The Messy Pile: Find the Twin

There's a big jumbled pile of equipment in the middle; the teacher shows an object and children run to find a matching one in the mess and bring it to the basket. They practice figure-ground perception and telling apart color, shape and size.

How to play

1. We dump a jumbled pile of balls, cones, beanbags and scarves in many colors in the middle of the playground and sit around it (1 min).
2. The teacher shows an object, for example a small red ball, and we all search for it with our eyes first, without getting up (2 min).
3. Now, when the teacher shows an object, three or four children go find its twin and bring it to the teacher's basket (4 min).
4. Everyone goes at once: each child looks for the twin of a different object the teacher shows them quietly (3 min).
5. We tidy up the pile together: balls with balls, cones with cones, beanbags with beanbags (2 min).

Rules

• Search without tossing things in the air.
• If a friend grabs it, look for another match.
• Walk the object to the basket.

Variations

Adaptations

• Child with limited mobility: the pile is next to them and they search from their spot; others bring them what they find.
• Child with low vision: searches by touch for texture and size in their own box.
• Child overwhelmed by clutter: searches in a smaller, neater pile.

Learning goals

• Pick out one object among many.
• Compare color, shape and size.
• Cooperate to put equipment away.

Equipment for a class of 25

• pelotas: 10
• conos: 10
• saquitos: 10
• pañuelos: 10
• cesta: 1

Teacher tip

Make sure there are at least two identical items of each kind in the pile. Shuffle it a little between rounds so they don't search from memory.

More main activities for Elementary