Computer Science: Programming and Software Engineering – Grade K

Have you ever wondered how your favorite app or game works? 📱 Computer programs are like magic recipes that tell computers exactly what to do! When people create these programs, they write special instructions that computers can understand.

A computer program is a set of instructions that people write to tell a computer how to complete a task. Think of it like giving directions to a friend! When you want to tell someone how to get to the playground, you give them step-by-step directions: "First, walk out the front door. Then, turn left. Next, walk three blocks." Computer programs work the same way – they give computers step-by-step directions.

Real people, just like your teachers, parents, and older students, create computer programs! These people are called programmers or software engineers. They use special computer languages to write instructions that computers can follow. Some programmers create games 🎮, others make apps for phones 📲, and some write programs that help doctors, teachers, or store owners do their jobs better.

You use computer programs every day without even thinking about it! Here are some examples:

• Games on tablets or phones: Someone wrote instructions to make the characters move, keep score, and create fun sounds and pictures
• Videos you watch: Programs help play the videos, adjust the volume, and show the pictures on your screen
• Learning apps: Educational programs teach you letters, numbers, and new skills by following instructions that programmers created
• Smart toys: Some toys have computers inside that follow programs to talk, light up, or respond to your touch

Without programs, computers would just be empty boxes that couldn't do anything! Programs give computers their "brains" and tell them how to be useful. Just like you need instructions to build with blocks or follow a recipe, computers need programs to know how to help us with different tasks.

Learning about computer programs now will help you understand the world around you better. Maybe one day, you'll create your own programs to make games, help people, or solve problems! Programming teaches you how to think step-by-step and solve problems – skills that are useful in many parts of life, not just with computers. 🌟

Learning to create clear, step-by-step instructions is one of the most important skills in computer science! 📝 When you can break down tasks into smaller steps and put them in the right order, you're thinking like a programmer.

Imagine trying to teach someone who has never seen a sandwich how to make one. If you just said "make a sandwich," they wouldn't know what to do! But if you give them clear steps like "First, get two pieces of bread. Next, spread peanut butter on one piece," they can follow along successfully. Computers need the same kind of detailed instructions to complete tasks.

Let's practice breaking down familiar activities into steps! Take brushing your teeth 🦷:

1. Get your toothbrush
2. Put toothpaste on the toothbrush
3. Turn on the water
4. Wet the toothbrush
5. Brush your teeth in small circles
6. Spit out the toothpaste
7. Rinse your mouth with water
8. Clean your toothbrush
9. Put everything away

Each step is important, and they need to be done in the right order!

Order matters a lot when giving instructions! Think about getting dressed in the morning 👕. You wouldn't put on your shoes before your socks, or your shirt before your underwear. The same is true for computer instructions – if the steps are out of order, the computer might get confused and not work properly.

Let's look at making a peanut butter sandwich 🥜:

• Wrong order: Eat the sandwich, put peanut butter on bread, get bread
• Right order: Get bread, put peanut butter on bread, eat the sandwich

See how much better the right order works?

Let's practice with the classic example of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich:

1. Gather materials: Get bread, peanut butter, jelly, and a knife
2. Prepare workspace: Find a clean plate or cutting board
3. Get bread: Take out two pieces of bread
4. Add peanut butter: Open the peanut butter jar and spread it on one piece of bread
5. Add jelly: Open the jelly jar and spread it on the other piece of bread
6. Combine: Put the two pieces together with the spreads touching
7. Clean up: Put the jars away and wash the knife
8. Enjoy: Eat your delicious sandwich!

When you give instructions to a friend, family member, or even a computer, you need to be very clear and specific. Here are some tips for giving good instructions:

• Use simple words that everyone can understand
• Be specific – instead of "put some peanut butter," say "spread a thin layer of peanut butter"
• Include all the steps – don't skip any, even if they seem obvious
• Put steps in order – make sure each step comes before the next one makes sense
• Test your instructions – try following them exactly to see if they work

When programmers write instructions for computers, they have to be even more specific than when talking to people! Computers don't understand things that seem obvious to us, so programmers must include every tiny detail. This practice of breaking tasks into clear, ordered steps is exactly what you're learning now, and it's a fundamental skill in computer science! 🤖

Data might sound like a big, fancy word, but it's really just another way to say "information"! 📊 You work with data every single day when you count, sort, compare, and organize things around you.

Data is a collection of information that we can use to learn about the world around us. Think of data as all the facts and details you notice every day. When you observe that it's sunny outside ☀️, count how many pets your friends have 🐕🐱, or remember the names of everyone in your family, you're collecting data!

Data helps us sort and organize details so we can understand them better. Just like you might organize your toys by putting all the blocks together and all the dolls together, we can organize information to make it more useful.

There are many different types of data, and each type helps us learn different things:

Numbers Data 🔢:

• How many students are in your class (maybe 20 students)
• What time you wake up in the morning (like 7:00 AM)
• How many books you read this week (perhaps 3 books)
• Your age (you might be 5 or 6 years old)

Words Data 📝:

• The names of your friends (like Emma, Michael, and Sarah)
• Your favorite foods (maybe pizza, apples, and cookies)
• The colors you like best (such as blue, purple, and yellow)
• The names of animals you've seen (like dogs, cats, birds, and squirrels)

Pictures Data 📸:

• Photos of your family and friends
• Drawings you make in art class
• Pictures of different animals or places
• Symbols and signs you see around town

Let's look at how you use data every day:

At Home 🏠:

• Counting how many toys you have
• Remembering which clothes are your favorites
• Knowing the names of everyone in your family
• Noticing what you eat for breakfast each day

At School 🏫:

• Learning the names of your classmates
• Counting how many crayons are in the box
• Remembering which books you've read
• Observing what the weather is like each day

During Play 🎮:

• Keeping track of points in games
• Counting how many times you can bounce a ball
• Remembering the rules of your favorite games
• Noticing which activities you enjoy most

Data helps us in many important ways:

• Making decisions: If you know which games you enjoy most, you can choose what to play
• Solving problems: If you count your toys, you know if any are missing
• Learning new things: By collecting information, you discover patterns and connections
• Sharing with others: You can tell friends and family about interesting things you've noticed

You can start collecting your own data right now! Here are some fun ideas:

• Count how many different colors you can see in your classroom
• Make a list of all the foods you eat in one day
• Notice how many different animals you see outside
• Remember the names of all the books your teacher reads to you
• Count how many steps it takes to walk from your desk to the door

When you collect this information, you're being a data scientist! 🔬 Data scientists are people who collect, organize, and study information to learn new and interesting things about the world.

Sometimes information can be hard to understand when it's just words or numbers. That's where visual representations come in! 📈 Visual representations are special ways of showing data using pictures, marks, and symbols that make information much easier to see and compare.

Visual representations are ways of showing information using pictures, symbols, or marks instead of just words or numbers. They help us see patterns, make comparisons, and understand data more quickly. Think of them as a special language that uses pictures to tell stories about information!

Tally marks are one of the simplest and most useful visual representations! ✏️ They look like little lines that help us count things. Here's how they work:

• Each line represents one item: |
• When you get to five, you draw four lines and then a diagonal line across them: |||||
• This makes groups of five that are easy to count quickly

Let's say you want to count how many different types of pets your classmates have:

• Dogs: ||||| ||||| || (12 dogs)
• Cats: ||||| ||| (8 cats)
• Fish: ||||| | (6 fish)
• Birds: ||| (3 birds)

With tally marks, you can quickly see that dogs are the most popular pets in your class!

Pictographs are another fun way to show information! 🖼️ Instead of using lines like tally marks, pictographs use small pictures or symbols to represent data. Each picture stands for a certain amount.

Here's an example of a pictograph showing favorite fruits in your class:

• Apples: 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 (5 students like apples)
• Bananas: 🍌🍌🍌 (3 students like bananas)
• Oranges: 🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊 (6 students like oranges)
• Strawberries: 🍓🍓 (2 students like strawberries)

From this pictograph, you can easily see that oranges are the most popular fruit!

Visual representations make it super easy to compare different pieces of information. When you look at tally marks or pictographs, you can quickly answer questions like:

• Which group has the most?
• Which group has the least?
• How many more does one group have than another?
• Are any groups the same size?

Let's imagine your class tracks the weather for two weeks using tally marks:

Sunny days: ||||| |||| Cloudy days: ||||| | Rainy days: |||

By looking at these tally marks, you can quickly see:

• There were 9 sunny days (the most)
• There were 6 cloudy days
• There were 3 rainy days (the least)
• There were 6 more sunny days than rainy days

You can create your own visual representations for things you're curious about! Here are some ideas:

Favorite Colors Survey 🌈: Ask your friends about their favorite colors and use colored dots or crayons to make a pictograph.

Lunch Choices 🍎: Use tally marks to track what your classmates bring for lunch each day.

Story Time Favorites 📚: Create a pictograph using book symbols to show which stories your class likes best.

Visual representations are powerful tools because they:

• Make counting easier – you can see amounts quickly without adding numbers
• Show differences clearly – it's easy to see which groups are bigger or smaller
• Help remember information – pictures and symbols are often easier to remember than just numbers
• Make sharing fun – others can understand your data quickly when you use visuals
• Reveal patterns – you might notice trends that weren't obvious before

Computers use visual representations all the time! When you see progress bars showing how much of a game has loaded, charts showing scores, or graphs displaying information, you're seeing the same concepts you're learning now. Understanding these basics helps you become better at reading and creating information displays throughout your life! 💻

Organizing information is one of the most important skills you can learn! 📚 When you sort and arrange things, you make them easier to find, understand, and use. This skill helps you both in school and when working with computers.

Sorting means putting similar things together in groups. Arranging means putting things in a specific order that makes sense. Think about how you organize your toys at home – you might put all the blocks together, all the dolls together, and all the cars together. That's sorting! Then you might arrange your books from biggest to smallest. That's arranging!

There are many different ways to sort the same group of items, depending on what's most important to you:

By Size 📏:

• Arrange your stuffed animals from smallest to biggest
• Sort your books by height on the shelf
• Organize crayons from shortest to longest

By Color 🌈:

• Group all your red toys together, then blue toys, then green toys
• Sort your clothes by putting all the same colors together
• Organize your art supplies by color families

By Type 🔧:

• Put all the blocks in one bin, all the puzzles in another
• Group your school supplies: all pencils together, all erasers together
• Sort your snacks: all fruits together, all crackers together

By ABC Order 📝:

• Arrange books by the first letter of their title
• Sort your friends' names alphabetically
• Organize your favorite songs by the first letter

Let's look at how sorting helps in everyday situations:

In Your Bedroom 🛏️:

• Clothes sorted by type (shirts, pants, socks) make getting dressed faster
• Toys sorted by category make cleanup and finding things easier
• Books arranged by size look neat and are easier to choose from

In the Kitchen 🍽️:

• Plates, bowls, and cups sorted by type make setting the table simple
• Food sorted by type (fruits, vegetables, snacks) helps with meal planning
• Utensils sorted in drawer compartments make cooking easier

In Your Classroom 🎒:

• Art supplies sorted by type help you find what you need quickly
• Books sorted by reading level help you choose appropriate stories
• Games and toys sorted by category make playtime more organized

Sorting and arranging information provides many benefits:

• Saves time: When things are organized, you can find what you need quickly
• Reduces stress: It's less frustrating when you know where everything is
• Makes decisions easier: When options are organized, choosing becomes simpler
• Helps you learn: Organizing information helps your brain understand and remember it better
• Prepares you for computer work: Computers organize information in similar ways

Let's practice sorting with items you use every day! Look at your school supplies and try these different sorting methods:

Method 1 - By Type:

• All writing tools (pencils, crayons, markers)
• All paper items (notebooks, loose paper, sticky notes)
• All organization tools (folders, binders, clips)

Method 2 - By Color:

• Group all red items together
• Group all blue items together
• Group all other colors together

Method 3 - By Size:

• Small items (erasers, paper clips, stickers)
• Medium items (notebooks, rulers)
• Large items (binders, art pads)

Which method worked best for you? Different sorting methods work better for different purposes!

Computers and digital devices sort information too! When you:

• Look for a specific app on a tablet, they might be arranged alphabetically
• Search for photos, they might be sorted by date
• Choose a video to watch, they might be sorted by popularity or how new they are

Understanding how to sort and arrange information helps you work better with technology and find what you're looking for more quickly.

Here are some helpful tips to remember when sorting and arranging:

• Choose the right method: Think about how you'll use the items to decide the best way to sort them
• Be consistent: Once you choose a method, stick with it so others can understand your system
• Make it simple: Don't create too many categories or the system becomes confusing
• Label when helpful: Sometimes it helps to put labels on bins or shelves so everyone knows where things go
• Practice regularly: The more you practice organizing, the better and faster you'll become! 🌟

Sequencing is all about putting things in the right order! 🔄 Just like letters make words and words make sentences, many things in life need to happen in a specific order to work properly. Learning about sequences helps you solve problems and understand how things connect together.

Logical order means arranging things in a way that makes sense. Some things have a natural order that we can figure out by thinking carefully. For example, you put on your socks before your shoes because that's the logical order that works best!

When we think about logical order, we ask ourselves: "What needs to happen first? What comes next? What comes last?"

Sequences are everywhere around you! Let's look at some examples:

Getting Ready for School 🎒:

1. Wake up
2. Get dressed
3. Eat breakfast
4. Brush your teeth
5. Pack your backpack
6. Leave for school

Growing a Plant 🌱:

1. Plant the seed in soil
2. Water the seed
3. Place in sunlight
4. Watch it sprout
5. Continue watering and caring for it
6. Enjoy the grown plant

Making a Phone Call 📞:

1. Pick up the phone
2. Dial the number
3. Wait for someone to answer
4. Say "Hello"
5. Have your conversation
6. Say "Goodbye" and hang up

Sometimes people ask, "Why does order matter so much?" Let's see what happens when we mix up the order:

Wrong Order for Brushing Teeth 🦷:

• Put toothbrush away → Brush teeth → Get toothbrush
• This doesn't work because you need the toothbrush before you can brush!

Wrong Order for Making a Sandwich 🥪:

• Eat the sandwich → Put ingredients on bread → Get bread
• This is silly because you can't eat something that doesn't exist yet!

Right Order Makes Things Work ✅: When things are in the right order, everything flows smoothly and makes sense.

Sometimes you'll find sequences that are mixed up, and you need to figure out the correct order. Here's how to approach these puzzles:

Step 1: Look for clues 🔍

• What needs to happen first? (Usually involves getting ready or starting something)
• What needs to happen last? (Usually involves finishing or completing something)
• What are the middle steps?

Step 2: Use logical thinking 🧠

• Ask: "Can this step happen without the previous steps?"
• Think: "Does this step make sense here?"
• Consider: "What would happen if I did this step now?"

Practice Problem: Put these steps for "Taking a Bath" in order:

• Dry off with a towel
• Get undressed
• Fill the bathtub with water
• Get in the bathtub
• Wash with soap
• Get out of the bathtub

Answer: Get undressed → Fill the bathtub with water → Get in the bathtub → Wash with soap → Get out of the bathtub → Dry off with a towel

Technology uses sequences too! 💻 When you:

Use an App:

1. Turn on your device
2. Find the app icon
3. Tap to open the app
4. Use the app's features
5. Close the app when finished

Watch a Video:

1. Open the video app
2. Search for or choose a video
3. Tap play
4. Watch the video
5. Stop or pause when finished

Play a Game:

1. Start the game
2. Choose your character or level
3. Play the game
4. Try to complete the objective
5. See your score or results

Even computers follow sequences! Computer programs are essentially long lists of instructions that must be followed in the correct order.

Activity 1: Story Sequencing 📖 Take a familiar story like "The Three Little Pigs" and write down the main events. Then mix them up and see if a friend can put them back in order!

Activity 2: Recipe Sequencing 👩‍🍳 Think about making something simple like a peanut butter sandwich. Write down all the steps, then scramble them and challenge yourself to put them back in logical order.

Activity 3: Daily Routine ⏰ Make a list of everything you do from waking up until going to bed. This helps you see how many sequences you follow every day!

Sometimes sequences have missing steps, and you need to figure out what's missing! This is like being a detective 🕵️‍♀️. For example:

Incomplete sequence: Get flour → ??? → Bake in oven → Eat cookies Missing steps: Mix ingredients, shape cookies, preheat oven

Looking for missing steps helps you think more carefully about how processes work and what's needed for success.

Patterns and routines are all around you every day! 🔄 From the way the sun rises and sets, to the schedule you follow at school, to the way you get ready for bed each night, patterns help make life predictable and organized. Learning to notice these patterns is an important skill that helps with problem-solving and understanding how the world works.

A pattern is something that repeats in a predictable way. A routine is a pattern of activities that you do regularly, like your morning routine or bedtime routine. Patterns and routines help us know what to expect and prepare for what's coming next.

Think of patterns like a song that repeats its chorus, or routines like the steps you take every morning when you wake up. Once you know the pattern, you can predict what comes next!

Let's explore some patterns you experience every day:

Time Patterns ⏰:

• Morning, afternoon, evening, night – this pattern repeats every day
• Weekdays (Monday through Friday), then weekend (Saturday and Sunday) – this pattern repeats every week
• Seasons: spring, summer, fall, winter – this pattern repeats every year

School Patterns 🏫:

• Morning circle time, then lessons, then lunch, then more activities, then going home
• Math class on Monday, Art class on Tuesday, Music class on Wednesday (and so on)
• Read a story, then discuss it, then do an activity about it

Home Patterns 🏠:

• Wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth, go to school
• Come home, have a snack, do homework, play, eat dinner, get ready for bed
• Weekly chores: maybe you help with laundry on Sunday, take out trash on Wednesday

Patterns and routines make life easier in many ways:

• They help us prepare: When you know what's coming next, you can get ready for it
• They save mental energy: You don't have to think hard about what to do next
• They make us feel secure: Knowing what to expect helps us feel comfortable and safe
• They help us notice when something is different: If the pattern changes, we notice right away

Sometimes routines don't work the way they should because we're missing important steps! 🔍 Let's look at some examples:

Problem: Maria wants to have a clean room, but it's always messy. Routine she's trying: Play with toys, put toys away Missing step: Sort toys by type before putting them away Better routine: Play with toys → Sort toys by type → Put toys in their proper places

Problem: Jake wants to remember his homework, but he keeps forgetting it. Routine he's trying: Do homework, go to school Missing step: Pack homework in backpack Better routine: Do homework → Put homework in backpack → Check backpack before leaving for school

Problem: Emma wants to water her plants, but they keep dying. Routine she's trying: Water plants once Missing step: Check if plants need water regularly Better routine: Check plants every day → Water if soil is dry → Check again the next day

Nature is full of amazing patterns! 🌤️

Daily Weather Patterns:

• Often cooler in the morning, warmer in the afternoon
• Clouds might form in certain patterns that predict rain
• Some places have regular afternoon thunderstorms in summer

Seasonal Patterns:

• Spring: flowers bloom, trees get leaves, animals have babies
• Summer: hottest weather, longest days, many outdoor activities
• Fall: leaves change colors and fall, animals prepare for winter
• Winter: coldest weather, shortest days, some animals sleep (hibernate)

Animal Patterns:

• Birds often sing most actively in the early morning
• Many animals are more active at dawn and dusk
• Pets often have feeding and sleeping routines

You can use your understanding of patterns to create better routines for yourself! Here's how:

Step 1: Notice what you want to improve 🎯

• Maybe you want to remember to feed your pet
• Perhaps you want to keep your desk organized
• You might want to practice reading every day

Step 2: Look at your current routine 👀

• What steps are you already doing?
• What steps might be missing?
• When do problems usually happen?

Step 3: Add missing steps ✅

• Think about what would help prevent problems
• Add steps that help you remember important things
• Make sure the steps are in logical order

Step 4: Practice your new routine 🔄

• Try the new routine for several days
• Notice if it's working better
• Adjust if needed

Become a pattern detective and look for patterns around you! 🕵️

Activity 1: Weekly Schedule Detective Make a chart of your week and notice:

• What happens the same time each day?
• What activities repeat each week?
• Are there any patterns in when you feel tired or energetic?

Activity 2: Weather Watcher For one week, observe:

• What time of day is usually warmest/coolest?
• Do clouds form at similar times?
• Are there patterns in when it rains?

Activity 3: Family Routine Observer Notice patterns in your family's routines:

• What does everyone do when they first wake up?
• How does your family prepare for meals?
• What happens when everyone comes home from work or school?

Understanding patterns helps you become better at predicting what will happen next and solving problems when routines aren't working well! 🌟

Creating patterns is like making beautiful, organized designs with letters, numbers, shapes, or colors! 🎨 Patterns repeat in predictable ways, and once you understand the rule, you can continue the pattern or even create your own. Pattern-making is not only fun but also helps develop your logical thinking skills.

A repeating pattern has a core that repeats over and over again. The core is the part that repeats. Once you identify the core, you can predict what comes next! Let's look at some examples:

Simple AB Pattern 🔴🔵: Red, Blue, Red, Blue, Red, Blue...

• Core: Red, Blue
• The pattern keeps repeating: Red-Blue, Red-Blue, Red-Blue

ABC Pattern 🟡🔵🔴: Yellow, Blue, Red, Yellow, Blue, Red, Yellow, Blue, Red...

• Core: Yellow, Blue, Red
• The pattern repeats: Yellow-Blue-Red, Yellow-Blue-Red, Yellow-Blue-Red

You can make amazing patterns using letters from the alphabet! 📝

Simple Letter Patterns:

• A, B, A, B, A, B... (AB pattern)
• X, Y, Z, X, Y, Z... (XYZ pattern)
• M, M, N, M, M, N... (MMN pattern)

More Complex Letter Patterns:

• A, B, C, A, B, C... (ABC pattern)
• P, Q, P, R, P, Q, P, R... (PQPR pattern)
• S, S, T, U, S, S, T, U... (SSTU pattern)

Fun Activity: Try creating a pattern using the letters of your name! If your name is "Sam," you could make: S, A, M, S, A, M, S, A, M...

Numbers can make fascinating patterns too! 🔢 Here are some examples:

Simple Number Patterns:

• 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2... (12 pattern)
• 5, 10, 5, 10, 5, 10... (5-10 pattern)
• 3, 3, 7, 3, 3, 7... (337 pattern)

Counting Patterns:

• 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3... (counting to 3 and starting over)
• 2, 4, 6, 2, 4, 6, 2, 4, 6... (even numbers pattern)
• 10, 20, 30, 10, 20, 30... (counting by tens pattern)

Age Pattern Example: If you're 5 years old, you could make a pattern: 5, 5, 6, 5, 5, 6... (using your current age and next age)

Symbols and shapes make patterns that are easy to see and understand! ⭐

Shape Patterns:

• ⭐🔺⭐🔺⭐🔺... (star, triangle pattern)
• ❤️❤️🔵❤️❤️🔵... (two hearts, one circle pattern)
• 🟩🟨🟩🟨🟩🟨... (green square, yellow square pattern)

Symbol Patterns:

• ! ? ! ? ! ? ... (exclamation, question pattern)
• ★ ♥ ★ ♥ ★ ♥ ... (star, heart pattern)
• @ # @ # @ # ... (at symbol, hashtag pattern)

Now it's time to become a pattern creator! 🌟 Here's how to make your own repeating patterns:

Step 1: Choose your materials

• Letters (A, B, C, D...)
• Numbers (1, 2, 3, 4...)
• Colors (Red, Blue, Green...)
• Shapes (Circle, Square, Triangle...)
• Symbols (★, ♥, @, #...)

Step 2: Decide on your core

• Start simple with 2 items (AB pattern)
• Try 3 items (ABC pattern)
• Challenge yourself with 4 or more items (ABCD pattern)

Step 3: Repeat your core

• Write or draw your core at least 3-4 times
• This helps others see the pattern clearly

Step 4: Test your pattern

• Ask a friend: "What comes next?"
• See if they can identify your core
• Make sure you followed your own rule!

Birthday Pattern 🎂: If your birthday is in June (month 6), try: 6, ★, 6, ★, 6, ★...

Daily Activity Pattern: Based on things you do: Eat, Play, Sleep, Eat, Play, Sleep...

Favorite Things Pattern: Using first letters of your favorite things: C (for cats), P (for pizza), B (for books), C, P, B, C, P, B...

Learning about patterns helps you in many ways:

• Math skills: Patterns are everywhere in mathematics
• Reading skills: Letters and words follow patterns too
• Problem-solving: Understanding patterns helps you predict and solve problems
• Art and design: Patterns make beautiful decorations and artwork
• Music: Songs have rhythm patterns that repeat
• Computer programming: Computers use patterns in their instructions

Game 1: Pattern Detective 🔍 One person creates a pattern, and others try to guess what comes next.

Game 2: Pattern Building Use blocks, crayons, or stickers to build physical patterns that everyone can see and touch.

Game 3: Clap Patterns Create patterns with clapping: Clap, Clap, Snap, Clap, Clap, Snap...

Game 4: Pattern Stories Tell a story that follows a pattern: "The bear walked, then ran, then stopped. The bear walked, then ran, then stopped."

Once you're comfortable with simple patterns, try these challenges:

• Growing patterns: 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2... (the middle number grows each time)
• Mixed patterns: Use two different types together, like letters and numbers: A, 1, B, 2, A, 1, B, 2...
• Backwards patterns: Try your pattern in reverse: A, B, C, C, B, A, A, B, C, C, B, A...

Patterns are everywhere in the world around you – once you start looking, you'll see them in nature, art, music, and even in the way people behave! Creating and understanding patterns helps you become a better thinker and problem-solver! 🎯