Learning Games Archives - Page 3 of 20

Amazing Programming Games and Activities Online for Kids

July 4, 2017 By Deirdre

I am getting ready to do a presentation at the Upstate Technology Conference on coding off and online. Today I want to share with you some online programming games I have found. There are a number of programming games and activities online for kids available online. Guess what!? Some of them are free and amazing! Here are some of the free programming games and activities I found.

Amazing Programming Games and Activities

Code.org

This program was designed to be used by children age 4 and up. I have used it with children 6 and up.

Do you have to create a login?

Children can explore the activities in four courses and the Hours of Code without logging into the site. (The Hour of Code is an annual event that children participate in the early winter. There is a number of Hour of Codes you can explore.) The Hour of Code activities feature popular themes like Angry Birds, Frozen and Star Wars.

Why log in?

Teachers and parents can set up logins for their children. When children do activities after logging in, their progress is recorded and they can work toward the end of course certificates.

How will you program?

Puzzle pieces with coding words or symbols on them are put together to create the path or algorithm need to complete a puzzle or maze.

Scratch

This site was designed for children ages 8-16. They can use puzzle command pieces to create animated scenes, music, stories, and activities. There is a Scratch Jr. app you can download for free that looks easy for young children to use.

Do you have to create a login?

No, you don’t have to log in. You can download it to your computer or explore it online without logging in.

Why log in?

You can save your creations and interact on discussion boards. When you log in can see other people’s creations.

Code Academy

Code Academy has coding and programming activities. It really isn’t a programming game site per se, but its exercises feel like games. It is a great way for older children to learn to write code.

Do you have to create a login?

Yes, you do have to create a log in.

Why log in?

It offers courses on a variety of different codes. Each contains lessons, projects, and challenges.

Crunchzilla

Cruchzilla has programming games and activities for tweens and adults. It invites visitors to explore its four tutorial areas using live code. Kids will change the existing code to move objects around on the screen.

Do you have to create a login?

No, you don’t have to create a login.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy has an array of programming tutorials and games. It is definitely for kids older than 8. The site mentions it can teach kids to code in an hour.

Do you have to create a login?

No, you don’t have to create a login.

Why log in?

You can save your progress.

Code Combat

Children play a series of programming games while learning how to code. It appears to be geared toward children age 9 and up. The games are interactive and have fun graphics. Children have a choice of coding in one of four languages.

Do you have to create a login?

No, you don’t have to.

Why login in?

You can save your progress if you log in and you can interact with others in your clan. Teachers can set up logins for their students or students can set up their own logins. You can access teacher guides.

Other Sites You May Want to Explore

Made with Code– This site has several projects to explore like Wonder Woman and Garden Robot.

Kids Ruby– This is a program you can download

Here are some of the offline activities I will be sharing at the conference:

Cup Stacking Algorithm Activity with Printable

ABC’s of How to Read Binary with Printable

Amazing Coding Games and Activities to Try Right Now

LEGO Braille Alphabet – Three Blind Mice STEM Activity

June 17, 2017 By Deirdre

I was reading about a set of Braille bricks created for literacy and inclusion for blind children. That got me thinking about how our children might like exploring the Braille alphabet with traditional LEGO. While they could explore all the letters individually, but it might be fun to try to create words with LEGO. That leads me to think of a book or poem that children could read or hear about something or someone that was blind. After hearing that story or poem, they could build words based on the book. The Three Blind Mice was what I came up with. Why? The three blind mice would not be able to read about themselves in a traditional book. They would need the Braille alphabet.

The links below may be affiliate links.

Your children are probably familiar with the story of the three blind mice. If they aren’t you may want to read it to them from a nursery rhyme collection like The Real Mother Goose. Your children may think it is a little gross. They may not like that the mice lose their tails.

LEGO Braille Alphabet

Putting the Alphabet Together

You will first need to gather together a number of 1×1, 1×2, and 1×3 bricks. They will be all your children will need to create most Braille letters. If you plan on having them create letters with the letters q or g, you will need to gather 2×2 blocks too. A 16×16 base plate will be needed to place your letters on.

Then you will need to print out a copy of the Braille alphabet along with the Three Blind Mice printable for your children to use.

Getting the Activity Started

Your children will need to build the words three blind mice with LEGO. If you are using a base plate larger than the one we used, your children may be able to construct the words on one line. If you are using one the same size as ours, they will need to use three rows with one space between each letter and row.

Before they start building, they will need to use the Braille alphabet to fill in word dots on the Three Blind Mice printable. It will help them know where to place to bricks on the base plate.

Once they have their words on paper, they are ready to build.

Beyond the Three Blind Mice

After building the words three blind mice, they will probably want to create more words. I have created a printable you use for random words your children come up with. The link shared above for the Braille alphabet has wonderful printables that share words in themes for your children to use.

If you like this LEGO activity, here are some more LEGO activities your children will enjoy!

Rainbow Hexbug Track

How long will your boat float?

Counting Syllables with LEGO Bricks

Over in the Meadow LEGO Creations and Book

STEM Engineering- Houses for the Three Little Pigs

Let’s Explore Math Concepts! Preschool Patterns with LEGO

June 15, 2017 By Deirdre

$Let's Explore Math Concepts! Preschool Patterns with LEGO$

Patterning is something that children will be exploring over and over again as they grow up. There are so many math, science, and language patterns that they will encounter. This simple math activity was designed to use LEGO to explore preschool patterns. I am going to share with you a

I am going to share with you an activity that explores AB patterns, but your children can explore ABC, ABA, ABBA, or other patterns. This idea isn’t that they just make every other block the same color. They idea is that you talk with your children about the pattern and have them predict what color will be next. Let me walk you through how you can explore preschool patterns with your children.

Preschool Patterns

$Let's Explore Math Concepts! Row Two$

Getting Ready

You will need to put out a base plate for your children to use as work space. We had a 16×16 base plate so that is what we used. If you have a bigger base plate available to use, please feel free to use it.

Warning: By using a smaller base plate we did break a patterning rule. The rule states that a pattern really isn’t a pattern unless it is repeated three times.

Next, you will need to pull out bricks in eight different colors. You will at least three of each of the colors.

Getting Started

You will need to have your children pick out two colors they want to start with. Then they will need to place them in piles by the workspace.

Then they will need to decide what color they want to start with. They will place that brick on left-hand edge at the top of the workspace.

Completing Row One

You can then help them figure out that the second color will need to go right beside it in a row.

Children will continue to repeat that pattern until the reach the end of the row. It is okay if they don’t end the pattern. If it is important to you that they do, they can put the remaining brick beside the row on the table.

$Let's Explore Math Concepts! Finish the Row$

Completing Row Two

Children can look at the top row they have completed and use it as a model for completing the second row. You can have them use the same colors or select two totally different colors. The pattern they are exploring will stay the same.

$Let's Explore Math Concepts! Finished Pattern$

Completing Row Three

Row three will continue to explore preschool patterns, but you will start the row for them. You will need to place two different colored bricks in the row. It doesn’t matter where you place them. Your children will fill in the missing blocks to complete the pattern. They can refer to the two rows above it to figure out where they need to place the bricks.

If you are looking for more great LEGO learning ideas, you will want to check these out:

STEM Engineering- Build Houses for the Three Little Pigs

Ocean Themed LEGO Counting Mats

LEGO Geometry Riddles

Building a LEGO Conveyor Belt

LEGO Calm Down Fidget Spinner

Easy LEGO I Spy

$Let's Explore Math Concepts! Preschool Patterns with LEGO : Children at home or students at school can explore how to build simple patterns with brick and a base plate.$

Magnetic Games for Kids- Pipe Cleaner Fireworks in a Jar

June 11, 2017 By Deirdre

Your students in class or children at home with love exploring these magnetic games for kids. They all feature a magnet wand and a jar filled with pipe cleaner fireworks. Some of them are really easy and would be great for young children. Some of the magnetic games will tricky and may take some concentration. They would be better suited for older children.

Putting the Magnetic Games for Kids Jar Together

Find the Right Jar

The first thing you will need to do is locate a jar with a large opening. While you can use a jar or bottle with a small opening, it is easier to place the fireworks in a wide mouthed jar. We used a plastic peanut jar.

Making Pipe Cleaner Fireworks

Links below are affiliate links.

Next, you will need to make the fireworks together. You will need a variety of blue, red and white pipe cleaners. (glitter pipe cleaners are fun to add to the jar.)

You can make large fireworks by cutting a pipe cleaner into thirds. Then you can twist the three pieces together to make a star.

Small fireworks can be made by cutting a pipe cleaner in half. Then you can cut the halves into three pieces. The three small pieces can be twisted together to create stars.

Magnetic Wands

We used amagnetic wand to play the magnetic games for kids. If you have a bar magnet or even a refrigerator magnet, you can use one of them instead.

Magnetic Games for Kids

Up, Down, and All Around

Children can use the magnet to move one of the fireworks up, down and all around the jar without attracting any other firework stars.

Grab A Lot

Children can try to gather as many pipe cleaner stars as they can without dropping any.

Rising and Falling Fireworks

Children can try to attract several stars with the magnet. Then they will try to bring them to the drop of the jar. Next, they will find a fun way to drop them back into the pile of fireworks.

Dancing Fireworks

Children can create a dance for the fireworks pipe cleaners. They can move the wand in circles, waves or angles to make the fireworks dance.

Tying the Activity into a Book

You may want to read a fireworks-themed book to your children before or having them explore the magnetic games. Here are some wonderful fireworks-themed books.

Links below are affiliate links.
Red, White, and Boom!
The Night Before the Fourth of July
Fourth of July Mice!

How to Make Fireworks Straw Rockets

June 10, 2017 By Deirdre

You really seemed to enjoy the Leap Frog Straw Rockets I shared with you a few weeks ago. With the 4th of July right around the corner, I thought you might enjoy fireworks-themed straw rockets. It might be fun to have your children do a 4th of July picnic early in the day or right before it gets dark and the real fireworks go off.

The leapfrog straw rocket activity was designed to be horizontal with a measuring tape on the ground. This straw rocket activity was designed to do vertically or diagonally. You can put up a tall pole or rod for your children to reach the top of if you want to measure its distance.

Creating a 4th of July Straw Rockets

You will need to print out the Fireworks Straw Rocket Printables. There are a number of pictures of fireworks on this page. You will need to cut each of the fireworks from the page for your children to use. You can cut smoothly around the fireworks or cut in curves. We cut ours out in curves.

Your children will not need a lot of supplies to put the straw rockets together. Here is what you will need:

Supplies

The links below are affiliate links.

Putting Together the Straw Rockets

First, we cut a piece off a drinking straw that was about 2 1/2 inches long.
Then we taped one of the straws shut.
Next, we taped the fireworks to the straw section. You can totally have your kids tape the fireworks to the straw if you like.
Finally, we placed the straw section on the end of a full-size straw. The extra large straw will be the launcher.

Launching the Straw Rockets

There are several ways to launch the straw rocket. If you want your children to launch them vertically, they can lie on the ground. They could also place the bendy end of the straw in their mouths and tip the long end up into the air. Both ways will cause the rock to soar upwards.

The second way is the diagonal approach. Children can place the straw in their mouths and aim it slightly up. This will cause the rocket to travel horizontally.

I bet your children will want to try both approaches to see which way works better for them. Some children might find one way is easier for them than the other. My son really likes shooting the straw rockets diagonally.

5 Ways to Use Sensory Bottles to Learn

June 8, 2017 By Deirdre

Children love to explore sensory bottles. They can spin, shake and stare at the objects that they contain. I have come with 5 Ways kids can use sensory bottles to explore a variety of learning concepts and skills.

The links below are affiliate links.

Supplies for the Sensory Bottles

I started with La Looks Gel blue hair gel (I found it at Walmart for a really cheap price.), a VOSS Artesian water bottle, green and blue glass gems, and Safari Ltd Coral Reef TOOB Set. Then I dug a chopstick out of my junk drawer.

Constructing the Sensory Bottles

You will need to fill the bottle about 1/3 of the way up with gel . Then add a few gems and the coral figure. You can push them into place with the chopstick. You may want some gems on the side of the bottom and some in the center.

Next, you add more gel so that the bottle is filled up 2/3 of the way. You will add more of the coral reef objects and some more gems. You will push them into place with a chopstick just as you did the first layer of objects.

Finally, you will finish filling up the bottle. You will also place the final coral reef objects and gems into the bottle.

Ways to Explore Sensory Bottles

I Spy

Children will be invited share what objects they see in the sensory bottle. If you want to take pictures of each of the objects and place them on a chart or make a written list, you certainly can. Children could then look for all the objects on your list or chart.

Tell Me a Story

You can invite your children to tell you a story about the objects in the bottle. They could tell the story from the perspective of the diver or one of the animals in the jar if they like. The fun thing about this activity is that the story will be different each time it is shared by your children.

Up Close

It can be hard to see the objects in the center of the bottle unless the bottle is held up close. This activity with sensory bottles invites children to see what can’t be seen on the surface. You could give your children magnifying glasses to use for this activity.

Number Count

Children can be invited to count the number of gems and coral reef objects they see. You could invite them to count only the objects at the top, center or bottom of the bottle. It would make it easier for young children to focus on the objects.

Math Concepts

Children can be invited to add the number of creatures to the number of other coral reef objects. They could also subtract the number of blue gems from the number of green gems. (I added more green gems they blue.) You could also have them skip count them!

More Sensory Bottle Activities

Exploring Shapes

Making Waves

LEGO Man Sink and Float

Teaching Feelings with Jellyfish Activity Printables

June 5, 2017 By Deirdre

I am joining 3 Dinosaurs and Royal Baloo in sharing collections of ocean printables. You are going to love the wonderful printables that we all are going to share with you. Today I have a fun jellyfish themed activity that you can use when you are teaching feelings.

Teaching Feelings with Jellyfish

Getting Ready

The first thing you are going to need to do is print out the Teaching Feelings with Jellyfish Activity. While you could print out this teaching feelings prinable set in black and white, the jellyfish sure do look cute in color. You will probably want to print them out on cardstock. It will make the cards easier for your children to work with.

Once you have them printed out, you will need to cut out the feeling cards and the jellyfish cards.

Teaching Feeling Activities

Exploring the Feelings

The first activity you will want to do with your kids is to have them read you each of the feeling words or read them to them. Knowing what the words on the cards are is important.

Next, you will need to have your children look over the jellyfish cards. You will need to have your children tell you what each jellyfish is feeling.

Matching the Face to the Feeling

Your children will need to pick a feeling word or you can pick one for them. They can place in on one of the boxes on the work mat. Then they will need to find a jellyfish whose face is displaying that feeling. Once you have agreed that the word and face match, they that work on matching feeling words to jellyfish faces.

Pick One Feeling

Some of the jellyfish faces look like they could be expressing more than one feeling. You can have your children pick a jellyfish. Then you can pick a couple of feeling words you think could fit that face. Finally, you can have your children explain which one they think is the best fit.

You could even have them make that face for you and give a real life example of a time they had that feeling.

If you like this focus on teaching feelings activity, here are some more wonderful printables I have created.

Let’s Explore Shapes Worksheets and Shape Sensory Bowl

May 30, 2017 By Deirdre

This week we are exploring shapes. Earlier in the week I shared a shape sensory bottle and set of recording printables. Today I have a set of printables I am calling Let’s Explore Shapes worksheets. You can use them with a shape sensory bowl.

Using the Let’s Explore Shapes Worksheets

Getting Ready

The first thing you will need to do is print out the Let’s Explore Shapes worksheets. While we printed them out in color, you could print them out in black and white.

The next thing you will need to do is gather the supplies needed for the sensory bowl. We used the following items in our plastic tub:

The link below is an affiliate link.

Big Bag of Shape Buttons (We found ours at a big box craft store.)
Pinto Beans

Let’s Explore Shapes Worksheets Activities

Sorting

The Let’s Explore Shapes worksheets set includes a shape sorting printable. Your children can reach into the sensory bin and pull out a handful of shapes to sort on the sorting mat. They could search through the bin for one shape at a time instead if you like.

Clue Cards

There are several clue cards in the set. You can stack the clue cards beside the sensory bin and have them look for the shape each clue card is describing. If your children are not readers yet, you could read the clue cards to them.It will be up to you to decide if they need to find one of each shape or all of them.

Graphing the Shapes

Children can be invited to scoop a bunch of beans and shapes from the bin. Then they can separate the beans and the shapes. The beans can be put back in the tub. The shapes can be sorted out onto the graphing printable. Once they shapes are sorted, children can use crayons to coloring how many each shape they collected.

If you like these Let’s Explore Shapes worksheets, here are some others you will enjoy.

Building a Hermit Crab House Work Space

Hermit Crab Calendar Games

Bug Learning Pack

Recycling Bin Counting Activity

April Showers Printable Numbers

Frog Life Cycle Play Dough Printables

Counting Bees- LEGO Math Printable

Let’s Create a Floor Graph and Collect Data Spinner Activity

Sensory Bottles Used to Explore Shapes with Printables

May 29, 2017 By Deirdre

This week I will be sharing with you shape themed learning activities. Today’s activity uses sensory bottles to explore four basic shapes. Your kids will have fun figuring out how many of each shape the sensory bottles contain. Then they can record their data on a free tally sheet or graphing page.

Sensory Bottles Exploration Activity

Getting the Sensory Bottles Ready

You will need to start by creating the sensory bottles. They are so easy to put together.

Supplies

Empty Plastic Water Bottle (We used a Voss water bottle.)
Clear Hair Gel
Plastic Folders (Red, Green, and Blue)
Scissors
Warm Water
Chopstick

Directions for Creating the Sensory Bottles

You will need to cut out circles, square, triangles and rectangles out of the plastic folders. You can trace small objects onto the folders with pencil and cut them out if you don’t want to just cut out the shapes.

Next, you will need to pour the hair gel into the plastic water bottle. If it looks too thick to you, you can add a little warm water.

Then you will place the plastic shapes into the bottle. You can use a chopstick to push the shapes through the gel to where you want them in the bottle.

Ready to Explore and Count

Counting Shapes

If you have young children, you may just want to slowly turn the bottle and find each of the shapes. You could have them count them, but you may not want them to worry about finding out how many there are.

Count and Record the Number of Shapes

Older children can be encouraged to count to find how many of each shape the bottle contains. They can record how many of each shape they are finding on a tally sheets. If you are having several children work on this activity, you could have them compare their answers.

Once they have gathered their data or statistics, they can record them on the graphing page. You can have them color in blocks that represent the number of each shape they found. This will give them the opportunity to create a bar graph. They can draw a shape in the boxes above a shape on the graph to represent the number of shapes they found. This will give them the opportunity to create a picture graph.

Links below may be affiliate links.

This activity was created to go along with the book Mouse Shapes. It is the Virtual Book Club book of the week. Here are some other activities based on that book.

Counting and Building with Shapes – Mama Smiles

Mess Free Patriotic Star Painting- Toddler Approved

Mouse Shapes Inspired Art Invitation from My Storytime Corner

Editable Math Printables Activity- Leap into Leaping Flip Box

May 20, 2017 By Deirdre

$Editable Math Printables Activity$

This week I have been sharing frog themed activities with you. Earlier in the week, I shared frog coloring pages that explored math and science concepts. Then a really fun frog straw rocket activity with a printable was shared. Today’s editable math printables are my final frog week activity.

This fun set contains a frog flip box cover and editable fly flip cards. Along with a cereal box, these fun math printable create an activity that can be used to review a number of math concepts.

Math Printables Activity $Editable Math Cards and Flip Chute Printables Supplies$

Constructing the Leaping into Learning Flip Box

Once you have downloaded the Leaping into Learning Flip Box Math Printable, you can type in the math facts you want your children to review into the boxes on the fly cards.

Then you will need to tape the flip box cover lightly onto the cereal box.

Next, you will cut through flip box cover and the box to remove the rectangular shape from both of them. You may need to trim some of the rectangles in the cereal box to make them smooth. $Editable Math Cards and Flip Chute Printables -Strips in Place$

Now it is time to get the two strips of board stock or poster board ready to create the flip in the box. The strip that is attached to the bottom of the top rectangle and the top of bottom one is 7 inches long and close to 3 and 1/2 in wide. The long strip that gets attached to the back of the box inside the box and hangs out the bottom rectangle is 11 inches long. You can add a line or curve down the center of the tongue if you like.

Now you can attach either of the strips to the box with tape or a glue stick.

Next, you will glue the Leaping into Learning Flip Box paper onto the box. Be sure to line up the rectangular cuts.

$Editable Math Cards and Flip Chute Printables- Adding the Math Card$

Finally, you or your kids will need to write the answer to the math question or problem upside down on the back of the fly cards.

Now the math printables activity is ready to explore!

If you like these math printables, here are some more that you will like.

Recycling Bin Counting Activity

April Showers Printable Numbers

Counting Bees- LEGO Math Printable

Let’s Create a Floor Graph and Collect Data Spinner Activity

If you would like to tie a book into exploring this frog activity, here are some wonderful frog themed books.

Links below are affiliate links.

Leap, Frog, Leap! – This is a rhyming board book with fun illustrations.
Flying Frogs and Walking Fish: Leaping Lemurs, Tumbling Toads, Jet-Propelled Jellyfish, and More Surprising Ways That Animals Move – Kids will love exploring how a variety of animals move.
Jump, Frog, Jump!– Your kids are going to love the rhythm and repeated words in this book.
Frog and Fly– This fun comic strip style book has six fun stories in it.

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You will also find wonderful math activities on my Early Learning-Math board on Pinterest.

Amazing Programming Games and Activities

Other Sites You May Want to Explore

Here are some of the offline activities I will be sharing at the conference:

LEGO Braille Alphabet

Putting the Alphabet Together

Getting the Activity Started

Beyond the Three Blind Mice

If you like this LEGO activity, here are some more LEGO activities your children will enjoy!

Preschool Patterns

Getting Ready

Getting Started

Completing Row One

Completing Row Two

Completing Row Three

If you are looking for more great LEGO learning ideas, you will want to check these out:

Putting the Magnetic Games for Kids Jar Together

Find the Right Jar

Making Pipe Cleaner Fireworks

Magnetic Wands

Magnetic Games for Kids

Up, Down, and All Around

Grab A Lot

Rising and Falling Fireworks

Dancing Fireworks

Tying the Activity into a Book

Creating a 4th of July Straw Rockets

Supplies

Putting Together the Straw Rockets

Launching the Straw Rockets

Supplies for the Sensory Bottles

Constructing the Sensory Bottles

Ways to Explore Sensory Bottles

I Spy

Tell Me a Story

Up Close

Number Count

Math Concepts

More Sensory Bottle Activities

Teaching Feelings with Jellyfish

Getting Ready

Teaching Feeling Activities

Exploring the Feelings

Matching the Face to the Feeling

Pick One Feeling

If you like this focus on teaching feelings activity, here are some more wonderful printables I have created.

Using the Let’s Explore Shapes Worksheets

Getting Ready

Let’s Explore Shapes Worksheets Activities

Sorting

Clue Cards

Graphing the Shapes

If you like these Let’s Explore Shapes worksheets, here are some others you will enjoy.

Sensory Bottles Exploration Activity

Getting the Sensory Bottles Ready

Supplies

Directions for Creating the Sensory Bottles

Ready to Explore and Count

Counting Shapes

Count and Record the Number of Shapes

Math Printables Activity

Constructing the Leaping into Learning Flip Box

If you like these math printables, here are some more that you will like.

If you would like to tie a book into exploring this frog activity, here are some wonderful frog themed books.

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From the Past

Math Printables Activity $Editable Math Cards and Flip Chute Printables Supplies$