This practice is imperative for young new readers.

Here’s what you will need:

• Chalk
• Post-its, index cards or construction paper, etc.
• Pen, pencil or marker
• CVC and Sight Words

Take the kids outside if the weather permits. Write out words with chalk on the pavement. Then, write the same words on index cards and hide the cards to create a fun scavenger hunt! When it’s time to play have the kids find the hidden flash cards, and have them match the cards to the words written on the pavement.

To level up this game set a timer and see if the kids can find all the cards before time’s up! Or create your own rules. For example, find words that rhyme with the card you pick. For extra reading practice, ask each kid to read the words aloud whenever they find a flashcard.

Tips:

• Call out a word written on the ground have the kids hop to each word called.
• Create sentences with found words. Make it fun and silly!

If it’s a rainy day, but you would still like to get in some reading practice with your little ones you can write the sight words on construction paper and tape down the papers to the floor.

Share With Us!

There is so much potential for memorable creations from these activities, we hope you will share some of them with us! Snap a photo of the fun your child had and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Today, we will teach you how to play an early literacy inspired bean bag tossing game called, ABC Slam Dunk. It’s a fun game that will improve hand-eye coordination and get your kids moving around.  If the weather is nice, you can even bring this game outside. 

The learning goals of this game can vary from child to child depending on their age and reading level. Younger kids will have more practice recognizing different letter and colors. For older children, this game can help them with spelling and expanding their vocabulary.

Materials

• Letter and word cards
• Sealable bags
• Dried beans, rice, popping corn, or wooden beads
• Scissors
• Tape
• Colored felt swatches
• Glue

How to make the bean bag:

1. Cut the bottom of a sealable bag to create 2 smaller bags about 5in.
2. Use a piece of tap to seal the open slits in the bag
3. Fill you bag with dried bean. Leave about 1in (2cm) of room along the edges.
4. Place your bag on a piece of felt
5. Apply glue around the edges of the felt and press down to secure the glue.
6. Allow glue to dry before using.

Once you have the bean bags you can also use them for other games like hopscotch or Tic-tac-toe.

How to play:

1. Use a paperclip to attach a letter or word card to the bin
2. Call out a word or letter and then have your kids toss the bean bag to the corresponding bin

Tips:

• Depending on the type bins you have in your house you can attach the letter or words with a clamp, or you can use tape.
• This game has many variations to make it as challenging or as simple as you want. To make the game more challenging, you can ask the kids to come up with a word for the specific lettered bin they are tossing to.  You can also keep score or throw the bean bag from farther away.

We hope that you enjoy this educational and fun game. Snap a photo of the fun your child had and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

This activity is a perfect blend of crafting and play. We’ll show you how to make the shape monsters and then give you instructions for a game that you can play with your children with their monsters. Beyond the game, there are also so many opportunities for an imaginative play here! Have your kids name their monsters and create their own “make believe” game.

While creating the monsters your kids will also practice recognizing shapes and colors. Recognizing the attributes between multiple shapes will strengthen their ability to categorize items and communicate. And, if your children are very young you can supervise them as they cut with a scissor and glue down the different shapes. This practice will help them develop their hand-eye coordination.

Materials:

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Googly eyes (optional)

How to make hungry shape monsters:

1. Have your child choose what shape they would like to include. You can cut out the shapes in advance or have them cut the shapes themselves depending on age and experience using scissors.
2. Glue the shapes together and design your monster.

Tips:

• Make big shapes to create the body and smaller shapes for the mouth, nose and eyes.
• Ask engaging questions as your kids are crafting like, “How many sides does a pentagon have?”

Game: Feed the hungry monster!

Instructions:

1. Create the hungry shape monsters, but now include a empty cutout of a shape in the center.
2. Cut smaller shapes and hide them in a room.
3. Have your kids find the shapes.
4. Once they find the shapes, they can then feed the hungry shape monsters!  

Tip:

• For added fun, let your kids pretend to be the hungry shape monsters.

Share With Us!

There is so much potential for memorable creations from these activities, we hope you will share some of them with us! Snap a photo of the fun your child had and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Get into the Halloween spirit and make some spooky spaghetti! ! It’s a great activity that involves sensory play, and of course, candy. Sensory play is important for brain development and helps children reinforce their understanding of objects – it’s a hands-on learning experience for them.  The spaghetti will make the base the of your sensory bin. The goal is to get lots of different objects with different textures.

We encourage you to make your own variations for of this activity by adding different objects.  If you’re ready to be spooked read on!

Materials:

• One pound of cooked spaghetti
• White vinegar
• Tablespoon
• Food coloring
• One-gallon resealable plastic bag
• Spooky toy: e.g. eyeballs, witches, finger, bones, spiders, rubber snakes, pumpkins
• Blindfolds

This playful activity also develops fine motor skills from mixing the food coloring to shaking the spaghetti in the bag to absorb the food coloring.  We encourage you to get your kids involved with each step in making this Halloween inspired sensory bin.

Instructions:

1. Fill a small bowl with 4 tablespoons of white vinegar.
2. Add half a bottle of food coloring to the vinegar mixture.
3. Put the vinegar and food coloring mixture in a plastic bag.
4. Add the spaghetti to the bag and mix until the food dye and spaghetti are blended.
5. Allow the spaghetti mixture to sit for 1-2 hours to completely absorb the color.
6. Put the spaghetti into a bin.

Tip: Add two colors to teach your children color mixing. In our Show Me How episode we opted to mix red and blue food dyes to make purple.

Another variation of this activity is to add candy into the sensory bin! Blindfold the kids and have them to find the candy. An added challenge can be a taste test – keep the blindfolds on and see if the kids can guess the flavor of each candy correctly.

Ask the kids to describe each object. Having the kids explain each object will develop their communication skills.

Share With Us!
There is so much potential for memorable creations from these activities, we hope you will share some of them with us! Snap a photo of the fun your child had and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

We are excited to share a simple craft that incorporates math practice into everyday play! Most of the supplies you will most likely have home, but even if you don’t, there are plenty of easy substitutions you can make.

This activity is versatile for different age groups and math levels. The use of manipulatives is helpful for children who are just recognizing numbers – it’s a visual tool to explain simple mathematic functions such as addition and subtraction. And for older children, manipulatives can be used to explain slightly more challenging math operations such as division or multiplication.

Working with manipulatives also builds fine motor skills. If you’re eagerly looking for an activity that will be fun for your kids while practicing some math, read on!

Materials

• Paint
• Pom-poms
• Construction Paper
• Scissors
• Paint Brushes
• Plate or Palette
• Stickers

Step 1: Print out numbers and cut them out.

Step 2: Glue down the numbers on a sheet of construction paper.

Step 3: Put down stickers that correspond to the number.

Step 4: Get your paint ready on either a plate or palette.

Step 5: Grab a brush and paint on or around the numbers.

Step 5: Peel off the number to reveal the outline.

Tip: Try asking, “how many dots go along with this number?” Working with stickers as manipulatives in this activity teaches children number sequencing and subitizing.

Number sequencing means that numbers follow a certain order, and the act of counting teaches children this.

Subitizing is the ability to recognize the number of objects in a set without counting.

Another variation of this activity is to use pom-poms instead of stickers.  We encourage you to use different materials and get as creative as you want with this one.  We can’t wait to see what you create.

Share With Us!
There is so much potential for memorable creations from these activities, we hope you will share some of them with us! Snap a photo of the fun your child had and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Do you have a bunch of foam letter mats lying around your house? These mats offer endless opportunities to learn and play with your children. Below we have outlined several fun and educational games using foam letter mats that will inspire early spelling and reading skills, while getting your kids active and moving.

ABC Roadway

In this game drive letter to letter – bonus points for making it to all the letters A-Z!  

You can also fill a toy car or truck with letter cards and ask your kids to drive to the letter on the card.

Steps:

1. Put together a road by connecting the foam letter mats.
2. Fill a toy truck with letter cards.
3. Ask your kid to pick a card and call out the letter.
4. Drive to that letter on the map.
5. Depending on your kid’s reading level ask them to spell or think of a word that starts with that letter.

ABC Twister

Is there endless energy in your house? ABC Twister is a great way to get the jitters out. Have your kids move while also practicing their reading and spelling skills. The rules for this game are simple. Call out a letter and have your kids place whatever hand or foot that can reach that letter. See if they can stay upright the more letters you call out.

ABC Hopscotch

Hopscotch is another great game to release energy. It’s also a great teaching tool. Not only will your kids become better familiar with the alphabet in this ABC version of hopscotch but, they will also get in more counting practice as they jump from square to square.  

Steps:

1. Align the mats to form a hopscotch court.
2. Toss the bean bag and hop to the letter.
3. Once the bean bag lands have the kids shout out the letter.
4. Have them jump/hop to the letter where the bean bag landed.

ABC Dice

This a great activity for children learning how to spell and expand their vocabulary!

Steps:

1. Create three cubes that will become your dice.
2. 2 cubes will only have consonants and the other cube will be vowels.
3. Roll the dice and see if you can make any three letter words.

Tip:

• You can level up this game by adding a timer!
• You can also make several dice and form longer words.

Share With Us!
There is so much potential for memorable creations from these activities, we hope you will share some of them with us! Snap a photo of the fun your child had and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Get up and jump into some early addition and subtraction practice. We promise that this fun activity and craft will get your kids up and moving and away from a screen while building fundamental math skills. We also love that this activity involves lots of counting to build number sequence learning. Sequence learning teaches children that numbers follow a certain order. It all sounds pretty cool, right? Well hop to it and read on for the instructions!

Lily Pad Hopscotch

If the weather permits hopscotch is a great way to move around and enjoy the outdoors. Once someone reaches ten go back the other way and practice counting down. Whoever reaches 10 and makes it back to 1 first wins.

Materials:

• Chalk
• Dice

Instructions:

• Step 1 – Start by drawing 10 lily pads
• Step 2 – Write the number 1-10 on each Lily pads
• Step 3 – Roll the dice and leap to the number

Tips:

• Make up to 20 spots or more for older kids that want to count higher.
• If the kids are too young to write the number by themselves have trace the number after you have written it
• Have each kid shout the numbers as they jump from spot to spot

Lily Pad Hopscotch (Indoors)

If it’s raining or snowing, we love that this activity can be moved indoors. This version is the same protocol as the hopscotch game above except the materials that you will need are different. Cut the lily pads from cardstock or construction paper and then add the numbers on each lily pad. The final step is to tape the lily pads to the floor.

Materials:

• Green felt
• Cardstock or construction papers
• Scissors
• Markers
• Dice
• Stickers (optional)
• Tape

Tip:

• Place stickers on each Lily pad to correspond to the number this teaches subitizing. Subitizing is the ability to recognize a group without counting

Tabletop Lily Pad

Another way to make this activity suitable for inside is to make it a board game!

Materials

• Green cardstock or construction paper
• Foam
• Scissors
• Markers
• Glue
• Googly Eyes
• Dice

Instructions:

• Step 1- Cut lily pads and write down the numbers
• Step 2- Glue the lily pads down to your construction paper or cardstock to create a number line
• Step 3- Roll the dices and move that amount of lily pads on the number line

Tip:

• Use two dice to add as you move up the number line. Once you reach the tenth lily pad roll again and subtract the two numbers on the dice and move back down the number line.

Share With Us!
There is so much potential for memorable creations from these activities, we hope you will share some of them with us! Snap a photo of the fun your child had and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Reading doesn’t have to be a tedious chore!  We’ve detailed instructions below for a fun and creative craft that will get your little ones excited to make letters and spell.

This activity is suitable for young children just starting to recognize letters and older kids who want to get crafty while expanding their vocabulary.  The kids will have so much fun creating the letters and we promise many fun teaching moments along the way.

This craft also works to develop other skills that aren’t explicated explained the in the instructions. The process of figuring out how to make the letters can boost problem-solving skills and working with different materials can help improve fine motor skills.

Pipe Cleaner Play

Twist and turn the pipe cleaner to form the letters of the alphabet. Use scissors to make different sized letters and clip where it’s needed.

Tips:

• Spell names! Kid love spelling their own names.
• Get creative and form other shapes!

Play-Doh Tracing

Step 1: Stary by writing the letters on the construction paper.

Step 2: Then mold the Play-Doh to trace over the letter

Tip:

• Ask what sound each letter makes.

Felt Letters

Step 1: Use scissors or box cutter to cut letter shapes out of cardboard.

Step 2:  Wrap felt around the letter shape cut outs and glue it down. We also encourage using other craft supplies like pom-pom and pipe cleaners to decorate.

We love the flexibility that this craft provides. You can also consider making letters out of glitter, beads, straws, or even dry pasta. Get crafting and start spelling.

Share With Us!
There is so much potential for memorable creations from these activities, we hope you will share some of them with us! Snap a photo of the fun your child had and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Identifying patterns helps children make sense of the world around them. In patterns, we see order and can predict what comes next. Recognizing a pattern can help reinforce good behavior, allowing children to thrive in a new environment like a classroom. For example, instead of shouting to get a teacher’s attention we can teach children the good habit and pattern of raising their hand to ask a question. 

Pattern recognition also bolsters early problem solving and math skills.  When creating patterns children are asked to consider the quantities and properties of each item. With this in mind, let’s detail some simple activities you can create with your children that will involve lots of shapes, colors, and snacks! 

Fruit Loop Patterns

Materials:

• Fruit Loops (or similar cereal)
• Pipe cleaners
• Bowls

Step 1 – Sort

Have your child sort the different colored loops into separate bowls. This will help build organization skills and also save time later on when searching for specific colors.

Step 2 – Create

Try creating a simple pattern first, then ask your child to repeat it themselves. Afterwards, encourage them to make their own pattern by choosing the colors.

Shape Patterns

Materials:
Cellophane of different colors can be found at craft stores, dollar stores, and retail locations that sell gift wrap.

• Construction paper
• Colored cellophane
• Scissors
• Spray water bottle
• Bowls

Step 1 – Cut

Using the scissors, cut the construction paper and cellophane into different shapes. Assign a specific color to each shape (triangle, square, circle) for consistency.

Step 2 – Play

Lay the construction paper shapes on a tabletop and have (the?) children guess what comes next. For the cellophane shapes, place them on a window and spray once with water to make them stick.

Ice Tray Snack Patterns

Materials:
For this activity you will need a variety of finger foods, it works best with different colored foods but it is not absolutely necessary. Fruit and vegetables cut into small pieces work very well.

• Fruit or vegetables in small pieces
• Ice cube trays (regular plates can also be used)

Step 1 – Place

You can simply repeat the pattern exercises from the previous activities by having (the?) children place the pieces of food onto their tray.

Step 2 – Eat

Once you are done, have the children try eating their food in a pattern as well!

Mandalas

Materials:

• Plates
• Small pieces of candy, crackers, fruit, cheese, or cereal
• Glue (optional if your child wants to eat the mandala when you are finished)

Step 1 – Place

Arrange one item in the center and have your child create patterns that spiral outward.

Step 2 – Quiz

Ask your child to think of mandalas they might find in nature, such as snowflakes, flowers, or spiderwebs.

Share With Us!
There is so much potential for memorable creations from these activities, we hope you will share some of them with us! Snap a photo of the fun your child had and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Most pool noodles are made from polyethylene foam, which is difficult to recycle in most places. Instead of throwing those old noodles away, why not use them as material for crafting activity? This is a great way for your little ones to learn letter recognition, sight word formation and phonics. This will also help improve their vocabulary for CVC words (consonant, vowel, consonant three-letter words). You can download and print CVC cards with words for your kids directly from our website.

Materials:

This activity will require the use of a sharp knife, so you definitely will want to do the cutting part for your children. Just one color is fine, but noodles of varying color can make things more fun. You can find them reasonably priced at any large retailer.

● Pool noodles
● Sharp knife
● Cutting board
● Scissors
● Permanent marker (black works best)
● Large box or plastic bin to hold the letters
● Paper towel holder (optional)
● CVC and Sight Words

Step 1 – Write

Write your letters (upper or lower case) onto a section of pool noodle, make sure they are spaced far enough apart so that you can cut them easily.

Step 2 – Cut
This step should be done with the adult! Use a knife to cut the pool noodle so that each letter is on its own piece. Also cut a horizontal slit on the backside of each piece so that it can be slid onto the edge of a box or a bin.

Step 3 – Play
Using the edges of the bin that you keep your noodle letters in are a great way to keep all your items together and makes for easier cleanup. You can also use a clothesline, chair or any cardboard box you have lying around to hold your letters.

Step 4 – Make it a Game

Use a timer to provide more of a challenge for your kids. Ask them to form as many words as they can within a set time.

There are a variety of ways you can adapt the pool noodle idea to provide even more fun. Try using numbers instead of letters, or for older children write entire words on each piece and have them practice forming sentences.

Remember, these activities don’t need to take a lot of time or energy to assemble. Once you have the pool noodle alphabet, you can use for a fun game to play while you’re making dinner, during snack time or as a break from screens. Incorporating early literacy into your kids’ day doesn’t have to feel like school. It doesn’t have to feel like work. It can be as simple as a few minutes of playtime with an added literacy challenge. It’s the simple daily activities that reinforce early literacy concepts, and the time spent together bonding that instill a longtime love of learning in kids.

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We hope you have as much fun with this pool noodle activity as we did! We’re excited to see how yours turned out, so don’t be shy! Post the lovely fruits of you and your child’s labor on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

Celebrate Earth Day this year with this fantastic craft idea! The great thing about this activity is that it is just as much collecting the materials as it is putting them together. Simply find some basic household items, then lace up your sneakers to find the other items outdoors. It’s a great opportunity to get out into nature and explore while you search for the perfect natural decorations for your Earth Day project!

Materials:

• Paper grocery bag
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• School glue
• Leaves, flowers, small pebbles

Step 1 – Cut the bag

Use the scissors on the paper bag to make a bunch of thin strips. These will be used for the tree and flower stalks. Cut some larger pieces from the paper bag for the house, roof and chimney.

Step 2 – Place the paper pieces

Place some glue on the back of one of the longer strips from the paper bag and place it onto the construction paper, then add some smaller pieces for the branches. Glue some shorter strips for the flower stalks and then glue the house pieces beside the tree.

Step 3 – Decorate

Glue the largest leaves onto your tree. Place the flowers on top of the shorter stalks and smaller leaves on the sides. Any other leaves can be placed next to the house as shrubs or above the chimney as puffs of smoke. Glue the small pebbles along the bottom of the house as a final touch.

Share With Us!

Depending on the types of flowers and plants in your area, your final creation may look completely different from others. We’d love to see how yours turned out! Snap a photo and post it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #mothergooseclub.

As the pandemic continues, many of us have discovered that community and social interaction is not a luxury, but a necessity. While technology gives us amazing opportunities to spend time with others without even needing to be in the same country, it can’t provide the closeness of a shared meal, fireside jam session, or hug. And children—who crave near-constant attention and communication—are bearing the brunt of it. So, to keep you and your family sane as COVID-19 goes on, here are some tips for keeping your sense of community alive and flourishing.

Give Your Kids the Mic

Nothing is more frustrating than feeling like your voice isn’t heard, and for children, that feeling can come very often. So, the next time you’re having a phone or video chat with family, try setting aside a few minutes to let all the kids in the call put in their two cents. It may not seem like a lot, but it can go a long way towards making your kids feel heard and included.

Take Them on Tour

Seeing certain people every day and then suddenly never seeing them at all can be a shock for kids. For example, lots of little ones are no longer attending daycare or preschool and may miss their caregivers and teachers. One way to restore a sense of care and familiarity is (safe and scheduled) visits. With a drive-by “house call”, kids can say hello, see a familiar face, and keep a sense of connection with their community—all without even leaving the car. Just be sure to call or text ahead to make sure everyone is comfortable with the home visit and the timing.

Help Out

One of the best ways to feel connected with your community is to help others in need. And since children crave connection and love being “helpers”, it’s easy to find ways to involve them in community service activities. For example, they can help you organize canned goods for food drives or make cards for those who aren’t able to have visitors. Even very young children have skills for helping, such as filling a giveaway bag or picking up trash. The satisfaction they’ll feel from making someone’s life a little better will be priceless.

Have Virtual Playdates

Finally, kids will always need to be around people their own age. Parent and older sibling connections go a long way, but peer play is an irreplaceable part of growing up. So, about once a week, reach out to the parents of your kids’ buddies and arrange a 3- or 4-person group chat. Depending on their ages and interests, they could have a virtual tea party or play a game like charades or 20 questions. The ideas they can come up with all on their own are endless.

Community looks very different these days, and it could be a long time before things go back to normal, or we adjust to a new normal. And while kids have a lot of needs, they are also incredibly resilient and adaptable, and able to make their own “normal” out of nearly anything. These simple tips can go a long way to maintaining—and even building—a lasting sense of community and connection.