Counting numbers and objects isn’t a simple skill for a child to learn. Counting involves enumerating units so that they arrive at a total number units. It also involves giving stable, consistent meaning to each conventional counting word.
Insight into a preschoolers’ logical thinking has been a topic of research. Children’s cognitive tasks your child will encounter in his play involve counting and adding simple sums.
When counting several objects sitting on the floor a child may skip one of the objects; this is normal. The teacher or parent can help by touching the items as the child is counting to make sure he includes every object.
Sometimes a child will fail to match their numerical recitation to the objects they are counting such as when playing board games. They will begin moving their playing piece down the board at a different rate then they are counting.
Another common mistake a child will make when learning to count is using his words in a non-standard order such as “one, two, three, six, eight, ten”. When they use one non-standard sequence one time and a completely different one the next time, they are not really counting.
To help child learn that numbers are in a certain order and adding a sum of objects must be counted in the correct order, wooden puzzles for kids are useful for teaching this skill. Number puzzles that must be assembled in numeric order will show them how to acquire this skill.
For instance, look at this 3d wooden puzzle. It is a number puzzle that can only be assembled in order of 1-10. Each bunny has its own number and can be played with as a separate toy. But to assemble the puzzle it must be done in numeric order.
Educational toys such as wooden puzzles will help impress on a child that numbers have an order that must be followed in order to count correctly and can help them learn to include each and every piece.
Most 2 year olds start to count a group of objects and will miss some of the objects right away. By four years of age most children will be able to count about five objects accurately before they begin making errors. Twenty objects will be counted correctly by the age of 5 only if the objects are not in disarray.
Therefore it is important to have several puzzles of varying difficulty levels as they are learning to recognize their numbers and counting objects. Until a child grasps the idea that 1 is included in 2, 2 included in 3 and so on they will not be likely to be careful about counting each separate object only one time.
The bunny counting puzzle shown above measures 14″ x 4″ – large size that kids can easily handle. It is one inch thick and stands up by itself. Give this toy to a child 3 years and up. See our other counting and alphabet puzzles on our website by clicking on the link in this article.
It’s ok if you do because snails (Gastropods) are found in almost every habitat, be it damp land, fresh water, or sea water. Snails are small, soft-bodied mollusk that crawls very slowly. Most snails have spiral shells on their backs into which they can pull back for protection. There are land snails, freshwater snails, and marine snails.
Did you know that a snail has only one foot? Or that it has no bones at all?
Snails move slowly making them easy to watch. Slow-moving snails are great for studying animal motion. If you find a snail in your garden and turn it over, you’ll see that it uses a large, muscular foot to crawl along.
There are two types of snails. Gilled snails have gills and can close their bodies into their shells with a plate, or door. Gilled snails usually lay their eggs in jelly-like cocoons above or under water. The trapdoor snail (actually a livebearer) and apple snail are two of these.
Pulmonate snails have lungs. They either come to the surface to breathe, or some breathe through their body surface while underwater. They cannot close their bodies into their shells. Pulmonate snails usually lay their eggs in gelatinous masses under water (the Malaysian trumpet snail though is a live-bearer). Examples are pond snails and ramshorn snails.
This information was found on: http://www.abc-kid.com/snails/ and http://www.teacherwebshelf.com/classroompets/insectsandco-snails.htm. See these websites for more interesting snail facts for kids.
Of Special Interest - See our 3d wooden puzzle collection. Splinter- proof wooden puzzles for kids 3 up. Brightly painted in colors that kids love, our animal puzzles will be a great addition to your child’s collection of wooden kids toys.
This bag-like creature does not have any bones and it can squeeze itself into the tiniest of openings. If you guessed the octopus you would be correct.
The world of the octopus - There are about 200 species of octopuses in the world. The biggest is the Pacific Giant Octopus, which weighs over 100 kgs and has a tentacle span of more than seven meters. The smallest is the Atlantic Pygmy Octopus. This one is just two centimeters long.
But unlike their slow-moving cousins, the slowpoke snails, octopuses can move very fast indeed. That’s because their tentacles are covered with small suction pads, with which they cling well to clammy rocks and slippery ocean floors. These suction pads are also super-sensitive to touch and taste. An octopus’ sense of taste is 10 to 100 times more sensitive than that of a human!
Its eyes, too, are highly developed. Thus it can see clearly in dark or murky water. That equips the clever octopus to hunt at night. This clever creature lures its pray by wriggling the tip of a tentacle so that it looks like a worm.
When it is threatened, the octopus secretes an inky substance. This is meant to confuse predators, which gives it time to escape.
Most poisons produced by the octopuses are too weak to harm humans. Only the Blue-Ringed Octopus is an exception – it produces enough poison to kill a human being. You may read more about this sea life creature at: http://www.pitara.com/discover/earth/online.asp?story=111.
If you have a three year old who might enjoy having his own octopus ImagiPLAY has a line of wooden puzzles to teach the alphabet or counting. Count Octopus is one of their brightly colored 3d wooden puzzles to help your child learn counting numbers 1-9. Each puzzle piece has a unique number painted on it and each puzzle piece is a different color.
Great for teaching counting as well as colors our 3d wooden puzzles can be found on our website, All I Can Imagine.
Hand crafted, all natural wood 3d puzzles are great kids learning toys as well as a decoration for your Christmas fireplace or table. Splinter-proof 3d wood puzzles by ImagiPLAY are also a unique gift to give a teacher, Sunday school teacher or your best friend.
Wooden puzzles have the look and feel of quality built toys we remember having as children. Once you are exposed to wood puzzles and toys you want to own more. This Christmas tree is the perfect addition to any puzzle collection. There are many small pieces and you will want to closely monitor children under 3 if they get hold of the puzzle.
ImagiPLAY’s natural wood puzzles are 1/12” thick and stand up all by themselves. They are geared for kids seven and up and may be painted with water colors.
Before you finish your Christmas shopping you may want to take a look at this game. If you love the look and feel of wooden kids toys this is just what you will want for one of your new family games.
Manufactured by ImagiPLAY, this is a new global game to help inspire global awareness through play. Going green can be all fun and games. “Tumblin’ Tree” is a unique game/wooden puzzle-like kid’s toy the whole family will get in to.
The trunk can be adjusted to increase the difficulty level when you want more of a challenge. Available online this wooden kids toy is geared for ages 6 up.
Parents and educators are being more careful than ever when purchasing wooden puzzles for their children. Where they are made is not nearly as important as how they are made.
ImagiPLAY is a manufacture of children’s wooden toys and 3d puzzles and even though they are manufactured in China they remain one of the safest wood toys on the market. Not only does the Chinese government have to inspect the toys coming out of their country, the USA also inspects the toys before they are sent to the suppliers warehouses.
One of ImagiPLAY’s popular number puzzles is an Octopus painted 3d puzzle and is an educational toy you may use to help teach children numbers 1-9 and colors. Chunky wood pieces are easy for young children 3 and up to handle.
And, here is an Octopus fact to teach your children: There is a certain type of Octopus that can transform itself in seconds into a rock shape and can even change the surface and colour of its skin to look rough like the surface of a rock. When its prey is nearby, it quickly changes shape and eats its prey, which is usually a fish,that has little time to escape, having come so close to what it thought was a rock. Clever!
At the far end of the world, there exists a strange and unusual chain of islands, resting above vast tectonic plates. This is the world of the Galápagos Archipelago, home to salt-spitting marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and giant tortoises that can live to be more than 150 years of age.
It is also the birthplace of Darwinism, for here in 1835, a young Charles Darwin began to formulate a theory which would turn the world upside down. More than a century and a half later, these mysterious islands remain at the center of a controversy that has shaped the way modern men perceive science, religion, and life itself. The unique ingredients found on the Galápagos have led many of Darwin’s followers to describe it as Darwin’s Eden — a “laboratory of evolution.”
For educators and parents the subject of Darwin’s theory will eventually come up and children will be fascinated with marine and sea life creatures. At this point it will be necessary to have several educational children’s toys on hand to help with your lessons.
Wooden puzzles and play sets will be a good starting point. The Sealife puzzle playset has a variety of individual characters you can use to show the differences in each fish, turtle, etc.
When Darwin was a young man he traveled around the world on the H.M.S. Beagle (1831-1836), a research vessel. His job was to make observations on the plants and animals found in the places the ship docked.
While on the trip, Darwin saw many strange and new plants and animals and began to wonder how they could have come to be. He was particularly struck by the animals of the Galapagos Islands, where he found that each island had a different kind of tortoise, a different kind of finch, and a different kind of marine iguana.
You can read more on this interesting website - http://www.terindell.com/asylum/jason/darwin.html and incorporate the information into your lessons. As you use your educational children’s toys your lessons come alive and your children will come up with their own ideas and questions to make for a lively discussion.
While decorating for Christmas there are unique wooden puzzles that can help make your table or fireplace mantle an eye catcher as your guests arrive. The only trick is that everyone will want to take it down and play with it.
As a Christmas puzzle the reindeer is just one of our 3d jigsaw puzzles you could use in your decorating themes. Our puzzles are one and one-half inches thick and stand up by themselves. Place greenery and holly berries around the base of the puzzles, add some candles or other knick knacks and you will have a beautiful and inexpensive holiday display.
Safe 3d jigsaw puzzles are handcrafted and made from all natural wood. Geared for ages 7 up these puzzles can be painted with water colors.
It’s not to early to begin thinking about Christmas gifts. The stores have been putting up Christmas items for over a month now and gift giving ideas have been dancing around in your head ever since.
Wooden children’s toys, such as 3d puzzles, not only make a great Christmas gift for a child but a puzzle such as the natural wood puzzle pictured here is great for decorating.
Wooden puzzles make pretty center pieces when arranged along with Christmas greenery. Place candles along with the Santa puzzle, set it in your train scene, or on a fireplace mantle. As a stocking stuffer you could leave it unwrapped and place it in the top of the other gifts in your child’s Christmas stocking.
Hands crafted all natural and the Santa is shrink wrapped to showcase the natural beauty of the wood. The Santa puzzle will stand up by itself because it is 1-1/2 inches thick. As an extra “bonus”, this wood puzzle may be painted.
There was a time when, as children, we were given wooden children’s toys more often than not. We may not have appreciated the toys at the time, but with the new age of electronic gadgets we can now appreciate how simple and uncomplicated these children’s wooden toys were.
One of the reasons wooden toys are so popular, and remain so, is that anyone can play with them. Playing with just about any wooden toy is not intimating and can be enjoyed by all age groups. Best of all children love receiving wooden puzzles and toys because they’re different.
These days DVD’s and computer games are ordinary not necessarily the best educational kids toys available. Children’s wooden toys are something out of the ordinary. Children can’t get enough of toys that don’t beep, buzz or click.
When it’s time to buy a gift think wood. Explore wood games, trucks, trains and 3d wooden puzzles for your child and the child in you.