Learning Activities for Kids

Spelling Word BINGO

February 2, 2022 By Terri Thompson

BINGO has always been fun to play and it’s incredibly versatile.

You can use it to learn all sorts of things: numbers, letters, math facts, and sight words, and even spelling words!

And, that’s how we’re going to practice spelling words today. We’re going to turn our spelling word list into a fun game of BINGO. Get ready to have some fun while we play Spelling Word BINGO.

Turn your spelling homework into a fun game when you use this printable template to make your own Spelling Word BINGO game.

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Set Up Your Spelling Word BINGO Game

Before you begin, you’ll need to gather a few simple supplies.

You will need a printable BINGO template, spelling list, and small items to use as markers. I used flat glass marbles, but you could also use mini erasers, milk jug caps, rocks, pennies, or whatever else you can find.

Using your child’s spelling word list, you will need write one word in each of the squares of your BINGO board.

Tip: You can reusue your BINGO board if you laminate it! Just write your words on the laminated board with a dry-erase or washable marker. We love this laminator for home use.

Now it’s time to play. You can play this game with one or more kids. Print out a BINGO board for each kid and make sure the words you list are in a different order on each board.

Special note: To make things easier for you, I created a simple 4×4 printable BINGO board. You can click on the link below to download and print.

DOWNLOAD your Spelling BINGO template here.

How to play Spelling Word BINGO

One person will need to be the caller. (This is a great job for a parent!). The caller need to use the spelling list to call out words one at a time.

The player(s) put a marker over the word when you hear it. The first person to get a line across, down, or diagonal wins the game.

If you’re playing with only one child, you can challenge them to cover every word on the board.

Have fun learning while playing Spelling Word BINGO.

Make your own spelling word BINGO game for fun at-home spelling practice.

My Must-Have Resource for Spelling Word Practice Ideas

I’ve gathered all of my spelling practice ideas into a simple, printable ebook.

You can purchase a printable form of this book for $7.50 The book is designed to print and turn into a half-page size booklet. It’s perfect to keep at your homework station. Your kids can flip through and find a fun way to practice their spelling words.

The ideas will be convenient and ready to use. No need to turn on the computer every day for ideas.

Most activities require little to no prep time. And, if you make sure you have all the supplies on the Master Supply List (included in the book) on hand, you’ll be able to do any of these fun spelling word ideas any time.

Click here for my sales page where you can purchase a copy of the ebook.

Write Spelling Words with Paint in a Bag

February 1, 2022 By Terri Thompson

I don’t remember where I first saw the concept of paint in a bag. It’s brilliant, isn’t it?

I’ve seen it offered to kids from toddler age through preschool. It’s often a fun sensory experience and a no-mess way for kids to play with paint.

Having older kids, I’ve discovered that the fun shouldn’t end in preschool. We used our Paint in a Bag to practice our spelling words.

A child is using their finger to write words on a baggy filled with orange paint. The words "writing with paint in a bag" is on the image.

How To Make Your Paint In a Bag

You’ll need a plastic food storage bag, paint, and some packing tape (or duct tape). I chose a freezer bag because the plastic is thicker and sturdier.

Pour paint in the bag while it’s laying flat. Squish it around a bit until you’ve filled the bag with a good layer of paint.

Carefully close the bag, trying to remove as much air as you can. Use the tape to seal the zipper top so that the bag won’t easily open.

A child is using their finger to write the word cat using a baggie filled with orange paint

Write Your Spelling Words With Paint In a Bag

Once your bag is ready, let your child use it to write their spelling words with their finger.

You can “erase” the word by flattening the bag with the palm of your hand. It’s fun to use this to write the words over and over.

Tip: My daughter loves to hold the bag up to the window on a sunny day. The light shining through gives it a fun glow.

I haven’t tested it out fully, but your paint in a bag will last for quite awhile, especially if you were able to get all the air out. Store your paint in a bag flat in a safe place and you can use it over and over again. If the paint starts drying out, just toss it and make a new one.

Your kids will jump at the chance to practice their spelling words if they get to write with paint in a bag.

Square image of a bag filled with orange paint held up to a window while a child uses their finger to write words

My Must-Have Resource For Practicing Spelling Words

I’ve gathered all of my spelling practice ideas into a simple, printable ebook.

The ideas will be convenient and ready to use. No need to turn on the computer every day for ideas.

Click here for my sales page where you can purchase a copy of the ebook.

Spelling practice printable ebook fanned out on a green background.

Fun Nonstandard Measurement Games

January 20, 2022 By Terri Thompson

It’s fun to explore measurement with some fun Nonstandard Measurement Games.

How many things can you measure? Measure a room, your foot, or even your full body.

This fun selection of measurement games are hands-on and engaging. They’re perfect for learning at home!

What is Nonstandard Measurement?

Nonstandard measurement is when you use an object, other than a ruler, to measure the length or width of an object.

So, let’s go have some fun and use our feet, our hands, our toys, or even straws to explore measurement.

Fun Nonstandard Measurement Games

Measure with hearts, handprints, LEGO Bricks, and more with these fun math activities.

Nonstandard Measurement Games

Explore measurement with these fun nonstandard measurement games for kids. These hands-on math activities with make learning fun for your kids.

Valentine Nonstandard Measurement Activity

This Valentine's Day activity uses heart doilies to measure different items. But you can adapt it for any holiday by cutting shapes out of paper. (For example, you can measure with shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day.)

Measuring with Kind Hands

Photo Credit: rainydaymum.co.uk

Make Kind Hands, which are your handprints labeled with acts of kindness, to measure just how tall you are.

Measuring with the Foot Book by Dr. Seuss

Photo Credit: inspirationlaboratories.com

Place one foot in front of the other to measure all sorts of items with this fun idea inspired by Dr. Seuss's The Foot Book.

Fun Body Measurement Activities with a Piece of String

Photo Credit: igamemom.com

Use a piece to string to measure and compare the length of different parts of your body.

Measuring With Straws

Photo Credit: lifeovercs.com

Paper straws are a great tool to use for nonstandard measurement. Use them to measure and record the lengths of different items.

Measuring Activity For Preschoolers

Photo Credit: littlebinsforlittlehands.com

Use small blocks, such as Unifix Cubes to measure your hands and feet.

Handprint Measuring and Number Lines

Photo Credit: theimaginationtree.com

Use cutouts of your handprint to measure and then make a fun handprint number line with this fun activity.

Measuring Length in Non-Standard Units with Candy Hearts

Photo Credit: jdaniel4smom.com

Use candy hearts as a measuring tool with this great activity. Includes fun printables to help you measure.

Space Nonstandard Measurement Activity

Photo Credit: www.totschooling.net

Use some fun space-themed measurement printables to explore nonstandard measurement.

Measuring with Magna-Tiles

Photo Credit: www.andnextcomesl.com

Do you have Magna-Tiles at home? They're a fun tool to use to explore measurement with this activity.

Preschool Math Lesson : Lego Measurement

Photo Credit: www.notimeforflashcards.com

How many LEGOs tall is your drinking glass? Use LEGOs to explore measurement all around the house.

How to Make Bean Rulers

Photo Credit: pocketofpreschool.com

Make your own ruler out of dry beans to use while you explore nonstandard measurement.

Which one of these fun ideas do you think you’ll try with your kids?

My Favorite Math Resources

We love using games to practice our math. It definitely makes learning fun. Here are some great ones you’ll love playing.

Snowball Toss Alphabet Game for Toddlers

January 19, 2022 By Trisha

I’m always looking for ways to get kids moving and learning especially in winter when we’re stuck inside more.

Let’s practice letter recognition and letter sounds with a pretend snowball fight.

Toddlers and preschoolers will love this snowball toss alphabet game. And, once you’re done playing you can move on to more fun activities for toddlers.

Help your kids learn their ABC's with this fun Snowball Throw Alphabet game for toddlers and preschoolers.

Materials You’ll Need for the Snowball Toss Game

Snowballs

Card stock(or paper)

Paper cutter (or scissors)

Tape (I used masking tape.)

Marker

Paper plates (or something similar – use plastic bowls, plates, or even pieces of paper)

I found 10 indoor snowballs for $3 at the Target dollar spot. Walmart is selling 20 indoor snowballs for about $10. You can also get indoor snowballs on Amazon. You could even make your own snowballs from balled up socks or crumpled paper.

The indoor snowballs remind me of giant pom poms, but they are weirdly squishy. You know how real snow feels when you make a snowball – that squishy, crunchy feeling? The indoor snowballs replicate that feeling.

Set Up Your Snowball Throw Alphabet Game

I used a paper cutter to cut a piece of white card stock into 1-inch squares. Then, I wrote a letter on each paper square. I drew a line at the bottom of each lowercase letter and some of the uppercase letters just so it was easy to tell which direction the card went.

Your toddler or preschooler will have fun moving and learning their abc's with this simple gross motor Snowball Toss Alphabet Game

I used uppercase and lowercase letters for our matching game. You could play the matching game with the same case to work more on introducing letters.

Select 10 letters to work with. (This helps focus on just some of the letters instead of the entire alphabet. If you have more snowballs, feel free to use more letters.)

Tape one lowercase letter to each snowball.

Now you’ll need a landing zone for the snowballs. I used small paper plates. You could use containers or even pieces of paper.

Tape one uppercase letter to each landing zone.

Place the uppercase letters on one side of the room. We lined the paper plates up near the wall.

Make a pile of snowballs on the other side of the room.

Practice the alphabet with this fun indoor snowball game for toddlers

Play this snowball toss alphabet game

Have your child pick up a snowball and find the letter on it. Ask him to say the name of the letter. (You can also have him say the letter sound.)

Now have your child throw the snowball across the room (towards the paper plates). I had my kids throw the snowballs at the wall.

Next, have your child pick up the snowball and find it’s matching letter on a paper plate. Say: “You have the little (lowercase) letter e. Can you find the big (uppercase) letter E?” Have her place the snowball on the correct letter.

Keep throwing snowballs and matching letters until you run out.

Then, you can reset the game and play it all over again. Use the same letters or practice different ones. (We stayed on the same set for a while. We’ll switch out the letters and play again another day.)

My toddler (age 2.5) and my preschooler (age 4.5) equally enjoyed this snowball toss alphabet game. They loved getting to throw the snowballs at the wall and then had fun finding the right letter.

Sometimes my toddler read the letters upside down and just made a match with whatever he thought the letter was. I had to have him slow down a bit and help him double check the letters.

I love how this game gets kids moving and working on gross motor skills (throwing, bending, running, etc.) while practicing the alphabet.

More Winter Themed Activities for Toddlers

Practice your numbers with this fun Snow Numbers Activity that uses real snow.

Use snow as a canvas for some Snow Painting.

Make a fizzy snow dough sensory bin.

Try some penguin painting, an easy art project that’s perfect for toddlers.

Learn your ABCs with this fun gross motor Snowball Throw Alphabet Game for Toddlers

Find All Your Supplies Here

You may already have some of the supplies you need at home. I know I always have a roll of tape and some card stock. But, if you’re looking to buy some of the supplies, here are a few that I recommend.

Subtraction with Manipulatives Math Activity

January 18, 2022 By Terri Thompson

I’ve spent a lot of time tutoring kids in the lower elementary grades. We’ve worked on math a lot.

Time after time, I’ve seen understanding click as soon as I introduced math manipulatives. And, you’ll see it click as soon as you introduce subtraction with manipulatives. Being able to physically touch and see your math problems makes math much more real.

Subtraction using buttons as manipulatives

Why You Should Use Math Manipulatives

Using math manipulatives is a great way to work on counting, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Your child’s fingers will work to move the items. Their eyes will see and make connections. Suddenly a math concept becomes much more clear.

Math manipulatives is a great hands-on way to learn math and understand the concepts.

And you don’t have to spend a lot of money to find these manipulatives. It can be as simple as pulling out the stockpile of buttons or emptying the change jar. You just need something small that you have a lot of.

How To Get Started With Subtraction Using Manipulatives

First, you’ll need some subtraction problems. Write them down on some index cards. You can write random problems or choose any group of subtraction facts that your child needs to work on.

Then, you’ll also need some math manipulatives. Choose something small like rocks, mini erasers, buttons, or even LEGO blocks. You just want to make sure you have enough loose parts to work each of your subtraction problems.

Subtraction With Loose Parts

Using loose parts helps a child easily see and better understand how subtraction works.

Start with the first number in your subtraction problem and count out that many items. Next, remove the amount of your second number in your math problem. Count up the remaining items and you have the answer to your subtraction problem.

Work through all your subtraction problems using your math manipulatives.

Other Way to Do Subtraction with Manipulatives:

*Use larger numbers. You don’t have to keep your subtraction problems under ten.

*When your child is more comfortable doing subtraction, have them find the answer in their head and then count out the correct number of loose parts for their answer.

*Use this method for doing subtraction on the go. Use rocks, sticks, acorns, or other natural items as your loose parts.

*Take this math activity outside and write your subtraction problems on the sidewalk with chalk. Have your child find the loose parts they need to solve each problem.

Subtraction with Manipulatives math activity

You’ll Love These Math Manipulatives

There is such a wealth of fine motor math manipulatives. Check out some of these options you can use for practicing math, subtraction, and more.

Learning Activities for Kids

Set Up Your Spelling Word BINGO Game

How to play Spelling Word BINGO

You may also like one of these spelling ideas:

My Must-Have Resource for Spelling Word Practice Ideas

How To Make Your Paint In a Bag

Write Your Spelling Words With Paint In a Bag

You May Also Like One of These Fun Ways To Practice Spelling Words

My Must-Have Resource For Practicing Spelling Words

What is Nonstandard Measurement?

Fun Nonstandard Measurement Games

You may also like one of these fun math activities:

My Favorite Math Resources

Materials You’ll Need for the Snowball Toss Game

Set Up Your Snowball Throw Alphabet Game

Play this snowball toss alphabet game

More Winter Themed Activities for Toddlers

Find All Your Supplies Here

Why You Should Use Math Manipulatives

How To Get Started With Subtraction Using Manipulatives

Subtraction With Loose Parts

Other Way to Do Subtraction with Manipulatives:

You May Also Like One of These Math Activities:

You’ll Love These Math Manipulatives

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