Here are some easy and creative activities you can make at home to practice matching with your children this fall!
Popsicle Stick Puzzles
- Line up and tape five to six large wooden popsicle sticks together on the back to create a little puzzle board.
- Paint the other side of the popsicle sticks or use markers to create a simple picture and let dry. Get creative! For a fall theme, you can draw pumpkins, apples, or a spooky ghost!
- Once dry, take the tape off of the back of your puzzle pieces and play!
This is a great way to get your little one to work on problem solving in addition to working on matching of pictures and colors. For older children, you can help them learn to spell their names or other words by writing a letter on each popsicle stick!
Pumpkin Shape Matching
- Draw or print out a pumpkin on paper or cardstock (cardstock and lamination is recommended if you plan on using it more than once)
- Draw shapes on the pumpkin with a black marker to create a face
- Cut corresponding shapes out of black construction paper (again, cardstock and laminate to use again!)
- Use tape or sticky velcro on the back of the shapes
- Provide shapes for your child to match the pumpkin’s “face”
To make it more challenging or to incorporate movement, print out a few pumpkins with different shapes on each and post them on the wall in your play area. Allow your child to choose a shape and find which pumpkin it matches! This activity will encourage matching and problem solving – and it’s a great indoor activity that gets your child up and moving when stuck inside on cool fall days!
Pumpkin Face Matching
- Print out several (5 or so) simple pictures of pumpkins with different jack-o-lantern faces.
- Using construction paper or colored felt, cut out a large pumpkin outline and different styles of eyes/mouths based on the simple pictures of the different jack-o-lantern faces.
- Have your child select one jack-o-lantern and select the correct features to make that face.
Not only is this a great activity to practice matching, but it is also good for shape recognition. You can also incorporate number concepts by encouraging your child to count the pieces used for each face.
Kimberly Shlaes, MAT, DT