Compound Word Game

Thanks to Elmer’s for sponsoring this post.  All opinions are *honestly* my own!

Ever since I was old enough to know what glue was, I’ve used Elmer’s products.  I bet you have too…raise your hand if you remember paste!!  {Ah, the smell, the stick…}  Elmer’s has been creating products to help kids learn and craft for more than sixty years.  And recently, they launched some new products in the Early Learner’s Academy designed especially with the littlest learners in mind.  Little Crafter is just the right age for the new Elmer’s Early Learners Glue Pen, so we tried it out while making this game to help him practice building compound words!

In case you haven’t heard, Little Crafter is reading like crazy these days.  His teacher told us a few months ago that he’s reading at a second grade level {he’s 5}.  So, we’re constantly looking for ways at home to continue building on his skills and reinforce what he’s learning in school.  One of the things he’s starting to learn about is compound words, so I thought it would be fun to come up with a game that would let him tangibly put two small words together…and see how a word that is a piece of one larger word can also be a piece of a different larger word.  This is how we did it.

Materials:
– Elmer’s Early Learners Glue Pen
– Elmer’s Classic Glitter Glue
– printed list of words
– scissors and/or paper cutter
– circle punch {we used 1 1/4″}
– yellow cardstock
– black construction paper
– empty container with lid
– tape

Step 1: Cut your printed words apart.
You can create your own list using as many or as few words as you like.  If you want to use mine, you can download it here and print it out!

Step 2: Use the circle punch to make one “coin” per word from the yellow cardstock.  If you’re using my complete list, you’ll need 58 circles.

Step 3: Glue one word to each circle using the Glue Pen.  The triangle shape makes it easy for kiddos to hold and control, plus, it won’t roll away!  These pens, as well as the Early Learners Glue Stick, are available now at Target and Walmart, and will be coming to Michaels this spring!

While your word “coins” are drying, it’s time to decorate the pot!

Step 4: Cut construction paper to fit around your container and secure it in place.  Then, decorate with glitter glue!
You can use any type of container you want for your “pot of gold.” Little Crafter happened to bring this one home from school with his Valentines in it, so we decided to repurpose it for this project {my Starbucks bottles wouldn’t have worked nearly as well}.

LC thoroughly enjoyed the decorating part, and insisted on using lots of purple since it’s his favorite color, even though that has nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day!  He did concede that I could make a few clovers on there too, which I had fun doing…it’s no fun just watching someone else use glitter, Mama likes to play too!

I made him let everything dry completely overnight {I know, mean mommy…} then the next morning, we were ready to play!  LC had a blast matching up two smaller words to make one bigger one, like “earthquake,” “snowman,” and many {many!} more.  Each time he made a new word, he got to put both of those coins into the pot.

The best part was when he turned to me with a big smile and said, “This is really a fun game, Mommy!”  Which *almost* made up for telling me I was “a little bit skinny and a little bit fat.”  Almost.

Want to have your own fun with Elmer’s Early Learning Academy?  I’ve got great news!  My friends at Elmer’s are going to give one lucky reader the Early Learner Glue Pen and Glue Stick along with a $25 Visa Gift Card you can use to buy some other crafty supplies!  Rafflecopter will walk you through the entry process; good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway