This is one of the matching activities I made for J. He loves fish right now, so this particular board quickly attracts his attention.
These pictures were left over from an activity J did at church, but you could make your own with clip art. I used adhesive magnets on the back of the board as well as on each individual card so that the pieces stay in place. I also laminated (using contact paper) each card for durability.
I did originally make another board that had double the squares to match but it proved too difficult for him. He lost interest very quickly because there were simply too many fish to search through. It wasn’t magnetic either so he kept accidentally moving the cards around the board. This second board worked out much better. I really think it’s the perfect level for him right now. He has to be mindful of the color, number and type of fish to match each card correctly. There are just enough squares to keep him busy but not frustrate him. I will have to save my original board for when he’s a bit older.
Age attempted: 22 months
Teachable moments: count the fish together in search for the perfect match, talk about the different colors, point out the size of the fish (small, medium, large)
Try Again? Yes; as he gets older I can increase the number of squares to match; I can also add extra cards that won’t actually match the board so that he will learn to filter the unnecessary data and focus only on what is needed to complete the task.
** stay tuned for other activities I’ve created with these adorable fish!
This is the other board I made that will have to wait until he's a little older.
