| Use Free Clip Art | | | | image – such as the tail of a lion or the outline of |
| Essentially, we are going to use clip art that you may | | | | an apple. Now use the pen tool to place some dots |
| already have on your computer and then simply edit | | | | roughly along the outline of the part you removed. |
| it using a graphics program such and Photoshop, Paint | | | | Then use the text tool to put numbers next to the |
| Shop Pro or similar (even the free one loaded with | | | | dots. The number of dots and complexity of the part |
| your computer will suffice) to create activities that | | | | you removed will vary depending on the age of the |
| will keep kids off the computer and out of your hair | | | | child. Tip: For a variation on this, if you have 26 dots |
| for a while! You only need basic knowledge of the | | | | or less, use letters of the alphabet instead of |
| program to do things such as copy, erase, fill (with | | | | numbers. |
| colour) and add text. | | | | Spot The Difference |
| Most Popular | | | | Copy the image and then place the copies side by |
| The most popular children's activities to create | | | | side. On one of the images, use the eraser tool to |
| include: colouring pages, spot the difference, dot to | | | | subtly remove 5 to 10 parts of the image – a |
| dots, tracing numbers and simple maths puzzles. The | | | | couple of spots from a leopard, a few blades of |
| best types of clipart pictures to use include those | | | | grass from a scene etc. |
| that feature animals, fruit, trees and flowers, | | | | Tracing Numbers |
| dinosaurs and racing cars. | | | | Starting with a blank image, use the text tool to |
| Starting Off | | | | draw a large number. Make sure the foreground |
| Firstly, find some suitable clipart – most | | | | colour is set to a medium grey, and the background |
| computers will already have plenty included along with | | | | colour is set to white to give an outline of the |
| word processing or similar programs. Otherwise, | | | | number rather than a solid one. Beneath this, use the |
| check out free websites such as Microsoft Office | | | | text tool again, with a smaller font size, to write the |
| Online. Most clip art is in colour so the first step is to | | | | name of the number. The idea is for the child to |
| remove the colour. Load the image into the graphics | | | | trace over the faint grey image and learn how to |
| program. Now select the "fill tool" and choose white | | | | draw the number and how it spell it. |
| as the colour. Click the fill tool in each of the coloured | | | | Simple Maths Puzzles |
| areas – it should change to white. Eventually, you | | | | Make maths funs with animal pictures! Find some |
| will have a black and white image. An alternative | | | | small clip art pictures of animals, such as pigs, cows |
| option with some programs is to convert them to | | | | and horses. Remove the colour as above and then |
| black and white (make sure it is JUST black and | | | | paste the animals in groups into a blank image. Vary |
| white and not ‘greyscale'). | | | | the number of animals in each group. Draw a hollow |
| Now we should have a black and white drawing. For | | | | circle next to each group. The child has to count the |
| colouring pages we're done! Just print out the image | | | | animals in each group and write the number in the |
| to fit on a full sheet of paper and the kids can get | | | | circle. They can also colour in the picture if they wish. |
| started straight away. For other activities, just follow | | | | There are many more variations on the above, and if |
| these steps: | | | | you are more experienced with editing graphicss you |
| Dot to Dots | | | | can create other activities such as mazes and more |
| Use the eraser tool to carefully remove part of the | | | | complicated maths puzzles and crosswords etc. |