It was back in January last year that I wrote my blog Using Usborne Snap cards for matching, sorting and language skills and described Daisy’s enjoyment using these Usborne cards. We packed the cards away, ready for this Christmas, hoping to play more games and Christmas Snap with Daisy.
This Christmas time we put these Usborne snap cards out for Daisy to discover again. And as we hoped, she has continued to enjoy playing with them and again we have found ways to use the cards for more matching, sorting and language skills.
Daisy’s initiated the first activity, using the whole pack of cards. This year she was able to take the cards, one by one, putting it down on her table, telling us what the image was and gradually sorting the entire pack into the 13 groups of images.
Daisy is now aware that along with the image on the card, there’s a word too – the name for the image. In further play, again sorting the cards, Daisy started to point at a few of the words which are on the cards and then tell us the initial letter for some of those words. This language development in Daisy is a result of doing regular letter activities with Daddy, particularly when they are travelling on the bus or train and there’s some time to fill and occupy Daisy.
Once the Christmas presents were open and with new toys to play with, Daisy was too busy for more snap card activities for a while. But one afternoon during their stay, the cards were nearby and I took out one card for each image. Taking one card at a time, I asked Daisy if she could go and see if she could find that item in our house and to place a card beside each item. She was so excited and busily set off, gradually finding all of the items. I now have a couple of snap cards on the Christmas tree branches for baubles and decorations, our Christmas coasters for snowflakes and cards are placed beside her toys for the reindeer and elf.
Looking at the Early Years skills, this shows Daisy’s ability to understand and respond to simple instructions. There’s also the beginnings of the use of prepositions with the cards placed on the Christmas tree, under the tree and beside the coasters…
I’m collecting up the cards again after Christmas and we still haven’t played Christmas Snap with the Usborne cards! Nor have we used the cards to make up stories together – yet.
Granny Smith Says –
Remember, these card games don’t have to be seasonal and Usborne do have different sets of Snap cards that can all be used to develop sorting, matching, memory and language skills.
Granny Smith's Diary 