Educational Focus
Children trace pictures by matching lines to their appropriate locations.
Skills: Matching, recognizing shapes, strategic thinking and planning.

Level 1: Trace the contours of a picture.
Level 2: Complete tracing the mirror image.
Level 3: Create contours to make a picture.

Together Time Tips
Here are some tracing activities ideas for an enjoyable “together time”. Have fun!
Tracing cannot only be fun but also informative. Here are some activity ideas for exciting “together time”. Enjoy!

ALL ABOUT ME
Here’s what you will need:

• Cardboard  
• ScissorsPencil and crayons

Help your child create their own “All About Me” poster. Write on the poster their birth date, hobbies, favorite food and other characteristics. Then, have your youngster trace hands and feet to create hand and footprint decorations. Let your child color them in with their favorite colors.

BE A SUNDIAL
Here’s what you will need: 

• Sunshine
• Sidewalk chalk (in a variety of colors)

All you need is a sunny day and an assortment of colored chalk. Find a spot on your sidewalk that is sunny all day. Start in the morning by tracing your child’s shadow with the sidewalk chalk. Write the time down next to the shadow tracing. Now wait one hour, stand in the exact same place and trace your child’s shadow again, this time with a different color. Repeat this every few hours and write the time next to each tracing throughout the day. Ask your child how the shape of their shadow changes in the course of the day? Have fun making sundials for each member of the family.

TRACE THE TOWN
Here’s what you will need:

• Large piece of cardboard
• Sunshine
• Boxes, cans, and other small items
• Sidewalk chalk

Imagination is a wonderful thing and even better when there is lots of sunshine around! Begin by making your own 3-D “street” by arranging small boxes, cans, and other small items in a straight line in direct sunlight. Do this activity on a concrete driveway or on a large piece of cardboard. Once the objects are lined up and casting a shadow, have your child trace the outline of the shadow of each with sidewalk chalk to form the town’s "skyline". When the skyline is complete have your child bring miniature cars to drive along the street of their shadow town. Invite friends to enjoy!

Rewards
Your child deserves a reward for his/her efforts. Each time your child completes 3 screens a reward awaits – a star. As your child progresses and completes more screens, the number of stars grows and grows. Your child can accumulate up to 12 stars. A screen is considered “completed” after your child matches all the objects in the screen. Please note: The stars will continue to accumulate even if you decide to change the difficulty level for your child.

Help
Each unsolved picture has contours drawn on it. Point this out to your child and look together for pieces with lines that are identical to the contour. Use the line pieces to create the full contour of the picture. Have your child select any puzzle piece. Discuss its content and contours. Then, find the location on the puzzle that requires that exact piece, all the while pointing out attributes of the piece that make it easier to identify and match (For instance, has a “moon shape”, “arrow shape”, “triangle” etc.). Help your child piece-by-piece, all the while encouraging conversation about the picture that is being created.
Please note: In level 3 the unsolved picture shows only a general outline of the final image. Point out to your child to the hanging picture on the side for contour hints.