A printable activity book

Little Thinkers

Picture puzzles and thinking games, ages 5–7

This book belongs to

Hi grown-ups

A few things to know before your child dives in.

Pick any page. There is no right order.
Read the “Read aloud” box to your child. One page, about 10 minutes, is plenty.
Let them color, cut and draw their own way. Messy is fine.
Praise the trying, not just the right answer.
Chat with the grown-up corner questions. Answers are at the back.

How each page works

Read aloud

Read this box to your child. It sets up the game in a few short sentences.

Picture task

Your child circles, colors, cuts, glues, matches or draws. Little or no writing needed.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters, two questions to ask afterwards, and an idea to take it further.

“I felt” faces

Your child colors the face that shows how the page felt: easy, OK, or a stretch.

That's it. Hand it over and let them lead.

About this book

No sign-up, no tracking, and nothing is collected from your child.

future-ready-kids.vishal-d62.workers.dev

2

Color a skill every time you practice it

Twenty skills to grow. Color in a circle after you finish an activity for that skill.

Thinking

Critical thinking

Alternatives thinking

Problem-finding

Judgment and taste

Probabilistic thinking

Systems thinking

Checking what's true

Self

Agency

Determination

Learning how to learn

Resilience

Deep attention

People

Communication and storytelling

Working across cultures

Values and ethics

Trustworthiness

Doing

Imagination and building

Directing AI like a team

Money sense

Body and hands

When you have done a few pages

The skill I'm best at:

A skill I want to grow next:

My favorite page so far:

3

Chapter 1

Thinking

Be a detective! Look closely, spot the clues, and ask: what else could it be?

14 activities inside

Before you start: Tell a grown-up about a time you figured something out all by yourself.

4

Thinking · Critical thinking 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Odd one out

Scan for the app

Read aloud In each row, three things belong together and one does not. Circle the odd one out. Can you say why?

Look at each row.
Circle the one that does not belong.

1

2

3

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Saying why one thing doesn’t belong is the start of reasoning.

Why does that one not belong?
Could another one be the odd one out?

Extend it: Put four things from the kitchen on the table and play odd one out.

I felt: (color one)

5

Thinking · Critical thinking 10 min · crayons ★☆☆

Rain detective

Scan for the app

Read aloud Did it rain today? Be a detective! Color every clue that tells you it rained.

Look at each picture.
Color the rain clues.

Color the clues that it rained

ice cream

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Detectives use clues to work out what is probably true.

Which clue is the best one?
Could there be a puddle without rain?

Extend it: Look out of the window together and find three clues about today’s weather.

I felt: (color one)

6

Thinking · Alternatives thinking 15 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

Three ways to carry water

Scan for the app

Read aloud A thirsty plant needs water. A bucket works. What else could carry water? Draw three ways. One can be silly!

Draw one way in each box.

Way 1

Way 2

A silly way!

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: There is almost always more than one way. Looking for it is a habit.

Which way would spill the least?
What makes your silly way silly?

Extend it: At bath time, carry water with a cup, a sponge and your hands. Which works best?

I felt: (color one)

7

Thinking · Alternatives thinking 15 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

Circle magic

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Read aloud Trace each circle. Then turn each one into something different. A sun? A face? A ball? Make all three different!

Trace each dotted circle.
Turn each one into something new.

Draw a circle. Make it something else!

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Seeing one shape as many things is flexible thinking.

What did your circles become?
Can you think of three more?

Extend it: Go on a circle hunt at home: plates, clocks, buttons. How many can you find?

I felt: (color one)

8

Thinking · Problem-finding 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

What’s wrong here?

Scan for the app

Read aloud Some of these pictures are silly. A fish can’t live in a tree! Circle every silly picture.

Look closely at each picture.
Circle the silly ones.

Circle the silly pictures

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Noticing that something is not right is the first step to fixing it.

How did you know it was silly?
How could we fix the silly ones?

Extend it: Say a silly sentence, like “I wear shoes on my ears,” and let your child spot it.

I felt: (color one)

9

Thinking · Problem-finding 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Fix it!

Scan for the app

Read aloud Each thing on the left has a problem. Say what is wrong. Then draw a line to the thing that fixes it.

Say what is wrong.
Draw a line to the fix.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Good problem-solvers first say what is wrong, then what would help.

What else could fix a torn page?
What problem did you fix today?

Extend it: When something goes wrong, ask “What is the problem?” before “How do we fix it?”

I felt: (color one)

10

Thinking · Judgment and taste 10 min · crayons ★☆☆

Best for the snow

Scan for the app

Read aloud It’s a snowy day! Color the things that would keep you warm outside. Then draw yourself ready for the snow.

Color what you would wear in the snow.
Draw yourself ready to play.

Color what you would wear in the snow

Draw yourself dressed for the snow

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Good judgment means choosing what fits the situation.

Which one would keep you warmest?
When is the swimsuit the best choice?

Extend it: Before going out, let your child pick clothes for the weather and say why.

I felt: (color one)

11

Thinking · Judgment and taste 15 min · scissors, glue ★☆☆

I like, I don’t like

Scan for the app

Read aloud Cut out the food cards. Glue each one in a box: foods you like, and foods you don’t.

Cut out the 4 cards.
Glue each one where it belongs.

I like

glue here

I don’t like

glue here

apple

carrot

sandwich

cookie

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Taste is personal, so any answer is right. Saying why is the skill.

Why don’t you like that one?
Has a food ever moved boxes for you?

Extend it: Try one new food this week and decide together which box it goes in.

I felt: (color one)

12

Thinking · Probabilistic thinking 15 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

Pick a sock

Scan for the app

Read aloud Count the striped socks and the plain socks. If you grab one without looking, which will it probably be?

Count each kind of sock.
Color one square for each sock.
Circle the sock you will probably grab.

Which sock will you probably grab?

87654321

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: When there are more of one thing, it is more likely to be picked.

Could you still grab a plain sock?
How could a plain sock be more likely?

Extend it: Put 5 spoons and 1 fork in a bag. Guess, pull one out, put it back. Try it 10 times.

I felt: (color one)

13

Thinking · Probabilistic thinking 15 min · scissors, glue ★★☆

Will it happen?

Scan for the app

Read aloud Will it happen tomorrow? Cut out the cards. Glue each one in Will, Might or Won’t.

Cut out the 6 cards.
Glue each card in a box.

Will

glue here

Might

glue here

Won’t

glue here

sun comes up

dog flies

it rains

go to bed

fish walks

eat a cookie

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Some things are sure, some might happen, and some never will.

What would make rain more likely?
What else will happen for sure?

Extend it: At breakfast, guess together: will, might or won’t? Check at bedtime.

I felt: (color one)

14

Thinking · Systems thinking 10 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

The flower circle

Scan for the app

Read aloud A seed goes in the soil. With water and sun, it grows into a flower. The flower makes new seeds!

Follow the arrows with your finger.
Color each picture in the circle.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Each part of the circle needs the others. That is systems thinking.

What if we forget the water?
Where do new seeds come from?

Extend it: Plant a bean in a cup of soil together and watch the circle begin.

I felt: (color one)

15

Thinking · Systems thinking 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

What happens next?

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Read aloud Things change. An egg hatches into a chick! Draw a line from each picture to what happens next.

Draw a line to what happens next.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: One thing leads to the next. Seeing that is systems thinking.

What comes after the chick?
What will you be like when you are bigger?

Extend it: Put an ice cube on a plate. Check it every few minutes: what happens next?

I felt: (color one)

16

Thinking · Checking what's true 15 min · scissors, glue ★☆☆

Real or made-up?

Scan for the app

Read aloud Some animals are real. Some are only in stories. Glue each card in Real or Made-up.

Cut out the 6 cards.
Glue each one in Real or Made-up.

Real

glue here

Made-up

glue here

cat

unicorn

frog

dragon

elephant

mermaid

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Telling real from pretend is the start of checking what is true.

How do you know a dragon is made-up?
How could we check if an animal is real?

Extend it: When you read a story together, ask: could this really happen?

I felt: (color one)

17

Thinking · Checking what's true 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Whose shadow?

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Read aloud These animals have lost their shadows. Look closely at each shape. Draw a line from each animal to its shadow.

Look at the ears, legs and tails.
Draw a line from animal to shadow.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Checking means looking for proof: the ears, the trunk, the shell.

Which part helped you know?
Which shadow was the trickiest?

Extend it: Make hand shadows on a wall with a flashlight and guess each other’s animals.

I felt: (color one)

18

Chapter 2

Self

These pages are all about you: trying hard things, big feelings, and how you learn best.

10 activities inside

Before you start: Tell a grown-up about a time something was hard and you kept going.

19

Self · Agency 10 min · crayons ★☆☆

I can do it myself

Scan for the app

Read aloud Color every job you can do all by yourself. Then draw one more job you can do.

Color the jobs you can do alone.
Draw one more job.

Color the jobs I can do myself

brush teeth

put on shoes

pack my bag

pour milk

make my bed

put on coat

Draw a new job I can do

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Doing things alone builds a “can-do” feeling, one small job at a time.

Which job are you proudest of?
Which job do you want to learn next?

Extend it: Pick one job your child can’t do alone yet. Practice it together this week.

I felt: (color one)

20

Self · Agency 15 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

My plan

Scan for the app

Read aloud Plan how to make your bed. What do you do first, next and last? Draw each step in a box.

Draw each step in order.

1. First

2. Next

3. Last

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Planning is breaking a job into steps, so children can start on their own.

What if you did the last step first?
Can you follow your plan tomorrow?

Extend it: Make the bed using the plan. Then draw a plan for packing a bag.

I felt: (color one)

21

Self · Determination 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Keep going!

Scan for the app

Read aloud Help the rabbit reach the carrot in each maze. Hit a dead end? Go back and try another way!

Draw a line from the rabbit to the carrot.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Dead ends are part of mazes and of learning. Trying again is determination.

What did you do when you got stuck?
Was the last maze easier than the first? Why?

Extend it: Draw a simple maze for your child, then let them draw one for you.

I felt: (color one)

22

Self · Determination 15 min · pencil, blocks or cups ★★☆

Try, try again

Scan for the app

Read aloud Build a tower as tall as you can. Count the blocks and write the number. Then try again. Can you build it taller?

Build a tower and count the blocks.
Write the number and color the box.
Try again, five times!

Try 1: ____ blocks

Try 2: ____ blocks

Try 3: ____ blocks

Try 4: ____ blocks

Try 5: ____ blocks

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Trying again after a fall shows effort pays off. Praise the trying.

What did you change to build it taller?
How did you feel when it fell?

Extend it: Try the same challenge next week and see if the numbers grow.

I felt: (color one)

23

Self · Learning how to learn 10 min · crayons ★☆☆

How I learn

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Read aloud Think of something you learned, like riding a bike or drawing. How did you learn it? Color every way you used.

Think of something you learned.
Color each way you used.

Color the ways I learned

watch

try it

ask a grown-up

practice

read

with a friend

Draw what you learned

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Knowing how you learn best helps you learn the next thing faster.

Which way helped you the most?
What do you want to learn next?

Extend it: Learn a new card game together. Did you watch, ask, or just try?

I felt: (color one)

24

Self · Learning how to learn 10 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

Then and now

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Read aloud When you were a baby, you couldn’t walk or talk. Look how much you have learned! Draw a then and a now.

Draw something baby you couldn’t do.
Draw yourself doing it now!

Baby me couldn’t…

Now I can…

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Seeing how far they have come shows children that learning works.

What else can you do now that baby you couldn’t?
What will you learn next year?

Extend it: Look at baby photos together and talk about what your child has learned since.

I felt: (color one)

25

Self · Resilience 15 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

My tower fell down

Scan for the app

Read aloud Oh no, your block tower fell down! Draw what happened, how you feel, and what you will try next.

Draw a picture in each box.

1. Oh no! It fell.

2. How I feel

3. What I try next

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Naming the feeling, then picking a next step, is how resilience grows.

What helps you feel better?
What would you try differently?

Extend it: Next time something tumbles, ask: “How do you feel? What will we try next?”

I felt: (color one)

26

Self · Resilience 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Big feelings

Scan for the app

Read aloud Listen to each little story. How would you feel? Draw your face in the big circle, or circle a face.

Listen to each story.
Draw or circle how you would feel.

Your favorite toy breaks.

Your friend can’t come to play.

You drop your ice cream.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: All feelings are OK. Naming them is the first step to bouncing back.

What could you do to feel better?
Has that ever happened to you?

Extend it: When your child has a big feeling this week, help them name it, then ask what helps.

I felt: (color one)

27

Self · Deep attention 15 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

Count carefully

Scan for the app

Read aloud The garden is busy! Count the birds, bees and butterflies slowly. Color one square for each one.

Count each kind slowly.
Color one square for each one.
Circle the one there is most of.

Which is there the most of?

87654321

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Counting a busy picture means slowing down and keeping track.

How did you keep track?
Did you count any twice? How could you check?

Extend it: Tip: touch or tick each one as you count. Then count red cars on a walk.

I felt: (color one)

28

Self · Deep attention 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Finish the pattern

Scan for the app

Read aloud Each row has a pattern. Say it out loud: sun, moon, sun, moon… Then draw what comes next in the empty box.

Say each pattern out loud.
Draw what comes next.

1

?

2

?

3

?

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Spotting patterns helps children predict what comes next.

How did you know what comes next?
Can you make up a pattern of your own?

Extend it: Make a pattern with claps and stomps for your child to carry on.

I felt: (color one)

29

Chapter 3

People

Stories, families, kindness and keeping promises: the things that help you get along with anyone.

8 activities inside

Before you start: Tell a grown-up about your favorite story. What happens at the end?

30

People · Communication and storytelling 10 min · scissors, glue ★☆☆

Tell the story

Scan for the app

Read aloud Cut out the cards. Glue them in order: what happens first, next and last? Then tell the story aloud.

Cut out the 3 cards.
Glue them in order.
Tell the story to a grown-up.

1First

glue here

2Next

glue here

3Last

glue here

chick

hen

egg

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Putting events in order is how stories, and explanations, are built.

What happened just before the chick came out?
What could happen after the hen?

Extend it: At bedtime, ask your child to tell their day: first, next and last.

I felt: (color one)

31

People · Communication and storytelling 15 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

Draw the ending

Scan for the app

Read aloud A dog finds a ball. Then the ball rolls away! What happens next? Draw the ending in the big box.

Draw how the story ends, then tell it.

1. A dog finds a ball.

2. The ball rolls away!

3. How does it end?

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Every story has a beginning, a middle and an end.

How does the dog feel at the end?
Can you think of a different ending?

Extend it: Stop a picture book before the end and ask your child to guess it.

I felt: (color one)

32

People · Working across cultures 10 min · crayons ★☆☆

Foods we share

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Read aloud Families all over the world eat these foods. Color the ones you have tried. Then draw your family’s favorite food.

Color the foods you have tried.
Draw your family’s favorite food.

Color the foods I have tried

bread

rice

noodles

sandwich

banana

ice cream

My family’s favorite food

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Sharing foods helps children feel at home with families everywhere.

Which food would you like to try next?
Who in our family makes your favorite food?

Extend it: Cook a family recipe together and tell your child who taught it to you.

I felt: (color one)

33

People · Working across cultures 10 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

How my family says hello

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Read aloud How does your family say hello? A wave, a hug, or special words? Draw it. Then learn hello in another language!

Draw how your family says hello.
Ask a grown-up for hello in another language.

My family’s hello

Hello in another language

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Each family has its own ways, and that is worth being curious about.

How do your friends say hello?
Which hello do you like best?

Extend it: Learn to say hello in a new language together and use it all week.

I felt: (color one)

34

People · Values and ethics 15 min · scissors, glue ★☆☆

Kind or not kind?

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Read aloud Cut out the cards. Is each one kind or not kind? Glue it in the right box.

Cut out the 6 cards.
Glue each one in Kind or Not kind.

Kind

glue here

Not kind

glue here

share

push

hug

laugh at

help up

grab

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Children learn right from wrong by talking about real moments.

How would it feel if someone pushed you?
How could we fix a not-kind thing?

Extend it: Catch your child being kind and tell them exactly what you noticed.

I felt: (color one)

35

People · Values and ethics 15 min · scissors, glue ★★☆

Fair share

Scan for the app

Read aloud Two friends share 6 strawberries. Cut them out and glue them on the plates so it is fair.

Cut out the 6 strawberries.
Share them so every plate is fair.

Maya

glue here

Leo

glue here

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Sharing fairly is early kindness and early math at the same time.

How do you know it is fair?
What if a third friend came along?

Extend it: At snack time, let your child share crackers fairly between the family.

I felt: (color one)

36

People · Trustworthiness 5 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

Promise stars

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Read aloud Make a promise, like “I will feed the cat.” Draw it. Each day you keep your promise, color a star!

Choose a promise with a grown-up.
Draw your promise.
Color a star each day you keep it.

My promise

Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7

I kept it!

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Keeping small promises, day after day, is how trust is built.

Was it hard to keep your promise on any day?
How do you feel when someone keeps a promise to you?

Extend it: Make a promise to your child too, and color your stars side by side.

I felt: (color one)

37

People · Trustworthiness 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

How would they feel?

Scan for the app

Read aloud Your friend trusts you. Listen to each story. How would your friend feel? Draw or circle a face.

Listen to each story.
Draw or circle how your friend feels.

You keep your friend’s secret.

You break a promise to your friend.

You give back your friend’s toy.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Trust grows when children see how their actions make others feel.

How could you fix a broken promise?
Who do you trust, and why?

Extend it: When you read a story together, ask: could these friends trust each other?

I felt: (color one)

38

Chapter 4

Doing

Build, cut, count coins and tell a robot what to do. Doing is the best way to learn!

8 activities inside

Before you start: Tell a grown-up about something you made. What was tricky?

39

Doing · Imagination and building 15 min · paper, 2 books, a toy car ★★☆

Paper bridge

Scan for the app

Read aloud Can one sheet of paper hold a toy car? Lay it between two books. Fold it, roll it, bend it. Draw your best bridge!

Make a bridge from one sheet of paper.
Test it with a toy car.
Draw the bridge that worked.

My bridge

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Building, testing and trying again is how engineers think.

What shape made the bridge strongest?
What would you change next time?

Extend it: Fold the paper like a fan and test again: how many cars can it hold now?

I felt: (color one)

40

Doing · Imagination and building 15 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

Invent a toy

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Read aloud Pick two toys you love and draw them. Then mix them into one brand-new toy! What can it do?

Draw two toys, then mix them into one!

Toy 1

Toy 2

My new toy!

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Many new ideas come from mixing two old ones.

What can your new toy do?
What would you call it?

Extend it: Build the new toy from boxes, tape and paper.

I felt: (color one)

41

Doing · Directing AI like a team 10 min · scissors, glue ★☆☆

Tell the robot: brush teeth

Scan for the app

Read aloud The robot does only what you say. Cut out the cards. Glue them in order to brush teeth.

Cut out the 4 cards.
Glue them in the right order.

1First

glue here

2Next

glue here

3Then

glue here

4Last

glue here

brush

smile!

toothpaste

rinse

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Robots and AI follow steps exactly, so the order matters.

What would happen if the robot rinsed first?
Did we miss a step, like turning on the water?

Extend it: Play robot: your child tells you how to make a sandwich, step by step.

I felt: (color one)

42

Doing · Directing AI like a team 15 min · pencil ★★☆

Robot to the cookie

Scan for the app

Read aloud The robot wants the cookie! It can’t go through gray squares. Draw one arrow in a box for each move.

Draw one arrow for each move.
You may not need every box.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Clear directions, one step at a time, are how we guide robots and AI.

What happens if one arrow is wrong?
Is there another way to the cookie?

Extend it: Play robot: your child says “forward 2, turn right” and you do just that.

I felt: (color one)

43

Doing · Money sense 10 min · pencil ★★☆

Snack with 10 coins

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Read aloud You have 10 coins for snacks. Circle what you want. Cross out one coin for each coin on its tag.

Circle what you want to buy.
Cross out the coins you spend.

You have 10 coins. What will you buy?

My coins

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: A budget runs out, so we choose what matters most.

What did you have to leave out?
Would you save some coins? Why?

Extend it: At the store, give your child a few coins to choose and pay for a snack.

I felt: (color one)

44

Doing · Money sense 15 min · scissors, glue ★☆☆

Need or want?

Scan for the app

Read aloud We need some things to stay healthy and warm. Others we just want. Glue each card in Need or Want.

Cut out the 6 cards.
Glue each one in Need or Want.

Need

glue here

Want

glue here

kite

milk

ice cream

coat

ball

toothbrush

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Telling needs from wants is the first step to spending wisely.

Is it OK to want things?
What do you need every day?

Extend it: Before you shop, sort the list together into needs and wants.

I felt: (color one)

45

Doing · Body and hands 5 min · crayons ★☆☆

Move like animals

Scan for the app

Read aloud Hop like a frog, stretch like a cat, and balance on one leg like a bird! Color a box each day you do it.

Try each animal move.
Color a box each day you do it.

Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7

hop

stretch

balance

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Hopping, stretching and balancing build strong, steady bodies.

Which move was the hardest?
Can you balance for longer by day 7?

Extend it: Count how long your child can stand on one leg, then try the other leg.

I felt: (color one)

46

Doing · Body and hands 10 min · child-safe scissors ★☆☆

Snip snip

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Read aloud Snip, snip! Cut along each dotted line, from the scissors right to the edge. Go slowly and stay on the line.

Trace each line with your finger first.
Then cut along the dotted lines.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Cutting builds the hand strength and control used for writing.

Which line was hardest to cut?
How did you stay on the line?

Extend it: Draw lines on old magazine pages to cut, then make a collage.

I felt: (color one)

47

Chapter 5

Mental models

Clever thinking tricks: think backwards, ask “and then what?”, and spot what usually happens.

8 activities inside

Before you start: Tell a grown-up about a time a clever trick helped you solve a problem.

48

models · Inversion 10 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

How to make a mess

Scan for the app

Read aloud Let’s think backwards! How could you make your room super messy? Draw it. Then draw what keeps it tidy.

Draw how to make a big mess.
Draw what keeps your room tidy.

How to make a big mess

What keeps it tidy

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Thinking how things go wrong shows how to make them go right.

What is the messiest idea you drew?
Which tidy habit will you try?

Extend it: Ask “How could the morning go badly?” then turn each answer into a plan.

I felt: (color one)

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models · Second-order thinking 10 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

And then what?

Scan for the app

Read aloud Someone left the water running in the sink! What happens then? And then what? Draw each thing that happens.

Draw what happens next, and next.

1. The water is left on

2. Then…

3. And then…

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Asking “and then what?” shows that one thing leads to another.

How could we stop it at the start?
What happens if we leave the fridge open?

Extend it: Play “and then what?”: we forget our coat, and then what?

I felt: (color one)

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models · First principles 15 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

Shapes make things

Scan for the app

Read aloud Big things are made of simple shapes. Trace each one. Then build a house, car or robot from them!

Trace each shape.
Draw something made only of these shapes.

Build something from shapes

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Inventors break big things into simple parts to understand them.

Which shapes can you find on our front door?
What could you build with just triangles?

Extend it: Cut shapes from paper and let your child build pictures with them.

I felt: (color one)

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models · Opportunity cost 10 min · crayons, pencil ★☆☆

Pick just one

Scan for the app

Read aloud You can have only one treat today! Color the one you pick. Cross out the rest. What did you give up?

Color the one treat you pick.
Cross out all the others.

Color one treat. Cross out the rest.

cookie

ice cream

cake

strawberries

banana

apple

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Every choice means giving something up; that is opportunity cost.

Which treat was hardest to give up?
Would you pick the same one tomorrow?

Extend it: When choosing, ask: “If we pick this, what do we give up?”

I felt: (color one)

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models · Compounding 15 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

Double it!

Scan for the app

Read aloud Count each shape and color one square for each. Each number doubles! If it doubles again, how many come next?

Count each shape.
Color one square for each one.
If it doubles again, how many come next?

87654321

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Doubling starts small, then grows fast: that is compounding.

What comes after 16?
Which grows faster: adding 1 each time, or doubling?

Extend it: Put 1 grain of rice on a plate, then 2, 4, 8, 16. Watch it grow!

I felt: (color one)

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models · Base rates 15 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

What will you see?

Scan for the app

Read aloud Here are animals spotted at a park. Count each kind. Which will you probably see at your park tomorrow?

Count each animal.
Color one square for each one.
Circle what you will probably see.

Which will you probably see at your park?

87654321

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: What usually happens is the best first guess: that is a base rate.

Why are zebras rare in a park?
Where would you probably see a zebra?

Extend it: Before a walk, guess together what you will see most, then count and check.

I felt: (color one)

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models · Map vs territory 15 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

Map of my room

Scan for the app

Read aloud Pretend you are a bird looking down at your room. Draw a map: your bed, door and window. What is missing?

Draw your room from above.
Add your bed, door and window.
Say what the map leaves out.

My room from above

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: A map is useful, but it never shows everything that is really there.

What is in your room but not on your map?
Could someone find your bed using your map?

Extend it: Hide a toy, draw a map to it, and let your child find it.

I felt: (color one)

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models · Incentives 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Why did they do it?

Scan for the app

Read aloud Why did they do it? Draw a line from each one to what it gets.

Draw a line to what each one gets.

sits

tidies up

comes home

visits

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: We all do things for a reason; spotting the reward explains a lot.

What makes you want to tidy up?
Why does the bee visit the flower?

Extend it: Notice a reward that worked this week and talk about why it worked.

I felt: (color one)

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Certificate of future-ready thinking

I am a Little Thinker!

My name is

I finished the games in this book and practiced twenty future-ready skills.

Date

Grown-up's signature

Answer key (1/2)

Thinking

Odd one outRow 1: shoe. Row 2: car. Row 3: fish.

Rain detectiveRain clues: umbrella, puddle, boot, rainbow. The boot is the weakest clue: a boot alone doesn’t prove it rained.

What’s wrong here?Silly: fish in the tree, boot on the plate, cow on the bike, elephant in the cup.

Fix it!Flat tire: pump. Torn page: tape. Thirsty plant: watering can. Rain: umbrella.

Best for the snowColor: coat, mitten, scarf, boot.

Pick a sockStriped socks: 7. Plain socks: 2. You will probably grab a striped sock, because there are more of them.

Will it happen?Will: sun comes up, go to bed. Might: it rains, eat a cookie. Won’t: dog flies, fish walks.

What happens next?Seed: flower. Egg: chick. Cloud: rain. Baby: child.

Real or made-up?Real: cat, frog, elephant. Made-up: unicorn, dragon, mermaid.

Whose shadow?Elephant: 3rd shadow. Rabbit: 4th shadow. Snail: 2nd shadow. Butterfly: 1st shadow.

Self

Count carefullyBirds: 4. Bees: 7. Butterflies: 5. Most: bees.

Finish the patternRow 1: sun. Row 2: cat. Row 3: striped sock.

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Answer key (2/2)

People

Tell the storyFirst: egg. Next: chick. Last: hen.

Kind or not kind?Kind: share, hug, help up. Not kind: push, laugh at, grab.

Fair shareEach friend gets 3 strawberries. Two empty spaces on each plate are fine.

Doing

Tell the robot: brush teethFirst: toothpaste. Next: brush. Then: rinse. Last: smile!

Robot to the cookieOne way: up, right, right, right, up, up. (Right, up, right, right, up, up works too.)

Snack with 10 coinsAny total of 10 coins or less, like apple, banana and cookie (9). All four cost 14: too much!

Need or want?Need: milk, coat, toothbrush. Want: kite, ice cream, ball.

Mental models

Double it!Circle 1, square 2, triangle 4, heart 8. Each one doubles, so 16 comes next.

What will you see?Dogs 5, birds 7, zebra 1. Dogs and birds are common; zebras are rare in a park.

Why did they do it?Dog: bone (a treat). Child: book (story time). Cat: fish dish (dinner). Bee: flower (sweet nectar).

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