HINTS & TIPS All pieces should be printed on heavy cardstock or index paper for durability. Any Office Supply Store sells the thicker papers – as well as the discount stores such as Wal-Mart and Dollar Stores. ( If you are making File Folder Games- the patterns are glued on to the inside of the file folder and can be printed on regular paper). You will also need to laminate the patterns once you have printed, coloured(if using black & white copies) and cut them out. If you do not have a laminating machine or access to one you can use clear contact paper as a substitute. Zip lock bags work the best for storage of small pieces and it also helps the children to develop fine motor control (learning to close the bags), as well as eye/hand co-ordination. LOTTO MATCHING BOARDS: print out two copies of pattern choice on heavy weight paper, laminate one board and cut out individual pictures on second board then laminate individual picture tiles to use to match on full board. You can make a number of theme related boards so that more than one child at a time can play this activity. These boards can also be played the same way as Bingo with one person ( child or yourself picking a picture tile from the pile of tiles and showing it to the group to see who has the matching picture) continue the play until someone fills their card or gets a line, etc. PUZZLES: Print patterns on cardstock or construction paper… Cut pattern in desired number of pieces first and then laminate. There are a couple of ways children can use the puzzles, they can put the pieces together without an example to follow, or you can make two copies, leave one pattern whole and cut the second into desired number of pieces and have child/ren place matching pieces together on top of whole pattern. I also like to use a file folder and glue whole picture on one side of the inside of the folder and have the children recreate the picture or pattern on the other side from the cut pieces.

FELT BOARD PIECES: print the patterns you want to use, cut, laminate, and add Velcro to the back of each piece, you can also use a piece of felt on the back, but I have found Velcro to work best, especially for larger pieces. Use the pieces at both Circle Time and Free Play. You can do matching on the Felt Board as well as discussing new concepts based around your current theme. MAGNET BOARD PIECES: print, cut and laminate pieces and attach a small piece of magnetic tape to the back of pieces. You can store your pieces in Zip Lock Bags and let the children use them the same as the felt board pieces at Free Play Time. STICK PUPPETS: This is super easy and the children love to do this any time. Just print, colour, cut and if you wish to use over again for circle time make a second set and laminate, then glue to a craft stick or let children make their own to take home. During Circle Time you can give each child a stick puppet and hold up their piece during the telling of the story or song and they are also great if introducing or reviewing Alphabet or Number concepts. Questions you might ask; Who has the letter A ? Who has the number 3? Etc. MEMORY GAMES: You will need two of each pattern. Print, cut, and laminate. To play; Select a certain number of pieces to be put down on the floor or table. Make sure there are two of each piece being used, mix them up and lay them face down and the play area. The number of pieces you use will depend on the ages of the children playing; fewer pieces for younger ones more for older children. The children take turns turning one piece over and then a second piece to try to find the match, if it doesn't match they turn both pieces back face down and it is the next child's turn. When a child finds a match they take their match away from the play space and get another turn. Continue playing in this way until all pieces have been matched. NAME PLATES: Patterns can also be used for labelling cubbies, coat hooks decorating bulletin boards, etc. Let the children decorate, then put their name on before laminating. If you are developing prewriting skills, make name plates with the child's name on cardstock, laminate, then allow children to use wipe off crayons or markers to practise printing their names. I have also used pictures and activities that are not coloured or decorated ( black & white) and just laminate, so the children can use over and over again at their leisure. If you use dryer sheets for your laundry, save the sheets for easy removal of wipe off crayons on your laminate sheets(this works for wipe off crayons only) it removes the wax of the crayons smoothly and leaves a smoother surface for reusing