Get more out of… Rings and sticks

Create figures of the assignment cards with the rings and sticks or create your own figure. Use the cards, but ask the toddlers to come up with their own ideas. For instance, can they make railway wagons to go with the locomotive? Or can they create a hat for the head? (Creating)

• Ask the children to copy the mirror image of the figure on the card. You can use a mirror to check their solutions. (Analyzing)
• Can the toddlers come up with a figure that fits the current theme? They can copy their figure with pen and paper in order to create their own assignment cards. (Creating and analyzing)
• All toddlers receive the same amount of materials. Optionally, you can put room dividers between the children. Now they can create something new! The children have to use all the materials. It can be fun to discuss what the different children have made. (Creating and evaluating)
• Use the rings and sticks to create a mandala. (Patterns, creating)
• “We live in the land of 10.” Use exactly ten rings and sticks to create a house, stick figure, dog, car, etc. (Counting, analyzing, creating, evaluating)
• Create the letter(s) of your own name. (Initial literacy, creating)
• The toddlers play in pairs. The first toddler places a ring or stick and tells what he or she sees. The second toddler does the same; what does he or she see now? For instance, the first ring can be a ball. When the second toddler adds a stick, it becomes a lollipop. And it becomes a frying pan with an egg in it when the first child places a smaller circle in the first circle. (Creating, analyzing)
• The toddlers play in pairs. In turns, they throw a dice and place the number of rings and sticks equal to the eyes on the dice. Which toddler can finish his or her assignment card quickest? (Number sense)
• Hand out black-and-white A4 copies of cars, buildings, landscapes, or animals to the children. Are they able to see rings and sticks in the pictures? And can they place them on the game sheet? (Analyzing)
• Ask the children to create geometrical shapes with the rings and sticks, such as squares, rectangles, triangles, circles, ovals, etc. (Analyzing)