Games for the Early Years: 26 Games to Make and Play

Description

The games:

• Teach and reinforce essential basic early years skills
• Help children to work together and take turns
• Introduce concepts such as colour, shapes, numbers and healthy eating
• Link to common early years themes such as clothes, weather, transport, dinosaurs and animals.

The teacher’s pages contain clearly laid-out learning objectives, together with curriculum and book links, making it easy to integrate the games into the curriculum.

Many of the games in Games for the Early Years were developed several years ago and successfully used by many young children. Each game is valuable in teaching basic skills and helping children work together to find out about new concepts.

The games can be played with up to four children and an adult or older child guiding. Some games can be played to have a ‘winner’ although it is very important to develop social skills and focus on turn taking.

The games can be simply made by duplicating the materials, colouring and laminating. Once the games are laminated or covered with sticky-back plastic they will have an unlimited classroom life and make it well worth doing. The games need to be stored in a box or zip up wallet.

The dice can be made by cutting, folding and colouring the appropriate design or by using a coloured cube. Blank dice can be bought from some education suppliers.

To play the games the pictures and baseboards need to be shared out and the rules explained. The children need to take turns and to be involved in what their friends are doing. Playing these games together, following the curriculum link and sharing the story books together helps develop a range of educational ideas and gives opportunities for children to extend their learning and to have fun.