Kid Activities: Clothespin Practice Game for 1st graders

For the next few posts, we wanted to feature some activity ideas that some of us sisters have found/borrowed/created for our kids. In this post, Sarah shares a great idea for the primary age group (K-2nd) that helps give kids a fun way to learn alphabetizing, math, etc.

My daughter is in the first grade this year and because of our transition to a move out West, we chose to school her at home using an online program from Bob Jones University Press. I love it and recommend it! It has made it so easy for me to be a teacher and a mom all at the same time. I love “going back to school” myself and sometimes think that the handouts, printables, and educational activities are more exciting to me than they are to my daughter. But thankfully she is a crafter at heart as well, and therefore we find ourselves giggling about whether or not there will be a craft to do in Heritage or Phonics & Reading that day.

Which brings me to this blogpost. Recently on Pinterest I saw a teacher who used clothespins to help her children practice alphabetizing. It instantly grabbed my attention with how inexpensive, simple-to-use, and customizable it was. My mind began racing with the other possibilities it held. My daughter has been working on alphabetizing in Phonics & Reading so that was a perfect practice “game.” 

Then she began working on days of the week and months of the year in Math. I decided to use the same clothespin game method for these concepts as well. She loved it, and commented that it was a “fun game but we’re learning something at the same time!” 

Even my little 2 ½ year old has enjoyed clipping and unclipping the clothespins...maybe good for the fine motor skills? So thank you to Mrs. Morrow and Pinterest!