These coloured ice cream sticks/craft sticks are so valueble! One can do so much with it, and they don’t cost that much. You can even collect the non-coloured ones and colour it yourselves (will be a nice arty activity).
Here are a few ways we played and learned with it, but there are plenty more! (Please share if you have other ideas, here in Comments or on our Facebook page.
1) Crafting– we decorated some sticks, plain and simple. One can make puppets and do a puppet show etc. We also made a can look nice, can use it for a plant or to keep pencils in. Simply stick the sticks to a piece of sticky tape that will fit around the can, and then glue the whole lot to the can.
2) Gross motor activities – We packed out squares with the sticks on the floor and Lella jumped from one to another. You can also have a bean bag toss into the shapes etc.
3) Spelling – by writing the ABC or sight words on sticks and build word with it, or use a whole word and peg the correct letters on. I teach L to recognize her name with this method.
4) Fine motor activities – We took a can and made slits in the lid so the sticks will fit through. Lella had to “post” them, using those fine motor skills. You can even colour code the slits and then it is a matching game as well.
5) Maths/Counting – I made boards with the numbers on and then she had to put the sticks down accordingly. You can use the sticks in solving problems, as counters, and to show adding, subtracting etc. Teach the 10+ concept by binding ten sticks together and then adding more to get eleven, twelve etc.
6) Shapes – I made boards with shapes witch she had to build on. Older kids can build shapes themselves.
7) Construction -we made some pictures with the sticks.
8) Sequencing – We started with two colours and then three colours, and made a “train” with it (which became a path). Older kids can use all the colours to make a longer sequence.
(please excuse the quality of the photo)
9) Colour matching – I simply coloured the end of the pegs the same colours as the sticks and the Lella had to match the peg to the same colour stick by pegging it on. (working fine motor skills as well).
10) Colour sorting – Sort the colours together that looks the same. Older kids can sort primary colours, secondary colours etc.
11) Dough play – – play with the sticks by sticking them into dough, making “ice cream” lollies etc.
12) Discipline tool – start with 10 sticks in the morning and take away some if naughty or add some if behaving. Say at the end of the day if she had 10(or more) sticks left, she can get a surprise (small toys or sweets I keep in the surprise box), or an special request, (staying up later or watch TV for 5 more minutes etc).There are so many ways to play, please share yours! And check back in for more fun, easy and educational activities!
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