5) Cases for Games with Two Pointers

(5) Cases for Game Modes with Two Pointers

What's This Taste?

(Distinguishing Different Tastes, for ages 3 ~ 3 1/2)

Please help the child match the food items with their corresponding tastes.

ACTIVITY WHEEL

Suitable Age: 3 ~ 3 1/2 years old

Main Objective:

To improve the identification and familiarity of the different senses of taste.

Secondary Objective:

To further introduce and improve the recognition of different tastes in foods.

Illustrations:

Chocolate, coffee, sausage, banana, salt, watermelon, lemon, kiwi.

Game Guidance:

1. Different children will have slightly different experiences and gauges for their senses. Therefore, it might be useful to prepare some food ingredients for the child to try and experience the tastes for himself. After the initiatives have been taken to understand the child’s baseline for his or her senses, it is time to begin the game activities. 2.Try to find the names of different food items illustrated in the game story, and have the child attempt to describe what each food item would taste like from previous experience. It might be useful to the phrases sound like rhythmic nursery rhymes to make them more interesting. By having fun with the way you say the names of the food and how they taste, the child can have a better time recognizing and remembering. 3. Combine the two pointers together into one and place them on the 12:00 position on the disc. Start spinning the disc and once it has stopped, match the different foods based on the designated one and their tastes. For instance, “If the pointer points to the kiwi fruit when the disc stops, then the child can attempt to use the other pointer to find another fruit that also tastes sour.”

Additional Activities:

Place different fruits into a box or bag and have the child guess what they are by touch. Then encourage the child to smell and taste the fruits to connect the different senses. 32

ACTIVITY WHEEL

Bigger or Smaller

(Distinguishing Sizes) Please help the child identify the order of the animals by ranking their size. Suitable Age: 4 ~ 4 1/2 years old

Main Objective:

To help the child understand which animal is the largest, the smallest, slightly larger, and slightly smaller in comparison to another animal.

Secondary Objective:

To help the child identify and understand the size relationships through comparison.

Illustrations:

Whale, elephant, bear, tiger, dog, rabbit, mouse, goat.

Game Guidance:

1. Before starting the game, ensure that the child has a full understanding of the names of the corresponding pictures of the animals, as well as their relative sizes.

You may also provide additional animal pictures to help the child get a feel of the actual sizes of the animals in relation to one another. 2. Then assist the child in comparing and determining the relative sizes of each of the animals.

Ranking Method:

1. Ordering from Largest to Smallest a. First Method of Ordering : (Concept of “Largest”) Find and select the largest animal from the eight illustrations. Do the same for the remaining seven illustrations and repeat until all illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “largest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with the largest first. For instance, “Whale > Elephant > Bear > Tiger > Goat > Dog > Rabbit > Mouse.” b. Second Method of Ranking: (Concept of the “Next Largest”) Find and select the largest animal from the eight illustrations, such as the whale. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the entity that is just smaller than the whale, such as the elephant. By finding the animal that is just 33 smaller than the previous largest animal, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the largest while becoming more familiar with comparing size.

ACTIVITY WHEEL

2. Ranking from Smallest to Biggest a. First Method of Ordering: (Concept of “Smallest”)

Find and select the smallest animal from the eight illustrations. Do the same for the remaining seven illustrations and repeat until all illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “smallest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with the smallest first. For instance, “Mouse > Rabbit > Dog > Goat > Tiger >

Bear > Elephant > Whale.” b. Second Method of Ranking: (Concept of the “Next Smallest”)

Find and select the smallest animal from the eight illustrations, such as the mouse. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the entity that is just bigger than the mouse, such as the rabbit. By finding the animal that is just bigger than the previous one, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the smallest while becoming more familiar with the concept of “next smallest”.

Finding Contrast:

1. Contrast between objects: Size is a relative attribute between two objects rather than an absolute attribute. Therefore, whether something is bigger than another first requires a direct comparison of the two objects in order to establish the size relationship. For instance, “When compared with the rabbit, the tiger is bigger and the rabbit is smaller. However, the tiger is smaller when compared with the elephant.” 2. Combine the two pointers together into one and place it on the 12:00 position on the disc. Then start spinning the disc until it stops. Note the illustration the pointer is pointing to and move the other pointer to point another object. Compare the relative tallness of the two entities that are being pointed at. For instance, “If one pointer is pointing at the rabbit while the other is pointing at the mouse, you can ask which one of the two is bigger or smaller.” As a follow-up question, you can also ask what other things are bigger or smaller than rabbit.

Additional Activities:

Have the child compare and rank the size of objects that can be found in the daily environment, by following similar game procedures.

ACTIVITY WHEEL

Thicker or Thinner

(Distinguishing Thickness) Please help the child recognize the order of the objects by ranking their thickness.

Suitable Age: 4 ~ 4 1/2 years old

Main Objective:

To help the child understand which object is the thickest, thinnest, slightly thicker, or slightly thinner in comparison to another object.

Secondary Objective:

To help the child identify, recognize and understand the relative attributes through comparison.

Illustrations:

Bucket, plastic bottle, mug, tin can, finger, pencil, drinking straw, pin.

Game Guidance:

1. Before starting the game, ensure that the child has a full understanding of the names and the corresponding pictures of the objects, as well as their thickness in relation to one another. You can begin by telling the child that all these objects will be compared in terms of thickness and thinness. You may also provide real objects to help the child get a feel of the actual thickness and properties of the objects in comparison to one another. 2. Then assist the child in comparing and determine the relationships of each of the objects.

Ranking Method:

1. Ordering from Thickest to Thinnest a. First Method of Ordering: (Concept of “Thickest”)

Find and select the thickest object from the eight illustrations. Do the same for the remaining seven illustrations and repeat until all illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “thickest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with the thickest first. For instance, “Bucket > Plastic Bottle > Mug > Tin Can > Finger > Pencil > Drinking Straw > Pin.”

ACTIVITY WHEEL

b. Second Method of Ranking: (Finding the Next Thickest)

Find the thickest object from the eight illustrations, such as the bucket. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the object that is just thinner than the bucket, such as the plastic bottle. By finding the next thickest object in the selection, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the thickest while becoming more familiar with comparing thickness. 2. Ranking from Thinnest to Thickest a. First Method of Ordering: (Concept of “Thinnest”)

Find and select the thinnest object from the eight illustrations. Do the same for the seven remaining illustrations and repeat until all illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “thinnest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with the thinnest first. For instance, “Pin > Drinking Straw > Pencil > Finger >

Tin Can > Mug > Plastic Bottle > Bucket.” b. Second Method of Ranking: (Concept of the “Next Thinnest”)

Find the thinnest object from the eight illustrations, such as the pin. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the object that is just thicker than the pin, such as the drinking straw. By finding the next thinnest object in the selection, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the thinnest while becoming more familiar with the concept of “next thinnest”.

Finding Contrast:

1. Contrast between objects: Thickness is a relative attribute between two objects rather than an absolute attribute. Therefore, whether something is thicker than another first requires a direct comparison of the two objects in order to establish the size relationship. For instance, “When compared with the drinking straw, the pencil is thicker while the straw is thinner. However, the pencil is thinner when compared with the mug.” 2. Combine the two pointers together into one and place it on the 12:00 position on the disc. Start spinning the disc until it stops, note the illustration that is pointed and move a second pointer. Compare the relative tallness of the two entities that are being pointed at. For instance, “If one pointer is pointing at the drinking straw while the other is pointing at the pin, you can ask which one of the two is thicker or thinner.” As a follow-up question, you can also ask what other objects are thicker or thinner than the drinking straw.

Additional Activities:

Have the child compare and rank the thickness of objects that can be found in the daily environment, by following similar game procedures.

ACTIVITY WHEEL

Taller or Shorter

(Distinguishing Heights) Please help the child recognize the order of the objects by ranking their heights.

Suitable Age: 4 ~ 4 1/2 years old

Main Objective:

To help the child understand which object is the tallest, shortest, slightly taller, or slightly shorter in comparison to another object.

Secondary Objective:

To help the child identify, recognize and understand the relative attributes through comparison.

Illustrations:

Father, mother, older brother, younger sister, toddler, dog, cat, mouse.

Game Guidance:

1. Before starting the game, ensure that the child has a full understanding of the names and the corresponding pictures of the objects, as well as their height in relation to one another. You can begin by telling the child that all these objects will be compared in terms of their heights. You may also give real examples in the environment to help the child get a feel for the actual heights of the various objects in comparison to one another. 2. Then assist the child in comparing and determining the relative heights of each of the objects.

Ranking Method:

1. Ordering from Tallest to Shortest a. First Method of Ordering: (Concept of “Tallest”) Select and remove the tallest entity from the eight illustrations. Perform the same procedure on the remaining seven illustrations, and repeat until all the illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of “tallest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with tallest first. For instance, “Father > Mother > Older Brother > Younger Sister > Toddler > Dog > Cat > Mouse.” 37

ACTIVITY WHEEL

b. Second Method of Ranking: (Finding the Next Tallest)

Find and select the tallest entity from the eight illustrations, such as the father. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the entity that is the next tallest in comparison with the father, such as the mother. By finding the next tallest entity in the selection, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the shortest while becoming more familiar with comparing heights. 2. Ranking from Shortest to Tallest a. First Method of Ranking: (Finding the Shortest)

Select and remove the shortest entity from the eight illustrations. Perform the same procedure on the remaining seven illustrations, and repeat until all the illustrations have been exhausted. This exercise can strengthen the concept of

“shortest” in the child’s mind, while allowing him or her to generate a ranking order with shortest first. For instance, “Mouse > Cat > Dog > Toddler > Younger Sister > Older Brother > Mother > Father.” b. Second Method of Ranking: (Finding the Next Shortest)

Find and select the shortest entity from the eight illustrations, such as the mouse. Then from the seven remaining illustrations, find the entity that is just taller than the mouse, such as the cat. By finding the next shortest entity in the selection, the child can also produce a ranking order starting with the shortest while becoming more familiar with comparing heights.

Finding Contrast:

1. Contrast between objects: Size is a relative attribute between two objects rather than an absolute attribute. Therefore, whether something is taller than another first requires a direct comparison of the two objects in order to establish the size relationship. For instance, “When compared with the mouse, the cat is taller. However, the cat is shorter when compared with the dog.” 2. Combine the two pointers together into one and place it on the 12:00 position on the disc. Start spinning the disc until it stops, note the illustration the pointer is pointing to and move a second pointer. Compare the relative tallness of the two entities that are being pointed at. For instance, “If one pointer is pointing at the dog while the other is pointing at the toddler, you can ask the child which one of the two should be taller.” As a follow-up question, you can also ask what other things are taller or shorter than the dog?

Additional Activities:

Have the child compare and rank the tallness of objects that can be found in the daily environment, by following similar game procedures.

ACTIVITY WHEEL

Shadow Puppets

(Developing Fine Motor Skills) Please help the child create different shadows depicting animals with both hands.

Suitable Age: 5 ~ 5 1/2 years old

Main Objective:

To improve the child’s hand-eye coordination and fine motor skill.

Secondary Objective:

To improve the child’s concentration and self-motivation by learning through constructive thinking and mimicry.

Illustrations:

Rabbit, rabbit shadow, eagle, eagle shadow, crow, crow shadow, snail, snail shadow.

Game Guidance:

1. Familiarize the child with the illustrations and practice making basic movements with his or her hands, such as: making a fist, opening both palms, and clapping the hands together. These warm-ups may allow you to discover challenges that the child may be facing at performing these motions. 2. You can begin by introducing the characteristics of various animals, perhaps by making their shadows with your hands and allowing the child to guess which animal is it that you are trying to make. The eagle and the snail are easier to do, and so starting with them is recommended. Once the child has grasped the basic idea, then work up to the crow and the rabbit. If the child is unable to successfully make the animal shadows, you can help them by breaking down the hand motions into individual, incremental steps. 3. To play with the disc, first combine the long and short pointers together and place them on the 12:00 position. Start spinning the disc until it stops, then ask the child to try to make the pointed shadows with his or her hands, and match the animal with the correct shadow by moving the other pointer by itself to it.

Additional Activities:

Use a light source to project the shadows onto a wall and encourage your child to make the animal shadows for real.