B a r b a r a s h e r I l L u s t r a t I o n s b y r a L p h

V
A R I A T I O N
Find interesting teaspoons, sugar bowls, milk pitchers, and so on to enliven
your tea party conversation.
W
H A T
’
S
B
E I N G
L
E A R N E D
Noticing details is the name of this game, especially zeroing in on what
makes similar-looking objects different from each other. This is the skill
that will later help children tell a B from a D or an isosceles triangle from
an acute one.
At the same time, it opens the child’s awareness to the many patterns
that are possible.
Games for 3- to 6-Year-Olds
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Plenty Peanut Hunt
Easter hunts can be such fun if there are plenty of eggs so everyone finds a
lot. It’s not fun to have “egg envy” looking at someone else’s brimming-over
basket.
That’s why in this fun hunt game, competition is eliminated, as there
are plenty of peanuts to find and eat!
T
Y P E S O F
A
T T E N T I O N
E
N C O U R A G E D
Open and focused
M
A T E R I A L S
Plenty of roasted peanuts in the shell or other small treats. (Keep in
mind the age and propensities of the child; a toddler who still puts
things in her mouth wouldn’t do well finding marbles, nor should
the child allergic to nuts be sent on a peanut hunt.)
Baskets or bags.
D
I R E C T I O N S
Hide peanuts all over, inside and out. Put some in obvious places such as
right out on the lawn or carpet, and hide some away in sneakier places for
the older hunters. The goal is for everyone to find lots of nuts and share
them at the end if they want.