The A to Z Game is a game which will help your child improve their vocabulary, observation, and critical thinking skills. It involves trying to spot an item beginning with each letter of the alphabet within a specific time period and/or location. It can be played individually or against other children, and it’s a great way of encouraging children to enjoy and explore museums, art galleries, parks and other public spaces. In addition, you’ll find that if you play this game regularly, your children will start developing an interest in the objects themselves, rather than just the letters that they begin with, and will start asking questions about them. Through this, they will expand their knowledge of the world.
A pre-prepared score sheet for playing the A to Z Game, including instructions, can be downloaded from here.
How Long Does It Take To Play? The A to Z Game can last as long or as short a period of time as you wish it to, but generally it should last between fifteen and thirty minutes.
Ages: Six and older. The lower limit for playing this game is a basic understanding of what letters individual words start with, and a reasonable knowledge of vocabulary.
Core Life Skills It Will Help Develop: Critical Thinking Skills – Critical thinking; Observation; Spatial awareness (see variations); Academic Skills – Vocabulary; Knowledge of the alphabet; General knowledge.
What Do You Need To Play It? To play this game you’ll need a pen or pencil and a sheet of paper for each person that is playing it. If you wish to save paper, you can also use dry erase boards to play this game, but you will need one board per player. Alternatively, you can use pre-printed scoring sheets, such as the one you can download for free from here and laminate them to allow them to be re-used multiple times. If you are based in the UK, a set of re-usable laminated versions of this scoring sheet can be purchased from the link at the end of this post. If you are playing it against the clock, you will also need a timer of some description.
Preparation: Other than providing pens/pencils and paper, dry erase board or a pre-printed score sheet for each participant, no preparation is required for this game.
How Do You Play It? This game is best played in public spaces such as a museum, art gallery or park. However, any public place can be used, as long as it has a wide variety of objects in it that start with a wide range of letters. Once you have decided on a location, you need to decide on how long your child or children will have to try to complete the list of twenty-six objects, each starting with a different letter of the alphabet. Once the game is completed, you can add up the scores to see who has won. You score five points for each correct answer if someone else has also got it, or ten points if you have a correct answer that only you got. This should be explained to your child/children in advance as this will encourage them to think about what others playing the game may select for each letter, and to try to come up with something unique. There is also a bonus of twenty-five points for completing the full list of twenty-six objects. If you are using plain paper, start by getting each person to draw out their own score sheet. If you are using pre-printed score sheets like the one you can download from here, then you can just pass this around. Hint: With younger children, it’s usually beneficial to pair them with an adult to help them locate and identify suitable objects.
When And Where Can You Play It? This game can be played in any public space where there is a wide variety of objects and where your child/children can run around.
Download: Score sheet for playing The A to Z Game (rules included): You can either print out multiple copies of this sheet, or you can print out a set and get them laminated. This will effectively turn them into a dry-erase board, that can be used multiple times if filled in with a dry-erase pen (see links to useful products below). Alternatively, if you are based in the UK, you can purchase set of re-usable laminated versions of this score sheet from the link in the useful products section at the end of this article.
Variations: While the main version of The A to Z Game is designed to be played in museums and other public spaces, it can also be played as a car game, where the aim is to spot objects beginning with each letter within a specified time limit or the duration of a specific journey. This encourages your child to interact with the world and observe their surroundings while they are on the move. Through this, they’ll increase their spatial awareness and knowledge of the spatial layout of their local area. A second variation of The A to Z Game is to spot words rather than objects. In this variation, the aim is to spot a word written on signs, buildings, posters, or any other object, starting with each letter of the alphabet in the allotted time either at a specific location or while on the move. The same scoring system can be applied to this version of the game, and it’s particularly useful for encouraging your child to expand their vocabulary and learn about signs and words in their local environment.
Links To Useful Products For This Game
Magnetic dry erase board: A magnetic dry erase board is one of my favourite tools for playing games with children to help them develop their core life skills, and it is perfect for drawing out a scoring sheet for this game. Of those available, the one found here is my preferred option as they come in a range of colours and are a great size. Dry erase pens: Dry erase pens can be used to write down your answers on a dry erase board, or on a laminated version of the score sheet which accompanies this post. If you don’t have any to hand, you can find a range of suitable set of pens here. Digital timer with magnet: If wish to play the timed variation of The A to Z Game, you will find a digital timer very useful. If you don’t have a suitable timer already, you can find a range of digital timers here. Re-usable laminated scoring sheet: While you can download the scoring sheet which accompanies this post for free, we also offer the option for you to purchase a set of re-usable laminated versions for just £4.99, including free postage to any UK address (sorry, this option is not currently available for non-UK parents). For this price, you get four double-sided laminated score sheets, featuring the score sheet shown above on one side and a copy of the rules on the other, as well as a free dry erase pen for each score sheet, and cloth for wiping them clean.For Parents Based In The UK
Magnetic dry erase board: A magnetic dry erase board is one of my favourite tools for playing games with children to help them develop their core life skills, and it is perfect for drawing out a scoring sheet for this game. Of those available, the one found here is my preferred option as they come in a range of colours and are a great size. Dry erase pens: Dry erase pens can be used to write down your answers on a dry erase board, or on a laminated version of the score sheet which accompanies this post. If you don’t have any to hand, you can find a range of suitable set of pens here. Digital timer with magnet: If wish to play the timed variation of The A to Z Game you will find a digital timer very useful. If you don’t have a suitable timer already, you can find a range of digital timers here.For Parents Based In The
USA
About The Author: This post was written by Colin Drysdale, the creator of How To Raise A Happy Genius.
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