Penguin File Folder Learning Activities

We have been focused on penguins for a few weeks now and I wanted to finish up with some cute file folder games for the girls. There is one for Color Matching, one for Word Families and one for Math Facts as I wanted each girl to have something to help them at their level of development.

Here is how I made the basic folder:

I printed out pictures of penguins. As always I Googled "penguin coloring pages" and found one that I liked and then inserted it into my Word processing program to adjust the size. 

And I printed out some buckets/pails.

If you are wondering what the staples are all over the pages for, this is one of my time-saving strategies. I take several (up to 5) pages and staple them together so I can cut them together without the pages shifting.

Each file folder needs 6 penguins and 12 pails.

I cut the top off of 6 of the pails so I could tape them together to make a little pocket.

I taped the sides and bottoms together to do so.

Then I glued both the pails and the penguins into the file folder.

For the color matching folder I colored the front (cut) part of the pail before I taped it to the back.

Also, for the color matching game I wrote the colors on the penguins in the coordinating colors.

However, the other two folders are going to be slightly different. I attached Velcro to each of the penguins so I can change their bellies depending upon what word families or math facts we are working on.  I just cut additional bellies out of card stock.

I am going to have Amelia work on some /a/ word families to start with.

Tabitha will be starting with some simple numbers.

I found a simple fish pattern and cut them out in the 6 colors of the rainbow.

Hannah will match the fish to the correct color. 

Amelia will have to think of and write several words for each word family.

And Tabitha will have to find the sums and differences that make each number.

The older girls will write their answers right on the fish. If they want to write more I will give them more fish.

When we are ready to move on to other word families or math problems I will just cut out new white ovals for bellies.