Home Learning Big Top Game

Seeing patterns and knowing what comes next in a sequence is a skill used in math...as in 5, 10, 15.. and what comes next? Recognizing patterns helps us make educated guesses or to formulate a hypothesis. This little card game is a good way to build pattern awareness. Players take turns choosing a ticket card with a pattern and then dig in to the big top cards to find the card that completes the pattern. The player who finds the match keeps the card and the ticket. Winner is the first player to make three matches that complete the patterns. These are simple AB-AB-AB two place patterns. You can play similar pattern games with colored bricks and make the patterns more complex. But this is a good place to start. Unlike so many of the so-called electronic teaching toys that drill kids on letters and numbers, this is a no-reading game that even preschoolers can enjoy. It's a fun card game that teaches without turning the learning into a drill.

Just for Fun Idea: Use their colored building bricks to make other two place patterns and then, once they have the idea, make some three and four place patternsÚ red, blue, yellow, red, blue, ? or try red blue, blue, red, blue, blue, red, blue, ?

Also fun from the same maker, Fireside Snack 1-2-3! ($7.99), for kids who know how S'mores are made, this is a fun sequencing game. Players draw cards in order to collect three sweet toppings and a graham cracker to top them off. First player to get that combination wins...but watch out! There's a sneaky raccoon card that may show up and take one of snacks away! The rules are easy to learn and give kids many turns to learn about turn taking, winning some and losing some, too. You might want to have the real thing as a post game treat.