What you need:
- wrapping paper with various classifications of pictures (or, use pictures cut from magazines)
- index cards or construction paper squares of the same color
- scissors
- glue
- plastic zip-up bags to store game cards
What to do:
- Select wrapping paper that shows items that fall into different categories — animals, vehicles, toys, and so on. Look at the paper together and talk about why some things belong in a particular group. "These are both animals, but this is a toy." Discuss the similarities and differences among the items.
- Cut out at least 5 items in each category you and your child identified. Work together to glue the pictures to index cards or squares of construction paper.
- Play a game by mixing up the cards and then placing them face down in a pile. Pick a category to look for and then take turns picking a card. When you pick a card whose picture fits the category, you can call out "animals!" or "clothes!" Whoever picks the card can keep it in his or her pile. When you've gone through the cards, the player with the most cards wins and gets to choose the next category to search for.
