This Montessori learning activity focuses on matching miniature North American wildlife animals to their matching realistic photo cards. Children lay out the cards and place the miniature animal on the matching picture. This activity is small enough to take with you and can be extended into pretend play with the mini animals.  

Matching Skill - Visual Discrimination:
This activity focuses on more advanced preschool matching. The objects are not an exact copy of the photo so children need to carefully observe details to match correctly. Children problem solve by looking at distinctive attributes that they can see on both the object and the photo. Usually they will start by color and eliminate pictures that do not share the same color. They can also look at shapes, patterns and details. They might ask themselves "which animals are brown?" or "which animals have antlers?". Most likely they will notice more than one animal with antlers and have to look at another attribute. Recognizing these little details helps a child grow their category knowledge and learn new vocabulary!

What is Included:
- North American Animals -  - 12 miniature realistic animals. (2"- 3" Long)  Moose, river otter, bison, mountain lion, elk, grizzly bear, white wolf, raccoon, beaver, pronghorn buck, mountain goat and big horn ram.

- 12 laminated cards professionally printed on 100# cardstock and laminated with 5 mil lamination. The cards are classroom tough.  Cards are 2.6"x 2.5"


Extensions:
- The photo cards include names of the animals so you can extend the play with researching the species! 
- This activity is small enough to take with you and can be extended into pretend play or sensory bins with the mini figurines.
- You can have the children sort and categorize the figurines by like traits on their own.

What they are learning while having fun
- Matching objects to pictures encourages one-to-one correspondence (basic math skill) and visual discrimination.
- Observing and comparing small details to match correctly. Comparing involves identifying similarities and differences among objects
- Children can group the figures by similar traits - this is sorting and classifying!
- Children gain experience with one-dimensional print, and learning to connect real objects to print. 

I also have many other matching sets including sea life, safari, insects, pets, rain forest and other collections.

These bags contain small parts that may not be appropriate for children under the age of 3. Adult supervision is required.

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Curious Minds Busy Bags is dedicated to developing original kid-friendly learning activities for children to explore while building essential skills needed for school success. Parents, early childhood teachers and occupational therapists trust my learning activities in their home, school or homeschool classrooms. They are classroom-quality educational toys that promote independent play that builds essential skills. My activities are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers and beneficial for individual who have special needs that need to be developed such as those with autism, sensory processing or dementia. My learning games and sensory toys have been enjoyed by children in daycares, Montessori schools, and early intervention classrooms!

These bags contain small parts that may not be appropriate for children under the age of 3. Adult supervision is required.



************ More information about busy bags ***************

HOW AND WHEN DO YOU USE BUSY BAGS? 
-- My personal favorite way to use busy bags is to have a quick “in case of an emergency” distraction for mischievous toddlers. Any time my twin boys are getting a little reckless and needing a change of pace I pull out an activity for an immediate distraction from the behavior. Playing and learning with an activity is a lot more fun for both parents and children than being frustrated and disciplined. Let them focus on play instead of bad behavior and you can sit down and relax and watch their little minds at work!
-- Parents, do you need a little time to make a phone call without a toddler hanging on you? Do you need to cook dinner…..or feed the new baby? My learning activities keep children actively engaged in a healthy activity while you cook or do other tasks. My boys love to “play something at the table” while we cook. We get out their trays and an activity and they are happy!
-- Do you have a longer than expected wait while waiting at a restaurant or doctor’s office? Busy bags are portable and make a great quiet activity for when your toddlers are having a difficult time sitting still and being quiet. Parents often find these games perfect for quiet activities at church or out and about.
-- Do you need a quiet activity to engage your older child while your baby naps? Or perhaps you need a quiet activity for quiet time when your preschooler gives up naps? Parents also use busy bags to give to younger children while the parent is giving a lesson to the older home schooled child. -- Teachers use these activities in learning centers or for children who finish their work early and need a quiet activity.
-- Did your child’s early intervention teacher or occupational therapist recommend you work on certain skills with your child? My learning games are perfect therapy toys.
-- Are you unexpectedly stuck inside due to a snow day or rainy weather?
-- Are you traveling or vacationing? Many busy bags are perfect for on the go fun and travel to keep kids entertained in the car or airplane.

Busy bags make great birthday presents for your child or their friends. They are perfect for big brother or sister gifts or for those who are having a new baby with a toddler in the house.

I have several products available.  I combine shipping if multiple products are purchased together.

This item is a handmade item made by Curious Minds Busy Bags.  I specialize in creating fun and engaging children's activities and learning games. Please note that the activity is packaged in a zipper plastic bag.  Busy bags are little self-contained educational activities that are easy to pack or pull out in an emergency. You can pop them in your diaper bag and pull them out when going out to eat, when there is a delay, or when you need a few uninterrupted minutes. Just pull out the activity and let your kids have fun.  These bags contain small parts that may not be appropriate for children under the age of 3. Adult supervision is required.

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