If your child is in P2 they’ll receive a free Read Write Count with the First Minister activity bag during the autumn term. The bag is full of fun things for you to do together. It’s an engaging way for you to help turn their homework into games!
What’s in the bag?
- Where Has All The Cake Gone? by Andrew Sanders and Aysha Awwad
- The Dragon Who Didn’t Like Fire by Gemma Merino
- Shape Shuffle card game with Talk it Out and Act it Out cards on the reverse
- A tangram
- A writing pencil
- An activity booklet with lots of ideas for using the items in the bag to play and learn.
Where Has All The Cake Gone? By Andrew Sanders and Aysha Awwad
The almost unbelievable story of a missing cake, lots of hungry penguins and a crumb-covered little boy – could this comic caper really be true?
Where has all the cake gone?
Game #1: Penguin power
Game #1: Penguin power
There are a LOT of penguins in this book! Can your child count them all?
At first they might all look quite similar, but there are different sizes and shapes, just like penguins in real life. Why not take a look at this guide to penguin species together on the Penguins International website? What are the differences between them? Your child could then draw their favourite penguin.
Game #2: Super snowmen
Game #2: Super snowmen
Can your child remember how many snowmen were built in the book? You could ask them to draw their own snowman, and think about the different shapes it’s made up from, like circles for its body, a triangle for its nose and maybe a square hat?
Game #3: Get baking
Game #3: Get baking
We were feeling pretty hungry by the end of this book! You can find lots of great, low-cost recipes for cakes and muffins in our recipe section – why not have a go at baking them together? Baking is a great way of teaching your child about weights and measures and how to follow instructions – and of course it’s fun!
The Dragon Who Didn’t Like Fire by Gemma Merino
All good dragons love flying and breathing fire. They do NOT love water! So what’s a young dragon to do when she finds out that she can swim like a fish? And what will her dragon dad think? This is a charming, funny story of acceptance, difference and family love.
The dragon who didn't like fire
Game #1: Take to the skies
Game #1: Take to the skies
In the book, the little dragon tries to make her own wings. Ask your child if they can make some wings out of things they find in the house, like newspaper, cardboard or a towel. Then you could head out to the park to try them out (spoiler alert, they probably won’t work!)
Game #2: What makes me special?
Game #2: What makes me special?
In the book, the little dragon is worried there’s something wrong with her because she’s different from her brothers and sisters. When you’ve read the book, you could talk to your child about what makes them different and special, and how everyone being different is what makes the world so interesting.
This could be a good time to talk about the different way people’s brains work too – our page on talking to your child about neurodiversity has tips for this.
Game #3: Changes
Game #3: Changes
The young dragons go through changes in the book as they grow up. Why not have a look at some old photos with your child and see how you’ve both changed?
This could also be an opportunity to talk to them about the changes their body will go through as they grow up – our page on talking to your child about their body and puberty has tips to help.
Tangram games
Game #1: How many sides?
Game #1: How many sides?
Tangram from the P2 activity bag
A tangram is a Chinese puzzle made up of seven polygons or ‘tans’, which can be put together to make different shapes. You could start by looking at the different shapes and seeing if your child can name them. They might know square and triangle, but what about the parallelogram?
Game #2: Make a picture
Game #2: Make a picture
Cat shape made using a tangram
How many different shapes can your child make with the tans? If they need some inspiration, you could have a look at this online tangram game together.
Game #3: Different colours
Game #3: Different colours
The tan pieces are all different colours – can your child name the colours, and think of something else that’s the same colour?
Shape Shuffle card game with Talk it Out and Act it Out cards on the reverse
Game #1: Get shuffling
Game #1: Get shuffling
Image of a pack of cards.
Shuffle and deal the cards. Put one card each at a time face up onto the pile in the middle. You can only use a card if the shape or number matches the card at the top of the pile. For example if the card has 5 squares you could play another 5 card or another square card next. If you can’t play, take a card from the pile. Whoever gets rid of all their cards first wins!
Game #2: Name the shapes
Game #2: Name the shapes
Some shapes are easier than others, but why not turn over the number card and see who can name the shape first?
Game #3: Snap!
Game #3: Snap!
Use the cards for a quick game of snap. Just try and match the cards with the same numbers.
