Untitled Document

Tips & Activity Ideas

Create a matching task by constructing your own large-piece "puzzle" from clip art. Find a suitable piece of clip art. Enlarge it to the desired size. Cut into large pieces using scissors or paper cutter. Glue pieces to heavy cardboard. Attach hook & loop fasteners to the pieces for use on a "puzzle board."

Create a matching task with dominos. Attach small pieces of sheet magnet to each domino with hot glue. Use a tin cookie sheet as a game board to keep pieces from sliding around.

Create a sorting task using a cupcake pan and small party related items. Sort according to kind regardless of color or size.

Modify number, letter, or word books by placing a piece of hook and loop material next to or over a number, letter, or word in the book. Make small cards to match the numbers, letters, or words in the book and students can use this matching activity over and over.

Add variety to daily work tasks by adding a new task each month with a holiday theme. For example:

January - create a sorting task using plastic Christmas tree snowflakes. Sort by size or kind.

February - create a packaging task of stuffing envelopes with valentines or by making up boxes/bags of cards (all the same or 1 of each kind).

March/April - create a put-in task of filling plastic eggs with inexpensive toys or with plastic or wood items. Store in egg cartons.

To keep interest and add variety, try changing the objective of existing tasks. Several examples are listed below:
Task of putting dominos into a container through a hole in the lid:

Alternate task 1: Sort the dominos into 3 pre-selected groups (e.g. all the dominos with six, two, and none).

Alternate task 2: If you are using colored dominos, sort by color.

Turn a packaging task into a sorting task and visa-versa.

Add something that doesn’t belong [and also does not fit the hole(s)] to a put-in task and give the student a tray or box for the pieces that do not work.

If you have a task that uses a deck of cards – play a game of War or Slap Jack.

Use the blocks in a sorting task to build towers or make patterns.

Change a stacking task into a sorting task.

Sometimes when students are using certain "box activities" the box tends to move around in the workspace which can add to the student's frustration in completing the task. Try the following tips to minimize the student's frustration level.

To minimize the movement of tasks or activities sliding around on the desktop of student’s workspace, affix cut pieces of bathtub/shower non-skid peel-and-stick strips to the bottom of the task box.

Hook and loop material also works very well. Just attached a strip of hook and loop (the soft part - about 6 inches long) to the student’s desk and the rough part of the hook and loop to the bottom of task containers that tended to move around.

Packaging is a practical and fun activity for students to learn. Outside of the classroom, they might use this skill to package birthday party bags, plates and napkins for a picnic, or school supplies.
Here are several great aids to help students learn this skill.
First, scan or photograph items, or use clip art to place the images on a sheet of paper so the student can place the items to pack on the paper. When they have found and matched all the objects, they are ready to pack.

Second, use an ice cube tray and any counting pieces to package bags of 12, 24, 36, etc. Place one (or more) counting pieces in each ice cube hole. When the tray is full, it is time to pack.

Create a “Junk Box” game for learning fun. Gather odds and ends, coins, nuts, bolts, bottle caps, left over game pieces, paper clips, brads, plastic silverware, small cups, empty pill bottles, plastic blocks, pipe cleaners, hair barrettes, rubber bands…anything and everything!

To play:
Form a circle on the floor or around a table where everyone can easily see the middle area. The person starting takes one item out of the box and places it in the middle of the group. The next person takes out an item that matches the first item in some way – same kind of item, same color, made from the same material [metal, plastic, etc.], same shape, same size, same category [food, toy, etc.] and places it beside the first item. The next person does the same and so on around the circle. No choice is incorrect if the choice can be justified!

Continue adding to your box of “junk” [and have class contribute also] so there will be new choices every time you play.

Use a cookie sheet as a work space. It creates a well-defined work area and lends itself to many tasks.
[1] Spell names or words with magnetic letters
[2] Attach magnetic tape to the back of picture cards and word cards to
make a matching activity.
[3] Use as a counting area when learning numbers or math facts

Egg cartons make great containers for matching activities.

Colored beads, coins, buttons, colored stones, large paper clips, rubber balls, jacks (as in Basic Skills Series 1, MAT – 111), small flowers, small colored clothespins, and eraser tips are a few items that work well – as long as it fits easily.
The teacher can set up the task with one of each of the items in the carton and have the student put the matching item in the hole underneath or beside (depending on how you place the carton in front of the student) or the student may put both matching items together in the tray of carton.

Put the items to be matched in a small container and keep it with the egg carton in a shoe-size box for easy access.

RECYLE!!! Save all sizes of sturdy containers to use as activity boxes.

Cut a small hole in the lid of a peanut butter jar, add a container of dried beans and you have a “put in” task.

Use whipped topping containers to store blocks and/or other medium size components of an activity.

Save an egg carton, add 155 pennies and you have a counting activity (1 to 12 - one number in each compartment).

Use the top of a cardboard shoebox and convert it to a base for stacking plastic cups. Cut holes just smaller than the lip of the plastic cups and push one cup through the hole making a base for the rest of the cups to be stacked - Use several different sizes to add additional challenge to the task.

Use a Scrabble game to practice “spelling words.” Give each student a tray and turn the letters face up. Students can find letters of one word at a time and place them correctly in their tray. Students can work independently or together to find words or play as opponents (who can find the word first).
Extra: Have student write each word they find.

Give old, unused games a new life by turning them into activities for your classroom or learning environment.

Connect Four works very well as a put-in activity. For a simple task the chips can be put in the slots in any order. For a more difficult task define a specific pattern, e.g. one color per column or one color per row, or alternate colors in each column or row - red, black, red, black, etc.

Close

	Create a matching task by constructing your own large-piece "puzzle" from clip art. Find a suitable piece of clip art. Enlarge it to the desired size. Cut into large pieces using scissors or paper cutter. Glue pieces to heavy cardboard. Attach hook & loop fasteners to the pieces for use on a "puzzle board."
	Create a matching task with dominos. Attach small pieces of sheet magnet to each domino with hot glue. Use a tin cookie sheet as a game board to keep pieces from sliding around.
	Create a sorting task using a cupcake pan and small party related items. Sort according to kind regardless of color or size.
	Modify number, letter, or word books by placing a piece of hook and loop material next to or over a number, letter, or word in the book. Make small cards to match the numbers, letters, or words in the book and students can use this matching activity over and over.
	Add variety to daily work tasks by adding a new task each month with a holiday theme. For example: January - create a sorting task using plastic Christmas tree snowflakes. Sort by size or kind. February - create a packaging task of stuffing envelopes with valentines or by making up boxes/bags of cards (all the same or 1 of each kind). March/April - create a put-in task of filling plastic eggs with inexpensive toys or with plastic or wood items. Store in egg cartons.
	To keep interest and add variety, try changing the objective of existing tasks. Several examples are listed below: Task of putting dominos into a container through a hole in the lid: Alternate task 1: Sort the dominos into 3 pre-selected groups (e.g. all the dominos with six, two, and none). Alternate task 2: If you are using colored dominos, sort by color. Turn a packaging task into a sorting task and visa-versa. Add something that doesn’t belong [and also does not fit the hole(s)] to a put-in task and give the student a tray or box for the pieces that do not work. If you have a task that uses a deck of cards – play a game of War or Slap Jack. Use the blocks in a sorting task to build towers or make patterns. Change a stacking task into a sorting task.
	Sometimes when students are using certain "box activities" the box tends to move around in the workspace which can add to the student's frustration in completing the task. Try the following tips to minimize the student's frustration level. To minimize the movement of tasks or activities sliding around on the desktop of student’s workspace, affix cut pieces of bathtub/shower non-skid peel-and-stick strips to the bottom of the task box. Hook and loop material also works very well. Just attached a strip of hook and loop (the soft part - about 6 inches long) to the student’s desk and the rough part of the hook and loop to the bottom of task containers that tended to move around.
	*Packaging* is a practical and fun activity for students to learn. Outside of the classroom, they might use this skill to package birthday party bags, plates and napkins for a picnic, or school supplies. Here are several great aids to help students learn this skill. First, scan or photograph items, or use clip art to place the images on a sheet of paper so the student can place the items to pack on the paper. When they have found and matched all the objects, they are ready to pack. Second, use an ice cube tray and any counting pieces to package bags of 12, 24, 36, etc. Place one (or more) counting pieces in each ice cube hole. When the tray is full, it is time to pack.
	Create a *“Junk Box” game* for learning fun. Gather odds and ends, coins, nuts, bolts, bottle caps, left over game pieces, paper clips, brads, plastic silverware, small cups, empty pill bottles, plastic blocks, pipe cleaners, hair barrettes, rubber bands…anything and everything! To play: Form a circle on the floor or around a table where everyone can easily see the middle area. The person starting takes one item out of the box and places it in the middle of the group. The next person takes out an item that matches the first item in some way – same kind of item, same color, made from the same material [metal, plastic, etc.], same shape, same size, same category [food, toy, etc.] and places it beside the first item. The next person does the same and so on around the circle. No choice is incorrect if the choice can be justified! Continue adding to your box of “junk” [and have class contribute also] so there will be new choices every time you play.
	Use a cookie sheet as a work space. It creates a well-defined work area and lends itself to many tasks. [1] Spell names or words with magnetic letters [2] Attach magnetic tape to the back of picture cards and word cards to make a matching activity. [3] Use as a counting area when learning numbers or math facts
	*Egg cartons* make great containers for matching activities. Colored beads, coins, buttons, colored stones, large paper clips, rubber balls, jacks (as in Basic Skills Series 1, MAT – 111), small flowers, small colored clothespins, and eraser tips are a few items that work well – as long as it fits easily. The teacher can set up the task with one of each of the items in the carton and have the student put the matching item in the hole underneath or beside (depending on how you place the carton in front of the student) or the student may put both matching items together in the tray of carton. Put the items to be matched in a small container and keep it with the egg carton in a shoe-size box for easy access.
	RECYLE!!! Save all sizes of sturdy containers to use as activity boxes. Cut a small hole in the lid of a peanut butter jar, add a container of dried beans and you have a “put in” task. Use whipped topping containers to store blocks and/or other medium size components of an activity. Save an egg carton, add 155 pennies and you have a counting activity (1 to 12 - one number in each compartment). Use the top of a cardboard shoebox and convert it to a base for stacking plastic cups. Cut holes just smaller than the lip of the plastic cups and push one cup through the hole making a base for the rest of the cups to be stacked - Use several different sizes to add additional challenge to the task.
	Use a Scrabble game to practice “spelling words.” Give each student a tray and turn the letters face up. Students can find letters of one word at a time and place them correctly in their tray. Students can work independently or together to find words or play as opponents (who can find the word first). Extra: Have student write each word they find.
	Give old, unused games a new life by turning them into activities for your classroom or learning environment. Connect Four works very well as a put-in activity. For a simple task the chips can be put in the slots in any order. For a more difficult task define a specific pattern, e.g. one color per column or one color per row, or alternate colors in each column or row - red, black, red, black, etc.