Spread 52 Picture Perfect Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. DRAW a triangle on each superhero’s chest. Then DECORATE each triangle, and COLOR the superheroes. HINT: You can make up names for the superheroes and put the first letter in the triangle, or draw their superpower. Drawing & Comparing Shapes
Doodle Pad Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. TRACE the triangles. Then DRAW a picture using each triangle. Think about how many things are triangles. Drawing & Comparing Shapes
Spread 53 Picture Perfect Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. DRAW a rectangle around each doll to make a box. Then DECORATE the boxes and COLOR the dolls. Drawing & Comparing Shapes
Doodle Pad Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. TRACE the squares. Then DRAW a picture using each square. Think about how many things are squares. Drawing & Comparing Shapes
12 - Maps I’m Home! Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. DRAW a line from each person to the house where you think that person might live. Maps
Maps Treasure Hunt Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. There are many pirate treasures, but only one is real. FOLLOW the pirate’s directions, and DRAW an X on the correct treasure. Walk from my straight for a . Go around the past some . Then head for the and cross a . There ye will find my .
13 - Length Length County Fair Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. First prize at the Cooper County Fair goes to the longest carrot. CIRCLE the carrot that wins first prize.
Length Animal Sort Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. WRITE the numbers 1 through 4 next to each animal, where 1 is the shortest and 4 is the longest.
14 - Weight Weight County Fair Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. First prize at the Cooper County Fair goes to the heaviest pumpkin. CIRCLE the pumpkin that wins first prize.
Weight Balancing Act Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. To stay balanced, the Brothers Brim must hold things that have the same weight. DRAW lines to connect objects that could keep the brothers balanced.
15 - Volume Build and Compare Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. CUT OUT each shape on the opposite page. FOLD on the dotted lines, and GLUE the tabs to construct each box. WRITE the answers to the questions. FILL the box that you think holds less with cereal. Then POUR the food from that box into the other. If the food doesn’t come to the top of the box, the first box holds less. If the food overflows, the first box holds more. Volume Look at the two boxes. Write the color of the one you think will hold more. Which box holds more? Write its color.
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Pick for Packing Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. Help Ricky pack for his airplane trip. He can only bring things that will fit in his small suitcase. DRAW lines from the objects that will fit to his suitcase. Volume
Challenge Puzzle Challenge Puzzles Two of a Kind Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. Only two of these robots are identical. CIRCLE the matching pair.
Challenge Puzzles Spiraling Sequence Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. DRAW and COLOR shapes to finish each pattern. Can you finish the spiral to the center?
Challenge Puzzles Smallest to Largest Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. WRITE the numbers 1 through 6 next to each object, where 1 holds the least and 6 holds the most.
Section 3: Vacation Challenge Games & Activities Section 3: Vacation Challenge Games & Activities Click here to download a PDF of all printable activities in this section.
Vacation Challenge Contents Tips for Summer Reading Success Wonderful Word Activities Splendid Sight Words Summer Word Wall Tips for Summer Math Success Driving Math Mastery Marvelous Math Activities Number of the Day Summer Skills Mystery Picture Game Time! Awesome Read-Alouds Vacation Challenge Contents
Tips for Summer Reading Success Tips for Summer Reading Success Try these terrific read-aloud tips to jumpstart your child’s summer reading! • Let your child hold the book as you are reading. • Allow your child to turn the pages. • Encourage your child to read along with you. • Let your child finish the sentences when reading with you. • Point to the words as you read. This will help your child associate words and sounds with meaning. • Model expressive, fluent reading for your child. (Change your voice for the different characters and alter your volume depending on the mood of the story.) • Invite your child to read the pictures on each page by talking about what he or she sees. • Encourage your child to make predictions about what might happen next. • Read favorite books over and over again. Repetition and predictability builds skills and confidence. • Designate a family reading time, where everyone cuddles up with a book. • Allow your child to choose books. • Make frequent visits to the library. • Talk about the books you read after reading. Book conversations with little ones are precious. • Reading is contagious! Be excited and enthusiastic when reading aloud, and watch your child try to read just like you. Vacation Challenge!
Wonderful Word Activities Vacation Challenge! Wonderful Word Activities Embark on an awesome adventure this summer with these fun activities that will help your child practice letters, sight words, and pre-reading skills! Alphabet Scavenger Hunt. Choose a letter of the day and challenge your child to find real objects or pictures in magazines that begin with that letter. As your child finds an item, he can either collect the objects and pictures in a box, or you can help him write the names of each item on a piece of paper to encourage a writing connection. Letter Puzzles. Write an alphabet letter on one side of a paper plate, and draw or glue a picture of a common item that begins with that letter on the other side. Then, using a jagged zig-zag pattern, cut the plate into several large pieces to create a simple puzzle. You can move on to short sight words once your child has mastered the alphabet! On the Move. Take advantage of the summer sun by tossing a ball back and forth with your child. Each time one of you catches it, say a letter of the alphabet, starting with A. See if you can make it all the way to Z!
Vacation Challenge! Messy Letters. Spread shaving cream on a plastic tablecloth set on a table outside, and invite your child to form one letter at a time with their finger. If it’s rainy that day, you can play a similar (but less messy!) game by squirting tempera paint into gallon-size Ziploc bags and letting your child make letters and shapes on the outside of the bags with their finger. Don’t forget to seal the bags before you start! Sentence Shuffle. Write a simple sentence (with 6 or fewer words) on a piece of paper. Next, cut the sentence apart so that each word is on a separate piece of the paper. Shuffle the pieces, then challenge your child to try to put the sentence back in order. Silly Sentences. Sit on the ground across from your child and roll a ball back and forth between you. Try to create a sentence together by saying one word at a time. Example: You roll the ball and say “the.” Then your child rolls the ball back and says another word, such as “cat.” The round continues until you’ve created a sentence, such as “The cat went in the submarine.” Together you and your child can create silly sentences.
Splendid Sight Words Vacation Challenge! Splendid Sight Words Your child is probably already recognizing common sight words. Encourage her to reinforce and build on those skills with the Summer Word Wall activity on the next page! The 100 words below are a great place to start. Select a few words at a time to practice, and feel free to pick and choose from the list according to your child’s interests, the books you are reading, or words you come upon in your daily activities! a all am and are as at away be because big black blue brown but by came can come could day do eat eight first five for four from get go got green has have he her here him his I in is it jump like little look love me my new nine no not of off on one out pink play purple red run said saw see want was we went what when white who why with yellow yes you your seven she six so ten that the then there they this three to too two up us
Summer Word Wall Summer Word Wall A Word Wall is simply a place to display words that your child is learning to read. By showing these words in a place that your child sees every day, he will learn to recognize them in books and in the world around him. Your Word Wall can be: • A magnetic board with magnets • A bulletin board with pushpins • A piece of colored paper with tape • Any other surface that works for you Vacation Challenge! To get started, choose two or three sight words at a time to write on index cards and hang on the Word Wall. Once you have the first few words on the wall, make practicing those words FUN! Place your Word Wall where your child will see it often, and make it part of your everyday routine! Whenever you are both near the wall, ask your child to point to a particular word or to say the word that you are pointing to. As he masters each word, you can remove it from the wall and add new ones. Have him place the “learned” words in a small box and watch him beam with pride as the stack grows! Don’t forget to review those words every once in a while for an extra burst of satisfaction. • Hunt for the words in books • Find the words on signs or labels • Practice reading and writing the words • Use each word in a silly sentence
Tips for Summer Math Success Vacation Challenge! Tips for Summer Math Success Be positive about math! Show your child that math is all around and is hiding in some of the most fun and interesting places. Here are some easy ways to integrate mathematics into your child’s everyday activities this summer: • Play number games during everyday activities, such as counting the number of steps, the number of cars you see while driving, or the number of items going into the washing machine. • Keep a calendar somewhere visible, and talk about it each day. Ask what day today is, what day yesterday was, and what day will tomorrow be? Count down the number of days until an upcoming event such as a playdate or trip. • Your child can count the number of items that you buy at the store. If you buy multiples of 1 item (such as 6 cans of cat food), practice counting by 2’s, 3’s, or higher numbers. • Encourage your child to count in the grocery store: carts in the aisle; people behind the deli counter; items as you put them on the conveyor belt at the checkout. • Watch your child play to understand her mathematical knowledge. When your child counts, does she touch each object once? Model how to do this if needed. You may need to model this again and again. • Have your child distribute napkins, snacks, or toys to family members, with each person getting an equal number. • Car time can be math time! Time spent driving doesn’t have to be a waste—check out the suggestions on the next page for easy verbal ways your child can practice math skills while in the car seat.
Driving Math Mastery Driving Math Mastery Use these easy prompts to turn time stuck in the car into math game time! Vacation Challenge! • Practice counting by 1’s, 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s • Practice adding zero (1+0, 2+0, 10+0, etc.) • Finish my pattern: Begin a pattern and have your child say what comes next. (For example, “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, ______” or “Apple, orange, apple, orange, apple, ________.”) • Mystery shapes: Describe the number of sides and corners of a basic shape and have your child guess the shape. • Mystery numbers: Give your child simple clues to what number you are and have your child guess the number. (Example clues: “I am one digit. I am greater than 8. I am less than 10. What am I?” Be sure to keep your number under 10 when you first start!) • The questions below are fun ways to start conversations about measurement: o What is heavier—a dog or an elephant? o What weighs less—a pencil or a book? o What is longer—a key or a fork? o What is shorter—a chipmunk or a cat? • Math stories: The car is a great place to make up simple word problems. Try one like this: “I saw three birds sitting on a branch. Then I saw two birds in a nest. How many birds did I see?” After you tell lots of stories to your child, ask her to tell you some math stories of her own!
Marvelous Math Activities Marvelous Math Activities Vacation Challenge! Counting to Music. Combine music, movement, and math skills! While playing some lively music with a steady beat, call out directions such as “Tap your head 10 times,” “Knock your knees and count by twos,” or “March in place and count to 25.” Having your child count out loud as they follow the directions and move to the music is a fun way to practice counting. Chalk Number Line. On a nice summer day, draw a number line from 0–10 on the driveway with chalk. Be sure to draw it large enough that your child can walk from one number to the next. Now, give her “Simon Says” directions like “Walk and say the numbers from 10 to 0,” or simple questions such as “Start at 3 and move ahead one space—what is 3+1?” Snake Numerals. Have your child roll modeling clay or playdough into long “snakes” on a plastic placemat. Then have him practice forming the numerals 0–9 with the clay “snakes”! This fun, tactile experience reinforces numeral formation and recognition while building fine motor skills.
Vacation Challenge! Math Sharing. Sharing and problem-solving go hand in hand in this activity, so try to do it often and with different sets of numbers! Give your child a small bag or bowl of items—crackers, pebbles, pennies, etc.—and the simple direction to SHARE the items fairly. Then watch the mathematical reasoning that takes place! Give your child time to think and then encourage him to explain his solution to you. Were there extra pieces? Deciding what to do with the “extras” is also a problem-solving opportunity. Find Something As Long As … Give your child a piece of string and show her how to “measure” length by matching the ends of the string with the edges of an object. Ask her to find other objects around the house that are about the same length as the string. Let her share her discoveries, then exchange the string for a different size and repeat the activity. Bubble Numbers. Got some bubble wrap? Then you’ve got two super math activities! Give your child a piece of bubble wrap. Call out a number from 1–10 and have him count aloud as he pops that many bubbles. Another idea is to write the numbers from 1 to 10 in scrambled order on the flat side of a piece of bubble wrap. Call out a number and tell your child to find that number on his sheet and pop the corresponding bubble. You’ll want to collect lots of bubble wrap because these games are sure to be favorites!
Number of the Day Number of the Day Choose a different number each day, and write it in the middle of a dry-erase board or large piece of paper. In the empty space around it, help your child illustrate that number in a few of the ways suggested below. (You can pick which ones to use depending on how advanced your child is.) Vacation Challenge! This activity will help your child think about a given number in many different ways! 1. Draw that number of objects 2. Draw that number of tally marks 3. Write the number word 4. Write one or more equations that equal that number 5. Show the number in coins—nickels and/or pennies 6. Draw a number line from 0–10 or 0–20 and put a dot on that number on the line 7. For numbers greater than ten, show the number as tens and ones 8. Identify if the number is odd or even 9. Write a number greater than your number 10. Write a number less than your number
Summer Skills Mystery Picture Summer Skills Mystery Picture Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. Can you complete the mystery picture before summer ends? Fill in one piece according to the skill color each time you practice that skill! Vacation Challenge! 1. Write first name 2. Recite birthday 3. Identify colors 4. Identify patterns 5. Identify basic shapes 6. Practice writing letters 7. Identify lowercase letters 8. Identify uppercase letters 9. Match uppercase to lowercase letters 10. Count to 20 11. Practice writing numerals to 10 12. Count objects
Game Time! Game Time! Lickin’ Lollipops Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. Can you be the first to get to the delicious center of the lollipop? Use two small objects as playing pieces and a number cube. READ the rules. PLAY the game! Rules: Two players 1. Place the playing pieces at Start. 2. Take turns rolling the number cube, and MOVE the same number of spaces. 3. Watch out for the sticky spaces. If you land on you lose a turn. The first player to the delicious lollipop center wins!
Game Time! Rat Race Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. Can you be the first rat to reach the cheese? Use two small objects as playing pieces and a pair of number cubes. READ the rules. PLAY the game! Rules: Two players 1. Place the playing pieces at Start. 2. Take turns rolling the number cubes, and move the same number of spaces. 3. If you land on a space with a number, move that many spaces in the direction of the arrow. The first player to get to the cheese wins! Start End
Spread 68 Beach Bums Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. This game is endlessly adaptable. Use the suggestions below to mark a set of index cards with skills you’d like your child to practice, such as sight words or shape names! Then PICK a skill card set to practice. READ the rules. PLAY the game! • Matching lowercase and uppercase letters • Writing the alphabet • Writing numbers 1–10 • Counting to 20 • Identifying sight words Game Time!
Game Time! Rules: Two players 1. Place your skill cards in a face-down stack. Place the playing pieces on the Start space. 2. Take turns rolling a number cube and picking a skill card. 3. If you correctly identify what’s on the card, you can move forward the number of spaces on the number cube. 4. If you land on a space with a number, move the number of spaces in the direction the arrow indicates. If you land on a space with a starfish, take another turn! The first player to the beach towel wins!
Awesome Read-Alouds Awesome Read-Alouds Reading aloud with your child is one of the most important things you can do to help build his literacy— and it’s a great way to engage with him! We recommend spending at least 15 to 20 minutes each day reading together. Discussing the story with your child is an amazing way to help build reading comprehension skills. At this age, you can keep the questions simple. Here are a few prompts to help get the conversation started: • Who was the main character in this book? Who else was in it? • What was this book about? What happened in the story? • Where did the story take place? • How was the main problem in the story solved? • Which illustration did you like the best? Why? • Did you like the book? Why or why not? • What was your favorite part? • What did you like least? • Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not? These questions work for any story! Take a look at the next page for a recommended list of great read-aloud books for kids heading into 1st grade.
These are good picks for you to read to your child. These are good picks for kids to begin reading on their own, with a little parental support. Awesome Read-Alouds Recommended Reading List Read-Aloud Favorites: Superdog: The Heart of a Hero by Caralyn Buehner The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey Someday by Alison McGhee The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig Pigsty by Mark Teague The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg Great Books for Early Readers: Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman Now I’m Reading!: Look Around! by Nora Gaydos Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss Ten Apples Up on Top! by Dr. Seuss Noodles: I Love Rainy Days! (and any book in the Noodles series) by Hans Wilhelm Today I Will Fly! (and any book in the Elephant and Piggie series) by Mo Willems Books with Rhyme: Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg Jamberry by Bruce Degen Buzz Said the Bee by Wendy Cheyette Lewison Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein
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Awesome Read-Alouds Recommended Math Reading List Did you know? Books don’t “just” help children develop their reading ability—they can also be a great way to reinforce math concepts such as number and shape recognition. Here are some fantastic reads that help develop math skills. One Cow Moo Moo! by David Bennett Today is Monday by Eric Carle Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews Color Farm by Lois Ehlert Fish Eyes by Lois Ehlert Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell Count! by Denise Fleming Each Orange Had 8 Slices by Paul Giganti, Jr. Ten Little Rabbits by Virginia Grossman 26 Letters and 99 Cents by Tana Hoban Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins One Gorilla by Atsuko Morozumi The Icky Bug Counting Book by Jerry Pallotta How Much is a Million? by David Schwartz Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak The Right Number of Elephants by Jeff Sheppard Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh Cookie’s Week by Cindy Ward
Awesome Read-Alouds You’re the Critic Click here to download a printable PDF of this activity. Pick some of your favorite (or least favorite) math books and write a review for each. Color in the number of stars you’d give each book!
Answers 1 - Alphabet Letter Search 1 - Alphabet Maze 2 - What’s My Sound? Mm mouse, moon, mitten, map, monkey 2 - What’s My Sound? Ss sun, snail, stop, spoon, star 2 - Hide and Seek - Ff fish, fence, frog, flies, flowers, farmer, face, fruit, flag, fan 2 - What’s My Sound? Ll leaf, lightbulb, ladybug, ladder 2 - What’s My Sound? Rr rainbow, rocket, robot, ring, rake 2 - Draw It - Tt Suggestions: tree, top, teeth, toothbrush, turkey, TV, table, toys, teacher, tea, tie, telephone 2 - Hide and Seek - Pp police, play, path, picnic, pizza, piece of pizza, pie, purse, parrot, paint, painter, painting, person, puppy, post, picnic basket 2 - What’s My Sound? Nn nose, net, nail, nine, nest 2 - Draw It - Bb Suggestions: bat, bug, boy, bread, butter, bottle, bone, bowl, button, bow, balloon, banana, belt 2 - What’s My Sound? Cc car, carrot, corn, cake, cow 2 - Hide and Seek - Hh ham, horse, hat, hang, hanger, hammer, heart, hair, hat stand, hands 2 - What’s My Sound? Gg glasses, girl, goat, grapes 2 - What’s My Sound? Ww whale, wagon, walrus, worm, window 2 - What’s My Sound? Vv volcano, violin, van, vegetables Answers
Spread 72 2 - What’s My Sound? Dd door, dress, dishes, doll 2 - What’s My Sound? Jj juice box, jar, jellyfish, jump rope 2 - What’s My Sound? Kk kitten, kangaroo, kick, key 2 - Draw It - Xx Suggestions (can contain letter or sound): ox, taxi, fox, box, ax, six, rocks, socks, trucks, ducks, names with the x sound like Max or Rex 2 - What’s My Sound? Yy yarn, yo-yo 2 - What’s My Sound? Zz zebra, zipper, zoo 2 - What’s My Sound? qu quilt, question mark, queen 2 - What’s My Sound? ck sock, backpack, truck, duck 3 - Match Up, page 1 3 - Match Up, page 2 3 - Circle It 3 - Starting Line 1. m, 2. c (or k), 3. b, 4. d, 5. s, 6. l 4 - Match Up, page 1 4 - Match Up, page 2 4 - Circle It 4 - Finish Line 1. n, 2. t, 3. l 4. m, 5. s, 6. g 5 - What’s My Sound? a fan, map, rat, ham, bat 5 - What Am I? a Answers
5 - What’s My Sound? e nest, net, egg, dress, bed 5 - What Am I? e 5 - What’s My Sound? i pig, zipper, fish, six, bib 5 - What Am I? i 5 - What’s My Sound? o dog, lobster, mop, socks, box 5 - What Am I? o 5 - What’s My Sound? u plug, drum, bus, duck, thumb 5 - What Am I? u 6 - Time to Rhyme 1 1. fat cat 2. bug hug 6 - Match Up 1 6 - Time to Rhyme 2 1. big dig 2. pup cup 6 - Match Up 2 7 - Who Is It? 1 queen, cow, doctor, lion 7 - Who Is It? 2 pig, dog, rat, hen 7 - Who Is It? 3 man, cat, duck 7 - Who Is It? 4 Pictures of a kid, a dog, a cat, and a rat 8 - Where Is It? 1 house, barn, night 8 - Where Is It? 2 8 - Where Is It? 3 Answers
Spread 73 8 - Where Is It? 4 Picture of a van on a road (on a hill) 9 - What’s the Order? 1 9 - What’s the Order? 2 9 - What’s the Order? 3 Pictures should match the story sequence. 9 - What’s the Order? 4 Pictures should match the story sequence. 10 - What’s the Solution? 1 Picture should show a solution to the problem. 10 - What’s the Solution? 2 10 - What’s the Solution? 3 Pictures should match the story problem and solution. 1 - Connect the Dots 1 - Happy Clowns 2 - Connect the Dots 2 - Happy Clowns 2 - Mystery Picture 2 - Hide and Seek 1. 4 2. 6 3. 7 4. 8 3 - Mystery Picture 3 - X Marks the Spot 4 - What’s the Order? 1. 3rd 2. 6th 3. 5th 4. 1st 5. 4th 6. 2nd 4 - Secret Message IF YOU SEE THIS, YOU HAVE CRACKED MY CODE. 5 - Cross Out 5 - Two of a Kind 6 - Snake Spiral 6 - Incredible Illusions Answers
7 - Get the Cheese 7 - Dock the Boat 8 - Picking Pairs 8 - Zookeeper 9 - Slide Sort 9 - Picking Pairs 10 - Cross Out - Circle 10 - Cross Out - Triangle 10 - Cross Out - Square 10 - X Marks the Spot 10 - Hidden Shapes 10 - Hide and Seek 1. 4 2. 4 3. 3 11 - Shapely Sequence, page 1 11 - Shapely Sequence, page 2 11 - Picture Perfect 1 Have someone check your answers. 11 - Doodle Pad 1 Have someone check your answers. 11 - Picture Perfect 2 Have someone check your answers. 11 - Doodle Pad 2 Have someone check your answers. 11 - Picture Perfect 3 Have someone check your answers. 11 - Doodle Pad 3 Have someone check your answers. 12 - I’m Home! Answers
12 - Treasure Hunt 13 - County Fair 13 - Animal Sort 1. 4 2. 2 3. 3 4. 1 14 - County Fair 14 - Balancing Act 15 - Build and Compare blue 15 - Pick for Packing Two of a Kind Spiraling Sequence Smallest to Largest 1. 6 2. 1 3. 3 4. 2 5. 4 6. 5 Answers
Certificate of Completion for a great job finishing the Sylvan Summer Smart: Between Grades K & 1 Workbook! This award is presented to on (Click here to download a printable PDF of the certificate.)
Flashcards (Click here to download a printable PDF of these cards.)
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