| ACTIVITIES: PUZZLES |
| FLANNEL TRAIN PUZZLE |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
 A
large piece of cardboard or foam board
One yard of green flannel
4-5 small pieces of felt (can be found at craft stores)
Duct tape and scissors |
| What to Do |
|
Make a flannel board by wrapping a foam board or cardboard with
flannel and securing it with a duct tape in the back
Cut out several felt shapes: one large rectangle, one small
rectangle, one square, one triangle, and two circles (making each
piece a different color will encourage color differentiation)
Assemble a train engine with your child, and then let them build
a train on their own
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| WHAT IS IT? |
| Age: Toddler+ |
| What You Need |
|
A large cardboard box
A light blanket or a blindfold
Various items, such as small toys |
| What to Do |
Put several small toys in a large cardboard box
Cover the box with a blanket, leaving just a small opening
enough to put two hands through (or you can use a blindfold instead)
Let children take turns picking up a toy while blindfolded and
trying to guess what it is
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| PUZZLE TREASURE HUNT |
| Age: Preschool+ |
|
This is a variation of a traditional treasure hunt. For younger children, use just one or two puzzles with the minimum number of pieces. For older children, you can add an extra puzzle or two, depending on how long you want the search process to be. |
| What You Need |
|
Several small (9-12 pieces) puzzles
A treasure (can be a birthday gift, or a prize if several teams are competing)
Small boxes |
| What to Do |
|
Put the puzzles together, flip them over, and write clues on the back of each puzzle (with each clue leading to the location of the next puzzle)
Take the puzzles apart, and put each puzzle in a separate box
Hide the boxes and the "treasure"
Let the search begin! |
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| MEMORY GAME |
| Age: Baby+ |
| Although this seems like an activity suitable
for older babies (that can point), you can play it with kids as
little as 5-6 months old. Just make sure to pay attention to the
non-verbal cues your baby is using instead of pointing! |
| What You Need |
|
A favorite toy
Three cardboard boxes (preferably of the same size)
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| What to Do |
|
Put three cardboard boxes upside down in front of your baby
Show him or her their favorite toy; slowly put it under one of
the boxes
Ask, "Where is... (the toy)? Where did it go?", and wait for the
baby to respond by cooing, pointing, or other means
Lift the box your baby points at, and say, "You found it! Here
it is!" (or, "It's not here, where else can it be?")
Continue looking until the toy is found
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| EXPRESS YOUR HEALTH!™ (Part 1) |
| Age: Big Kids |
| This is a great activity sheet from CDC (www.cdc.gov) that includes a maze on hand washing and a word search on staying safe. |
 Click on the picture on the right to open the activity sheet. It will open in a new window.
Note:
 This document is in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the file. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader, you may download a free copy from the Adobe Web site.
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| EXPRESS YOUR HEALTH!™ (Part 2) |
| Age: Big Kids |
| This is another fun and educational activity sheet from CDC (www.cdc.gov) that includes word scramblers on physical activities and a word search on healthy eating. |
 Click on the picture on the right to open the activity sheet. It will open in a new window.
Note:
This document is in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the file. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader, you may download a free copy from the Adobe Web site.
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| EXPRESS YOUR HEALTH!™ for
Preschoolers |
| Age: Preschool+ |
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This activity sheet packet from CDC
(www.cdc.gov) is intended for younger children and includes
coloring pages on nutrition and walking safety; connect-the-dots
and recipes for calcium-rich treats for strong bones; and a
choose-the-safe-way activity using shapes.
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 Click on the picture on the right to open the activity sheet packet (4 sheets). It will open in a new window.
Note:
This document is in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the file. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader, you may download a free copy from the Adobe Web site.
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