DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Johnny Appleseed Jigsaw Word Match Templates
I have used picture clues and
simple Johnny Appleseed themed words to create some "learn to read" jigsaw puzzle piece word matching templates for young children.
Materials:
- thin cardboard (ex: old cereal boxes)
- printer,
- paper,
- glue,
- something to color with
Instructions:
- Print out the template of choice.
- Glue the template onto a piece of thin cardboard or cardstock. I'm cheap *grin* so I always use old cereal boxes or granola bar boxes instead of buying cardstock when I need thin cardboard as a base for making crafts or templates sturdy.
- Let dry.
- Color the template, if using the B&W version.
- Cut out the template, separating the jigsaw puzzle pieces. This may require the help of an adult or older child.
- Mix together all of the pieces and allow the child to pull the pieces out and match the words with the picture clues.
- You can reuse these over and over if you like and you can mix them with other sets to make them more complicated.
- You can make up games (of varying complexity) to play with children with these templates:
- Line up all of the picture clue cards. Each player picks a word card and tries to match it with one of the picture clue cards.
- Go Fish: I like to print two sets for this game. Players each get 6 cards. If they have a MATCH, they put the match down in front of them (with two sets, a match can be picture + picture, word + word or picture + word) If player1 has no match, they can ask player2 for a card (ex: Do you have a flower?) Player2 either gives the flower if they have one or says GO FISH if they do not, requiring player1 to pick a new card from the pile of unused, face down cards.
- Memory Game/Concentration. All cards should be turned face down. Players take turns flipping two cards up. If the cards match (ex: picture of a flower with the word flower) that is a MATCH -- those cards stay face up and the player gets another turn. If there is not a MATCH, the cards get turned back face down and the next player gets a turn
- ALTERNATIVE: Instead of making reusable puzzle pieces, you can just print the paper pieces and allow the children to glue the matching pieces together onto a blank piece of construction paper.
Templates:
- Close template window when done printing to return to this screen.
- Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).
