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Seven-year-old Emma invented this fun literacy game using the valentines the kids got at school. It’s very simple:
- Put all the valentines (or cards with names on them, if your cruel mother recycled your valentines – thankfully I have forgiving children) into a bag or other container.
- Reach in and pull out a card, and write down that person’s name.
- Put the card back, reach in again. If it’s the same card, put a dot next to the name. If it’s a different card, write down that name.
- Repeat until you randomly decide that the game is over.
My kids learn a lot through this simple game! For five-year-old Johnny, it’s a lesson in reading and writing (that’s his list above). For seven-year-old Emma, it’s more of a math game – a lesson in statistics and things that skew results: larger cards get pulled out more frequently, and if you don’t shake up your container between turns you’ll pull the same cards out over and over, because they are sitting on top. For three-year-old Lily, it’s a lesson in basic sight word recognition, and this game got her thinking about which letters were in which friends’ names, which letters were in the most friends’ names, and which friends had the same letters in their names that she has in hers.
Do you have a favorite literacy or math game that you think my kids would enjoy? This statistics game often leaves even adults confused – including me!
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My kids love to make up games like this too :)
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 8th, 2013 at 6:28 pm
I love kid-designed games :)
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This is not only adorable, it’s a great idea! Plus, I think every kid activity should end with : “Repeat until you randomly decide that the game is over.”
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 8th, 2013 at 6:27 pm
I agree! It’s the perfect ending!
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I love the games your kids come up with! This one is a winner for sure.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 8th, 2013 at 6:27 pm
This was one of my favorites! At first I just thought it was funny, and then I saw how much they could learn through it.
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Your posts and ideas are always so simple but always give me such great ideas. I am a big believer in incorporating learning into the every day times, like at breakfast and in the car.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 8th, 2013 at 6:26 pm
Thank you! And I agree – you can learn anywhere!
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I love the games that kids make up. I especially love how Emma decides game over.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 8th, 2013 at 6:25 pm
I liked that, too :)
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What a great game!
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Very clever game Emma!
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 8th, 2013 at 6:23 pm
I thought it was pretty clever :)
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Super cute idea! I love when kids come up with lessons (especially involving math!)
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 8th, 2013 at 6:22 pm
Kid-designed lessons are the best!
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Very fun! I love how it’s personal, which really creates interest.
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 8th, 2013 at 6:19 pm
I thought she had a pretty brilliant idea!
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How interesting – this is an awesome idea from Emma!
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MaryAnne Reply:
March 11th, 2013 at 9:47 pm
I was really pleased that she came up with this game!
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[...] A simple literacy game that also builds math skills – designed by a seven-year-old. [...]