Character Concentration

Art/Language Arts Activity

WHAT YOU NEED

• Large blank index cards
• A collection of storybooks children have read or listened to

WHAT TO DO

1. Begin by reviewing with children the many stories they have read or listened to. Ask children to name some of the characters from those stories. Record the characters' names on chart paper. Try to list as many story characters as there are children in the class (or about 24 story characters).

2. Then tell children that they are going to play the game concentration, using pictures of the characters they have just discussed. If necessary, explain how concentration is played. Tell children that in this game of concentration they will match the two halves of a character card. Explain that they will need to make the character cards themselves.

3. Pass out the index cards and have each child choose a story character to illustrate. Children may refer to books for illustration ideas. Label or help children label their cards with the name of the character. When everyone is finished, collect the cards and show them to the class one at a time. Help children identify the character on each card.

4. Then divide the cards into decks of eight cards each and cut each card in half (creating decks with 16 cards that make 8 characters). Remind children that the idea is to match the two halves of a character card.

5. Divide the class into groups of three or four and have them play concentration with their new character cards. If there are not enough decks for everyone to play at once, allow those children waiting a turn to look through books in search of more characters to draw on character cards.

TEACHING OPTIONS

• Write the same number on each pair of the character cards to ensure accurate matches.
• Combine decks of cards to make for more challenging games.
• Have children create decks of cards using story settings, or sets of cards that match story titles to story characters.