Winter is the perfect season for file folder games. With the weather colder restricting prolonged outside play time, these simple inexpensive games work great for the early childhood classroom. They are great for transitions, centers or anytime activities. All you need is a few simple materials and a great idea to make a file folder game.
Materials:
When making file folder games all you need is a few simple materials. File folders, markers, glue, sissors, and die-cuts or cut-outs (optional). Its up to you to decide how much work you want to put into it. The most basic file folder can still make a very educational game.
Ideas for Winter File folder games:
Snowflake Matching
Using six different shaped snowflake die-cuts, make doubles of each. You may choose to make them all white or colored depending on the level of difficulty you wish to achieve. Remember that all white snowflakes will be the most difficult and matching colors will be the least. On your file folder glue one set of the snow flakes. You may choose to draw a scenery in the back ground or keep it simple and only glue them on a bare file folder. Write the directions neatly on the front of the file folder with the title of the game. It is a good idea to laminate the file folder and the loose set of snowflakes. Use a paper clip or make a pocket attached to the file folder to keep the loose snowflakes.
Different versions of game: matching colors, matching shapes, matching number of points, letters, number or dots drawn on sets to match
Snowman Counting
As with the above file folder game you will need a double set of snowmen die-cuts or cut-outs. One set of snowmen will have the answer to the math equation on them and the other will have the equation or problem. You can glue mixed-matched equations and answers or simply put all the equations on the file folder. Again, its all about the amount of difficulty you wish to achieve. Just make sure that for every snowman you glue on the folder,its counterpart is loose. To make the game easier, you may wish to color match the snowmen’s scarfs the same to give the students a clue. You can use dots to numerals, equations to dots or numerals or any combination you wish.
Different versions of game: color matching, alphabet matching- lower and upper case
Mitten Word Play
Again, you will need a double set of mitten die-cuts or cut-outs. This is a great file folder game to use to suppliment your vocabulary words for a unit. Choose your words and break them up. One set will have half the word on it and the other the rest of the word. You may want to make it an easy game and glue on the picture of the word on one set of mittens and the word on the other for early readers. For a more difficult game you can make one set a clue and the other the answer.
You can turn almost anything into a file folder game with just a little creativity.
For other file folder ideas for Thanksgiving see my other article!
