Opposites can be a tricky concept to grasp. Little ones — who may barely understand the meaning of a word — are suddenly asked to think of a word meaning something completely contrary to it … you can imagine how terribly confusing that can be!
I find lessons like these are best tackled through hands-on play.
If you’re a regular reader of A Reason For Homeschool, you already know I am passionate about the value of taking learning to that hands-on level. In today’s free educational download, we have taken twenty fairly common pairs of opposites and made a mitten match-up hunt.
Before playing, you’ll need to print our free download — preferably on card stock — and cut out the colored mittens. If you want the game to be more durable, you might consider laminating them. We’ve provided 20 set of words, plus a blank copy so you can add to your collection of opposites. The black-and-white page provides a place for your child to match up the pairs. (If you have a budding artist, however, you could print extras of the black-and-white page, write in the words, then allow your child to color the mittens.) You’ll notice that in our download, we used different colors for each mitten in a matching pair … we chose to do this because we did not want it to be too easy to create matches simply by color!
Now, it’s time to start the game.
First, read aloud the nursery rhyme Three Little Kittens, by Eliza Lee Cabot Follen (August 15, 1787 – January 26, 1860) to your child. We’ve included the full text below. As you’re reading, concentrate on creating an environment of FUN … when your child associates learning with enjoyment, homeschooling is so much easier! In this case, try using special voices for the characters and lots of silly kitty sounds. Then, explain to your kids that they can help the poor little kittens find and match up their mittens, while playing a new game.
At this point, stash the mittens in easy-to-final locations around a room or two — possibly even outside, if it’s a nice (non-windy!) day and you’ve laminated them. Then, invite your child to venture off on a hunt to find them. You might give them a cute little basket to collect them in. Once you’ve gathered up all the mittens you hid, place the black and white sheet out on the table (please note: you’ll need two copies if you’re using all 20 sets of words) as a place to lay the mittens in matching pairs.
If your child is very young, or this concept is completely new, start out with just two or three opposite word pairs at a time, then increase the number of matches as your child grows more proficient at the game.
The Three Little Kittens
Three little kittens
They lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
We sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost.
What! lost your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
No, you shall have no pie.
The three little kittens
They found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear,
See here, see here,
Our mittens we have found.
Put on your mittens,
You silly kittens,
And you shall have some pie.
Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r,
Oh, let us have some pie.
The three little kittens
Put on their mittens
And soon ate up the pie;
Oh, mother dear,
We greatly fear
Our mittens we have soiled.
What! soiled your mittens,
You naughty kittens!
Then they began to sigh,
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow,
Then they began to sigh.
The three little kittens
They washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry;
Oh! mother dear,
Do you not hear,
Our mittens we have washed.
What! washed your mittens,
Then you’re good kittens,
But I smell a rat close by.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow,
We smell a rat close by.
Aside from practicing opposites, there are so many creative ways you can use the blank mittens to build your own game! For example, you might consider an activity that allows your child to practice matching a number on one mitten with the written word on another, or the name of a state with the abbreviation:
Enjoy your mitten hunt, and have a purr-fectly terrific time together with your little one! Isn’t it just amazing to watch your kids learn? I hope you’re feeling blessed today, to be a homeschooling mom!
Download your copy today:
"Opposites" Mitten Sorting Educational Game
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