States and Capitals Bowling

Need a way to encourage older children to drill a skill? BOWLING can be the way. 

Let's start with a story:

This is going back a number of years. I was visiting my sister and her family. My now-grown nephew was in 3rd grade. He came home from school and announced he had to memorize the state capitals. A game came to my mind and I quickly made it up for him....Bowling State Capitals. He and I played it and he tried hard, but I beat him every game as I do know my capitals. He took the challenge. The next morning when I got up he was already playing the game on his own. He was determined to eventually win and he knew the only way was to study or play the game. I told him that I could get a perfect score of 300 and that I knew he eventually would too. I returned to my home the next day and that very afternoon I received the call that he had scored 300! 

Grandson Douglas learning the capitals.

HOW TO MAKE: 

Draw a game board. It is simple. Make a grid with one block in the first row, 2 in the next, 3 in the 3rd row, and 4 in the bottom row. (See the blue sheet above). It is not necessary to add any decoration, but it always makes it seem more of a game. A few stickers can also be used to add some color.

Make the cards. They should be slightly smaller than the spaces on the grid. On one side write the names of the states. On the reverse write the capital.

The score sheet was found and printed from the Internet. It is a standard bowling score sheet. Placing it in a plastic sleeve makes it reusable. 

TO PLAY:  

Shuffle the cards and keeping state names up, place one card in each space of the grid. Set the rest of the cards aside. 

The first player takes his turn by starting at the top of the grid and reading the name of the state and then naming its capital. He turns it over to see if his answer is correct. If correct, he removes the card from the grid and moves to the next space. He proceeds through all 10 cards, removing all correct responses. If incorrect, the player reads the correct answer (getting an immediate feedback) and returns the card to its original space, state name up. He still continues through each of the ten cards, removing correct responses and returning mistakes to the grid. 

When he completed all ten cards, he counts the number of removed cards and puts this number on the score sheet. This would be recorded as though it were his first "ball" when actually bowling. Then he repeats the process and counts how many new cards removed as though it were his second "ball" bowled. If he has removed all 10 with the first "ball" it would be recorded as a strike. All 10 removed with both "balls," then it would record as a spare. 

SCORE is kept just like traditional bowling. A perfect game would result in a score of 300 and require that the player had gone through all 50 cards two times without making an error. How is that for good drill?

This game can be played with 2 or more players. It can also be a great drill/game to play by themselves.

For a good variation and lots of good drill: play the game with the capital sides up.

Bowling is a fun way to drill for older children. Whatever the skill, BOWLING can be the answer.

Back to the story: My nephew realized that he did not have to finish a game. When he made a mistake he simply started a new game. Some may think this is "cheating," however the outcome was what we wanted....he was studying and learning the state capitals. HURRAY!

HOT DOTS Clocks and Time

This is a purchased game that my grandchild LOVE! At the end I will show you how you can make your own games for any skill you need.

 Diana is using the special pen to select the correct response to the time at the top of the card.

 If the correct answer is selected the pen turns on a green light. It also plays music or says an encouraging phrase for the child.

 If a wrong response is chosen, the light on the pen is red. The pen also makes a beeping sound and tells the child to try again.

The purchased games come in nice recipe-sized boxes. They have them for several different math and phonics skills. We have clocks, money, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, beginning letter sounds.

But what really makes Hot Dots versatile is the extra dots you can buy. There are two sheets of COLD dots (wrong answer) and one sheet of HOT dots (right answer) in each package. The pens can also be purchased separately. I have made lots of other games for the grandchildren using these dots.

I don't often promote purchased games....but we really like these. ...and the skill possibilities are endless!

Clocks and Time to Half Hour Match Up

These pieces were part of a book of math games and activities that I purchased. However, it would be very easy to make these same pieces at home using pictures of clocks from math workbooks.

The children PLAY with these rather than do pages of workbook drill.  I set out the card pairs I want them to drill for the day and they match them up. They often ask for more cards to do after I have checked their matches....how often do you get that with workbooks????

TIP: These could easily be made self-correcting by simply putting matching letters on the back of pairs.

Beginning Sound Golf Tee

Children love this easy-to-make game. I love the game because it is self-correcting and the child can drill independently. Also, he gets immediate confirmation of his proper responses or correction of any mistakes.



To Make:


Cut some simple pictures from a phonics workbook.  These pictures were all set up to be used as a golf tee game as they had 3 possible answers for the child to choose from. Likely you will just have to add three letters next to the picture after it has been glued to the card. Next punch a hole next to each letter.

Then, set up the back-side of the card:

Circle in red the hole that is next to the correct response. I like to add the complete word for the child to see as well.

 
To Play:

The child selects a card and identifies the picture. He then uses a golf tee to insert into the hole next to his chosen response. While holding the golf tee in the hole he turns the card to see the reverse side and verify his answer.

Wesley enjoys this way to drill. 

Note: A pencil, pen, or other narrow object can be used instead of the golf tee. However, I found a large package of these (plastic) in bright colors that work so well and give the game its name.

Velcro Vowels

There are a couple nice things about a game like this:

1. The child can do the activity over and over until he masters these words. If I had left the pictures in a workbook, he would have done it once and moved on. 
2. The child can work independently once he knows how to do this type of card.
3. You can make the card self-correcting by writing the words on the backside of the card for the child to check when he is finished.

Velcro Vowels is easy to make.

I used a small plate as a template to cut this circle from yellow posterboard. You could use one side of a colorful file folder. Divide the circle into segments and add a picture (cut from a phonics page), putting one picture in each segment. Write the word along the edge leaving out the vowel. Put a small piece of Velcro in the space. Cut some small squares of the posterboard or file folder and write the missing vowels, one on each. Add Velcro to the back. 

 
Play is independent once the child understand the game. Setting all the vowels face-up, he selects the correct vowel to finish each word. The Velcro holds the vowels in place until the whole card is filled.

Keep the cards stored with the card. Put the cards in a small zippered sandwich bag. Punch a hole through the bag and through the center of the card. Attach the bag to the card using a brad (paper fastener).

This activity could easily be made self-correcting, allowing for more independence, by writing the words on the back of the card.