One Game - Many Objectives

We love games that help children practice their math skills along with giving them important opportunities in speaking and listening skills. This is a game that we have found holds the attention of everyone, from preschoolers to adults.

Begin by cutting out the following shapes: large triangles, circles, and squares in 4 different colors. We have used red, blue, green, and yellow paper as shown below. 

Then cut out small triangles, circles, and squares in the same 4 different colors. 

Hide one of the shapes. Children are to guess this hidden shape by asking yes or no questions. For example, a child may ask, “Is it red?” You reply with a yes or no.

Keep track of how many questions are asked by tallying them.

When children think they know the hidden shape, someone may ask, “Is it a large, red triangle?”

Celebrate when the shape is guessed correctly.

We like to divide the class into two “teams.” Keep track of which team guesses the hidden shape using the fewest number of questions. This means team members must listen carefully to one another.

You can easily spot all of the integrated objectives of this game: listening skills, thinking critically about questions, formulating questions, understanding adjective order, asking complete questions, recalling responses, understanding and counting tally marks, identifying shapes, and identifying colors. You can differentiate for members of your class in many ways by using this simple game.

Standards Alignment:

NAEYC – 2.D.01 & 2.F.06.

Head Start – VIII.A. & B.; X.C.