Have you ever noticed how children naturally explore symmetry in their play? I see it often in their block creations and artworks. Some of them are really quite complicated!

My kids sometimes like when I set out little activities for them, and especially ‘challenges’. I always try to make it something that’s relevant to them though. Seeing their love of symmetry, I thought we’d play a little game with it if they were interested. We call it ‘The Symmetry Game’.

This is what I set up for them. I used a place mat for each of them to give them their own defined work area. Then I placed a wooden skewer down the centre, as a line of symmetry. On one side I made something using pieces from our Spielgaben set. I also snuck in a little reading practice by leaving them a note on the mini chalkboard instead of just telling them what to do. It reads ‘Can you finish the picture? Make the other side’. They worked out what the note said themselves and got straight to work! Miss 4 (above) found it a little tricky at first getting the blocks around the opposite way, but soon figured it out. When she’d completed this one she told me ‘I’m really pleased with this Mum’ and asked me to take a photo before she packed it away so she could do another one.

Miss 6 loved the challenge also. She had to match not just the shapes but also colours. When talking about her creation I introduced the words ‘symmetry’, ‘symmetrical’, and ‘lines of symmetry’, so she now has the words for what she naturally explores in her play.

Another one for Miss 4, this time introducing some coloured pieces and also building upwards with some of the blocks.

It was a bit trickier this time, but after a lot of thinking and problem solving she finished it!

Another for Miss 6.

Aren’t they pretty?

This was an enjoyable little game for my girls, maybe your kids would like it too? It’s also great for practicing spatial and visual problem solving skills. You could use blocks or natural items or any bits and pieces you have at home. We used our Spielgaben set as it has lots of different pieces and colours so it was perfect for this.

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