I couldn’t believe how easy this game was to create, and how much fun the children had playing with it. 
I had no pre-plans in making it. The idea struck me as I looked through some items at the Dollar Tree for a gift we were putting together for a needy child in our community. As we walked down the isles, I was fascinated by the different decorations and my mind was flooded with lots of sensory games we could put together. That is really a great store to get affordable supplies to enhance your learning adventure.
Here is one of our new Christmas games:
Christmas Matchup Sensory Game
It cost me $12 to make two games, and I had lots of leftovers, including lots of other characters like polar bears, reindeer, stars, ornaments, and more, that I can create another game with.
Once I got home and put it all together I realized I could have put the games together for $8 or $4 each, and still had some leftover. But now, I have lots of leftovers to figure out what to do next. I think another game is in the near future.
Christmas Tags = $1 for 50 I purchased 2 each of 4 different variety packs. I could have purchased only two varieties, and had plenty. For example, I ended up with 6 different santa’s, and four different snowmen, and three different Christmas trees.
Christmas Tray with four compartments = $1 I purchased 2.
Expandable Envelope to store game in = $1 I purchased 2.
This game is great because each of the tags are cut out of card stock, and shaped differently. There are a variety of characters that are all santa, or all snowmen. So it takes some discernment and paying attention. Also they are layered in texture with paints, and grit, and glitter. So touching them is fun and sensory oriented. They are brightly colored to, so they are pleasing to the eye.
It was great fun for our toddler, who thought every compartment needed a santa, even though he also understood to match them into the right compartment. It is interesting, because he is very exact, and wants everything in its proper place. You should hear him get onto his big brothers if they forget to put their shoes away! But he is also very independent, and he is really funny, and likes to think up his own games too. Here he was showing me that santa could fit into the other holes so they all looked like santa.
Our preschooler loved this game. She spent a long time matching the right tag into the right compartment, and feeling the different textures on the cards. As soon as she had filled the tray, she was ready to dump them out and start again. And again. And again….
Even the older kids got in on the action. We have a kindergartner, second grader, and fourth grader who all played with the game too.
Great game to also have a Christmas Matchup Racing Game.
Have two players compete to match their cards into the correct compartment, accurately, the fastest.
My boys are very competitive with each other. So this game is a hit.
Another way to use the cards is to have the kids practice tracing or drawing them depending on their skill level.
Stay tuned for additional games and activities we create using these supplies. I wonder how many different ways we can benefit in practicing our skills from this $12 investment?
Please leave a comment and share what you’ve been up to at your house.
What games are you playing with during December?
What other ways can you think of to use the left over Christmas tag cards?
Weiser Academy
Homeschool and Family Life Adventures
I bought these same tags to use for a countdown to Christmas scavenger hunt. I write a clue on the back of the card as to where the next card is and the last cards leads to a small treat.
What a great idea. I am sure that is a big hit !
Hi there! What a great blog you have! I’d love for your to link up to my Tot Tuesdays linky party. Its every Tuesday and a chance to link up crafts, activities, tips, recipes and educational resources for all things TODDLER related. I hope you’ll stop by. Have a great day!
http://www.mydeliciousambiguity.com
Hi Jenn,
Thank you so much for the invitation to Tot Tuesdays, and I will definately join up and post your link up button here on this blog so others can find you too. Thank you for the nice compliment. I am looking forward to working with you.
Have a blessed day.
What a great idea! I will have to squeeze in a trip to the dollar store- those tags are awesome! They would be great for making patterns too.
That looks like something my boys would like. Now you have me wondering what our dollar store has that would make a quick and fun game…
Patterns are a great idea! Thank you for sharing.
It is amazing that you can get 50 of these well made tags for $1.
Included in the set of 50 is several copies of 6 different cards. The Dollar Tree had 4 different packages, so that makes a total of 24 different cards with several copies of each. There were several polar bears, penguins, and snowmen that could be used in a winter theme project for a few months yet after the holidays too. Or use all the cards year around, such as Christmas in July. LOL. They would make great Christmas or Winter theme lapbook or scrapbook decorations too.
Please let us know what you come up with.
I hope you find some great “tools” to work with.
Please stop back in and let us know how it goes.
The games look great. Thanks for sharing…will have to keep my eyes peeled for fun dollar store finds like this, too. Hope that you will pop by to check out my blog and will want to link up your neat project to my blog, too.
Have subscribed to your blog. Hope that you will want to check out my homeschool blog as well.
🙂 Colleen
What a great idea, I especially love the use of the trays. Thank you for linking to We Play this week 🙂
HI! Love this! Would you please add this and any other Christmas idea for toddlers you have in our Christmas linky? We’re sharing all of posted links with our followers on FB and Twitter as Magic Christmas for Toddlers countdown! :)))
Great. Thank you so much for the invitation. I stopped by your blog and posted the link and checked out some more of the links others put on. Fantastic. Happy holidays!
Added this as day 17 activity suggestion in our Magic Christmas for Toddlers countdown 🙂