Yarn Shape Match File Folder Game

Today's file folder game is a Yarn Shape Match.  It's a super simple activity to put together, requiring almost no materials (i.e. it's also frugal).  It is great for preschool and kindergarten aged children to practice their fine motor skill development.

To Make It:

1. On the inside of your file folder, use markers to draw various shapes.  Depending on the age of your child, you will want to keep shape size and detail in mind as you draw these (younger kids=bigger, simpler shapes).

2.  Cut various sized pieces of yarn.  You will want various sizes so that it is easier to both make sharp turns on shapes (like the "cross" on letter A or when making the three sides of a triangle) and to make long, continuous shapes (like circle or squiggle marks).

Be sure to add a pocket to the front of your file folder to store your yarn pieces!

Encourage your child to line various pieces of yarn up with the shapes he sees on the file folder.  Also, as you can see in the photo above, yarn does not really like to stay where you put it (shape wise), which is another reason you may want to cut your string pieces small and have them connect strings together instead.

Don't forget to store your file folder games in a super cute up-cycled box!

Ordinal Number Match File Folder

If you are working on ordinal numbers with your kiddo, try out this file folder game to help them practice!  

To Make It:

1.  Cut out 2 each of 10 different colored triangles (or squares, circles, etc.).

2.  Use packaging tape to tape down one each of the triangles to a file folder.  

3.  Underneath the two rows of triangles, draw a long line.  Add numbers along the line to match up with the order of shapes (top row 1-5, bottom row 6-10).

4.  On the second set of triangles, write the ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc).  I made mine to match up color-wise, but you do not have to do it that way.

5.  Cut out 10 short strips of paper to fit on the lines below the triangles, and write out the names of the ordinal numbers on each (first, second, etc.).

6.  Laminate the second set of triangles and the word strips to ensure they last.

7.  On the front of your file folder, be sure to add a pocket so that your pieces can easily be stored.

This file folder is appropriate for kindergarten and first grade students / homeschoolers.

DIY File Folder Box (Using Fabric & an Old Box)

I kept telling my husband that I needed a box for all my file folders.  Nothing fancy, but definitely something to control my growing chaos and love for all things file folders.  But, as usual, I didn't have any money to spend on a silly box.  And so.  I got creative.  

I found a box that was the perfect length for file folders and I cut off the top box tabs.  I dug through my fabric stash and found a single piece of fabric that was just big enough to cover the box properly. 

Using hot glue, I began to tightly pull the fabric around the box and secure it.  I placed the box in the middle of the fabric and pulled the fabric around the outside and into the middle of the box.

Notice how my fabric just covers a few of the top inside inches of the box, not the whole inside.  You could cover the whole thing if you really wanted to, but since it does not really get seen, I did not find it necessary or worth the use of my fabric :)

This file folder box is WAY cuter than any I would have found at the store, and it was a total frugal option with a $0 purchase price!  Now my file folders have this really great and cute home in which to be stored. 

How Many Apples? File Folder Game

Today's file folder game idea is for ages 2-4 year olds.  However, it can easily be adapted for kindergarten and 1st grade students (instructions at the bottom of the post).

To Make it:

Cut tree trunks out of brown paper.  I actually had some brown sticky foam sheets, so I used that, which is fun because of the texture.  Write your numbers on the trunks using a sharpie.  The tree trunks will be the piece that is attached to the file folder.  I used the sticky backing of the foam to attach, but you can use glue or tape.  

Cut "trees" out of green paper.  Cut apples out of red.  Attach different amounts of apples to each tree.  Since I made this folder for my 2 year old, I used #'s 1-4.  You can use any numbers.  Laminate the trees.

Using velcro squares, attach one side of the velcro to the trees, and the other side to the file folder.  Now your apple trees can be attached to their corresponding tree trunk!

That's it!  Pretty simple, huh?

To Adapt it:

This file folder can easily be adapted for older children.  

OPTION #1:

Your apples could come in groups of 5's or 10's or 2's, depending on what your child is learning (i.e. if a tree has 5 groups of 10 apples, the trunk would read "50" and the child would be counting by 10's to figure out 'How many apples?').  

OPTION #2:

It would also be easy to adapt these trees using math problems.  The apples could be sorted into 2 groups on the tree, with a + or - and an = sign on each one.  The child would read "one apple plus three apples equals..." and they would hunt for the trunk reading "4."

Crayon File Folder Game

I love file folder games.  Have you ever used them?  My kindergarten students enjoyed pulling them out if they needed a quiet activity or if they were looking for something to do before transitioning to another activity.  I also love that file folders are not just for teachers or homeschoolers, but that you can use them for any child at any time!  Need a few minutes of peace while you finish up dinner?  Pull out some file folders for your kids on the kitchen table to keep them busy instead of the same old "go watch a tv show for a few minutes!"

Since we will be homeschooling in the fall, and I have 3, almost 4 kids, I am definitely going to be utilizing file folders and activity tubs.  When I work with one child, the other two can do file folder games or self-directed activities from numbered tubs.  

And so, I've been working on putting together some file folders for my kids.  This has led me to the conclusion that I do, indeed, need a laminator as there is no way I'm going to spend so much time re-creating all these activities for each child...they need to last through all 4 kiddos!  So for now, I am using packaging tape to "laminate" the pieces, but I will be purchasing a laminator soon!

Today's file folder activity is great for 2-3 year olds (though my 5 year old who clearly knows her colors also enjoyed this folder).  

Print out several copies of a crayon coloring sheet.  I used this one here and made 4 copies.  Color each of the crayons.  I colored mine using markers, and I made 3 each of 8 different colors.  Cut out a small square to match each color using construction paper (or print out colored squares if you have a colored printer).  Write the color name on each piece.

Laminate the crayons.

Tape the squares to the file folder, sealing the bottom and leaving the top open.  

Children can now match up the colored crayons to their appropriate boxes.  

Store crayons in their pockets or in a ziploc baggie inside the file folder to prevent loosing pieces!