Printable Resources

Our favourite free printable resources are available here! They offer fun and practical learning opportunities at home, and inspire creativity while challenging us to try new things!

Sight Word Activities – with Free Printables!

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Learning sight words is an important skill for early readers to master. These are the most common words that a child will come across, and learning these simple words provides the basic building blocks for reading comprehension.

We’ve created 5 sets of flashcards with the Dolch Sight Words for you to download and print for free! If you want them to last longer, you could also laminate them for extra durability. There are plenty of fun activities to do with these flashcards, and we’ve started you off with four ideas for using your falshcards in creative learning.

The Dolch words are a list of 220 of the most frequently used words in children’s books. The list was developed by Edward William Dolch, PhD, who believed that learning these words was instrumental in the development of reading fluency in children.

The Dolch word list is usually sorted into by age or year level. As a general guide, the first list is for Pre-Prep, then Prep, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 learners. We’ve chosen to label ours from Level 1 to Level 5, with the Level 1 word list being the starting point. You can add in the other lists as your child’s confidence and ability grows.

 

Download your free Dolch Sight Word Flashcards below, print them out, and use them to teach your child their sight words!

Level 1 Sight Word Flashcards
Level 2 Sight Word Flashcards
Level 3 Sight Word Flashcards
Level 4 Sight Word Flashcards
Level 5 Sight Word Flashcards

 

SIGHT WORD FLASHCARD ACTIVITIES

There are so many activities that you can do with these flashcards, from simple recognition to more complex card games. We’ve compiled a few of our favourites for you to try out to get your little one learning their sight words in no time.

 

Find the word

First up is this simple game that helps kids begin to recognize their sight words. You’ll need one set of the flashcards, and some kind of toy or marker – this game is easily customizable, so pick something that you think will keep your child engaged. For this example, I picked a toy dinosaur. Lay all the flashcards face up on the table. Depending on your child’s reading level, you can begin by reviewing the words. Then ask them to find a random word – if you’re using the dinosaur method like we did, ask them to place the toy on the word.

 

 

Go Fish Card Game

This one is a fun twist on the classic Go Fish card game. You’ll need to print out two sets of the flashcards for this one. If you’re not familiar with the rules, they are very simple to learn. Shuffle all the flashcards together, then deal a set amount of cards to each player (3-5 cards is ideal to start with). Place the remaining cards face down in a pile in the middle of the table. Each player reviews their cards, and sets aside any pairs they have. Then the first player asks another player of their choice if they have one the card they need to make a pair. If the other player has the card, they must hand it over. If the other player does not have the card, they answer “go fish”and the first player draws a card from the pile. Once all the cards have run out, the game is over, and the player with the most pairs wins.

 

 

Reading with Flashcards

Another entry-level activity that you can do with beginner readers is reading with flashcards. Pick out a few flashcards before you begin reading – try and choose some of the most common words to start off with. It’s a good idea to skim the book and see what words feature regularly and choose your cards accordingly. Place the cards next to the book and read so your child can easily see the flashcards and the story. Ask them to point out the words in the book that they see on the flashcards – you can prompt them to find the words if they miss any.

 

Memory Card Game

The memory card game is a little bit more difficult, as children will need to recognize and remember their words. You will also need two sets of flashcards for this game. Shuffle the cards well and place them face down on the table, spaced out. The first player begins by turning over two cards, one at a time. If the cards match, the player sets them aside and has another turn. If not, turn them back over and the next player begins their turn. Keep playing until all cards have been matched. The player with the most pairs at the end of the game wins.

 

 

We hope you love playing these flashcard games with your kids as much as we do! If you have any feedback, or any other games that you want to share, feel free to email us at pr@thepyjamafoundation.com.

Free Printable Resources for National Pyjama Day

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National Pyjama Day is fast approaching! We’ve put together some free printable resources for your fundraising efforts, whether you’re baking cupcakes at home or asking for donations at the office. Make sure to tag us in your pictures for a chance to feature on our social media or website!

 

Donation Jar Label

We have 2 options for your donation jar available for download. Simply print this out, write down your goal and stick it on a jar of your choice – we like to put ours around a recycled coffee jar. This is a great way to collect gold coin donations on an office reception desk or a teachers desk.

Download Donation Jar Label – Simple.

 

 

Download Donation Jar Label – Party.

 

 

Cupcake Toppers

If you’re planning on baking some cupcakes for your pyjama party, make sure to use our super cute cupcake toppers! There are 12 cupcake toppers per sheet featuring 9 different Pyjama Day themed designs. Simply print them out and wrap them around a toothpick for an easy way to increase the cute factor of your cupcakes!

Download Cupcake Toppers.

 

 

Raffle Tickets

Holding a raffle is another great way to raise some extra money for your National Pyjama Day fundraising effort.  This tactic is especially useful for businesses – you could donate a voucher for your service or create a hamper of goodies, and tickets could be sold to clients and customers or offered internally to your team. There are so many ways to fundraise! Make sure you pop the extra details of your raffle on the tickets, including the prize you are offering and your personal campaign page.

Note: You will need to print these double sided, flip on long edge. We used fit to paper as the scale – double check your scale to ensure none of the ticket is outside the printable margins. There are 5 tickets per page.
When distributing tickets, cut off the pink stubs with the ticket holder’s details and keep. Give the white part of the ticket to the ticker holder for their reference.

Download Raffle Tickets.

 

 

Photo Booth Props

This is such an easy way to add an element of silly fun to your National Pyjama Day event! Print out these photo booth props and tape them onto skewers or paddlepop sticks, and share some silly snaps with your friends!

Download Photo Booth Props.

 

 

 

If you or someone you know would be a fun and positive influence on a child in care, please consider volunteering for The Pyjama Foundation’s Love of Learning Program.

Together with their mentor, a child in foster care can learn valuable life-skills, confidence and self belief.

Thinking of You Week 2020

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Thinking of You Week is a special week of reminding someone you care with a card. This day was designed to create a wave of love caring and happiness. Receiving a card with a sweet handwritten message, especially when it comes out of the blue, is so special. Being thought of is worth celebrating.

Thinking of You Week takes place from 14th till the 21st of June 2020. Of course, you can send a card to that special person anytime in the year!

You can either purchase cards, make your own, or use some of our handy printable cards. We created these specifically for this occasion and we hope you love them. These FREE cards all include a special quote, one of which is sure to fit how you feel towards the recipient.

The start of 2020 has been a challenge, and while sharing caring cards on birthdays is lovely, a thoughtful card shared unexpectedly just feels different.

Download Card Set 1

Download Card Set 2Download Card Set 3

To use these cards, simply cut along the horizontal line to separate the cards. The next step is to fold across the vertical line to form your very own ‘Thinking of You’ cards.

Indoor & Outdoor Scavenger Hunts for Kids!

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Keep the kids entertained with our FREE printable indoor and outdoor scavenger hunts!

Avoiding boredom for kids can be very difficult, but it is very important to keep them stimulated and active. These activities prove that with a bit of creativity, you can have fun with everyday household items.

These FREE printable scavenger hunt sheets are bound to keep even the busiest of child entertained for at least twenty minutes. Add in the optional element of timing the hunt, or making it a competition with more than one child.

Our Pyjama Angel volunteers love to do activities like this with their children, especially at the start of their visit.

The Pyjama Foundation has found a lot of their volunteers have the most success completing more education-based activities after tiring their children out first – 10 minutes of activity = 20 minutes of quiet time.

Indoor Scavenger Hunt

Outdoor Scavenger Hunt

Are you likely to give these activities a go? Don’t forget to check out more of our ‘In Isolation’ activities for more fun ideas!

If you or someone you know would be a fun and positive influence on a child in care, please consider volunteering for The Pyjama Foundation’s Love of Learning Program.

Together with their mentor, a child in foster care can learn valuable life-skills, confidence and self belief.

Anzac Day Craft Activities for Remembrance

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We have compiled a list of Anzac Craft Activities for you to introduce into your home this Anzac Day. Each family celebrates this differently, but there are traditions that seem to stand the test of time. Remembering those who fought to bravely for the freedom of our country is important. It is a hard topic to broach, but there are some easy ways to introduce this day to young kids. Keep reading for craft and recipe ideas to use this Anzac Day!

DIY Recycled Plastic Bottle Poppy Craft – This clever craft is created from recycled plastic bottles, and creates such a beautiful ornament style decoration. The kids will have an absolute ball making these pretty poppies.

Anzac Day Paper Plate Poppies – This is a great activity for younger kids, and it requires barely any supplies. Cut your paper plate into a poppy shape and assist your child to use red paint and colour it in. Black paper glued into the centre finishes the activity. You’ll be left with a great big poppy which would look great on a front door!

Donna Hay’s Anzac Biscuits – Who doesn’t love an Anzac Biccy? These traditional war-time biscuits are one of the most festive flavours of the year, and such an Aussie staple.

Australian Flag Cut and Paste Activity – This free printable will help young kids to learn the identifying features of the Australian flag, and older kids can learn the names of each feature and what they represent. This is quite a simple activity but a good addition to other Anzac traditions.

Remembrance Day Red Poppy Craft – You may not have had as many opportunities to purchase a Poppy Pin this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, or perhaps a DIY is more your style, either way this is the perfect craft!

 

Other Activities

We have been regularly updating our COVID-19 Response Page with loads of resources you can use to stay in touch with little ones in your life that you might not be able to see right now. Our COVID-19 Resources can be great for school aged pen-pals or even just keeping your kids busy while isolating. We hope you love them as much as we do!

A Guide to Letter Writing

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Written communication is an important skill for children to learn, and writing letters, notes and cards is a great way for kids to practice these skills.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we think letter writing is a fantastic way for Pyjama Angels to stay in touch with their Pyjama Children. All of these activities can be done separately or together via FaceTime, as most of them just require some paper and a pencil.

We have created some examples of fun letter writing activities below that are sure to spark creativity and playfulness in your child.

 

Scrapbook Card Making

Scrapbooking is such a fun activity that can be tailored to kids of all ages. All you need is scraps of different colourful papers. Cutting up junk mail or old magazines can be useful for extra supplies, as well as any other odd crafting pieces you might have lying around the house, like glitter, pompoms, or stickers. We used double sided tape to stick our scraps together, but you can use regular tape folded over or a good old glue stick. Just rearrange your scraps until they look pretty, stick them down, write a nice message, and you’re done! A thoughtfully hand-made card is sure to delight whoever receives it.

Click here to download How to Make a Scrapbook Card

 

 

 

Formal Letter Writing

This easy-to-use format introduces children to a more structured way of writing letters. The name of the writer, date and location are at the beginning of the document, and we start the letter with dear… friend, neighbour, stranger, it’s up to you! For the body of the letter, encourage children to fill up the space. Think about who we are communicating with and what we might like to write, including questions about them and things about ourselves as well. Finish the letter with ‘sincerely’, and perhaps a signature. P.S. stands for postscript, in case there is anything that needs to be added in after the letter.

Click here to download our Formal Letter Writing Template

 

 

Hidden Origami Note

This is such a sweet way to send little love notes. Simply write your message on a square of paper, then follow the instructions to fold it in to an origami heart. Nobody will know what’s hidden inside unless they unfold the heart! These are great to pass around to family members, and can also be easily mailed to any far away friends.

Click here to view our instructional video How to Make an Origami Heart Note

 

 

Secret Writing Code

This activity involves a good old fashioned cipher. Use the code we have created as your own secret language, and write out messages that only you can understand! You can also use this inspiration to create your own cipher for your very own secret language.

Click here to download the secret code

Click here to download the secret message

 

 

 

FUN & EASY CHRISTMAS CRAFTS FOR KIDS

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Christmas is coming up quickly! So to get in the spirit, we have found six fun and easy crafts kids will love this festive season. Best of all, most of the materials are things you may already have at home; making these activities accessible while staying reasonably affordable.

Playdough Christmas Trees

Kids will love letting their creative side show while molding and decorating their own trees. This easy-to-make playdough be stored for up to 6 months to be used over and over again; what a win!

Pom-Pom Pine Cones

Create cute and quirky mini-tree ornaments with this simple but effective craft. Use green, red and white pom-poms to achieve a fun, festive look that all will marvel at!

No-Sew Sock Snowman

Bring a little snowman friend to life with this adorable craft! With no sewing required, this craft is a fun way to make use of any odd socks lying around and add a touch of festivity.

Rudolf The Fingerprint Reindeer

Inspired by everyone’s favourite reindeer, this craft is bound to bring out every child’s creative side. For a fun challenge, try to name all the reindeer that pull Santa’s sleigh.

Origami Santa Hats

These instructions make origami easy enough for everyone to enjoy. You can hang the hats as individual ornaments, attach them the front of a greeting card or even join them together to create a garland!

Christmas Colouring In

Colouring in is always popular amongst young creatives and with a variety of options available to download they can keep colouring well into the New Year!

 

We hope you enjoy testing out some of these fun crafts this festive season. Do you know what you are going to play this December? Perhaps try some of these fun resource free activities! From all of us at The Pyjama Foundation, we wish you a very happy and safe Christmas.

Thinking outside the box: fun and resource free activities to enjoy!

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Staying fresh with new and exciting activities can be difficult on your weekly visits. In order to nurture a creative spirit within your child, simple educational yet fun games are often the way to go. Utilising minimal, if any, resources is the best way to get our little ones thinking. These allow to have an enjoyable and entertaining experience that works in any environment with as little or as many players as possible.

We believe these are the best go-to games if you’re ever feeling stuck for ideas or equipment, but still looking for a fun time!

  • I Spy

A tremendously easy yet addictive detective game that involves guessing an object in the vicinity chosen by another player. Provide an adjective about what you see and watch as the other player attempts to find it.

  • Story together

Start with an intriguing first sentence, then have fun with the plot as you take turns narrating each sentence of the story, making it up as you go!

  • Charades

Only requiring a pen and paper, Charades is the perfect game to act out an idea or concept without making a sound. Once an idea has been selected, you or your team have three minutes to guess what charade you are acting out. If your team is able to guess your charade, your team receives a point. The other team then gets a chance to score a point. This continues until you run out of ideas, where, at this point, the team with the most points wins.

  • Remember what you see

We LOVE this one. Challenge your child’s observation skills in this quick memory game! Choose a direction that should be stared in for 30 seconds, then have the child turn around and write a list of the names of everything they remember seeing in that direction, the more detailed the better! The player with the longest list wins.

  • Scattegories

Scattegories is the ultimate simplistic yet challenging game that demands quick thinking and speedy fingers. Played using a pen and paper, this search for words requires players to provide an answer for each category. The game starts from a specific letter, and within a predetermined time limit (e.g. a minute). Possible categories include girl name, boy name, animal, movie, country, food, etc. The child will score a point if no other player matches their answers. So yes, the most unique and creative responses merit the most points. Continue with different letters for as long as you like and to win the game, score the most points!

  • The Uhm game

Test their conversational ability. The Uhm game requires the child to be given a topic, object, idea or thing to describe. Players must speak about this ‘thing’ for as long as they can without saying the word “um”. The longer the child can go without accidentally slipping it in, the better! Warning: it is very tricky!

 

For more hands-on activities to try out with your kids, check out our arts & crafts, science and fun food blog posts!