Ideas for activities

Object Classification

For young kids, we could create an activity where they must classify object from larger to smaller, and so on. The size classification could be based on the real-life sizes. For example, a car is larger than a light bulb, but the actual images could be equal size.

We could also have classification based on shape, e.g. round apples and wheels, and rectangular books and doors.

Could teach also "in front of" and "behind" concept.

Subtraction introduction

Modify Well balance the scales to make it a substractive activity: Putting e.g. masse 9 and a punct on left side , masse 13 on right side.

Make the scale work like a real scale (tilt to one side when it's heavier on one side than the other).

* Solved in CVS. Now, we have a real scale activity instead of shapegame based activity

Symmetrical drawing

A symmetrical drawing activity, with various forms of symmetries. See this example.

Turn on the lights game

See this game (and also the GNOME game glightoff). This has interesting mathematical properties.

Musical notation introduction

A la "Rosegarden" - with more simple features, just drag n' drop notes on a score and hit play button.

Double entry tables

In that activity, we could add :

- filling incomplete tables - choosing the right heading for rows and columns of an already filled-in table

Interactive geometry

Like Dr.Geo does, we can provide an interactiv geometry activity. Of course we have to make it much simpler and stick to point, line, segment, perpendicular, parallel and circle.

TicTacToe and variations

Here some ideas to steal. TicTacToe and others variants of same game (QuinzeVainc, Sentier, Mots and Lettres].

A graph tool

Like the drawing, animation, wordprocessor, we could provide a graph tool to let kids create simple graph for their experiences. They could load/save them. Here is an online example.

Matching Letters

A game (perhaps like a memory 'turn over the cards') that has the UPPER case letters and lower case letters within it. (then the child gets to match A=a and the like).

It could also be a falling letter type of thing (if it's easier).

My keyboard is a CAPS one and my daughter is learing lower case. Suffice to say she doesn't 'get' the keyboard fully.

A 'level-up' would be to have one (or both) of the fonts being Cursive (or some other form of elaborate script)

Writing

A word is displayed and the children must re-type it. Then the word is spelled letter by letter and the children must type it.