🐦 Big Bird Book – Play Guide

The Big Bird Book is designed to support children as they grow into confident, capable learners. With a strong focus on early literacy, numeracy, time awareness, problem-solving and perseverance, each page offers meaningful, hands-on learning through calm, screen-free play.

✍️ Page 1: My Name Handwriting Practice and Tic-tac-toe.

Core Play: Practise writing your child’s name and play a game of tic-tac-toe/noughts and crosses using the erasable marker.

More Ways to Play:

• Write their name again and again to build confidence

• Practise writing individual letters

• Wipe clean and try a new name (siblings or family members)

• Encourage correct letter formation

• Flip the card for a game of noughts and crosses/tic-tac-toe.

• Celebrate progress and effort, not perfection

Skills Developed: Name recognition, early writing skills, confidence, fine motor control

🤖 Page 2: Robot Fine Motor Activities

Core Play: Explore the robot’s fastening and threading features.

More Ways to Play:

• Thread through holes to strengthen coordination

• Practise tying laces for real-life readiness

• Open and close the buckle and zipper

• Talk about the order of steps (first, next, last)

• Encourage independent problem-solving

Skills Developed: Fine motor strength, self-help skills, sequencing, focus

📅 Page 3: Days of the Week

Core Play: Talk about today, yesterday and tomorrow.

More Ways to Play:

• Move the wheel to show what day it is

• Talk about what happened yesterday

• Plan something for tomorrow

• Sing days of the week songs

• Connect days to real routines (school, play, weekend)

Skills Developed: Time awareness, sequencing, language, routine understanding

🌦️ Page 4: Weather & Temperature

Core Play: Show today’s weather in the window.

More Ways to Play:

• Choose the matching weather card

• Slide it into the window

• Talk about hot, warm and cold using the temperature scale

• Discuss what clothes suit each type of weather

• Compare today’s weather to yesterday’s

Skills Developed: Cause and effect, observation, vocabulary, real-world understanding

🔤 Page 5: Alphabet Matching 

Core Play: Match uppercase letters to lowercase letters.

More Ways to Play:

• Say each letter name aloud

• Look for letters in your child’s name

• Mix letters and re-match them to lower case letters

• Talk about letter shapes and lines

• Talk about the sounds each letter makes

Skills Developed: Letter recognition, early literacy, visual discrimination

🔤 Page 6: Alphabet Play (+Word Building)

Core Play: Match letters and create words.

More Ways to Play:

• Build simple words (cat, dog, sun)

• Practise rhyming word families

• Mix letters and create silly words

• Sort vowels and consonants

• Encourage creativity with free letter play

Skills Developed: Phonics foundations, spelling awareness, creativity, confidence

🕰️ Page 7: Clock & Seasons Wheel

Core Play: Move the clock hands and explore seasons.

More Ways to Play:

• Turn clock hands to different times

• Reveal minutes under each number

• Talk about daily routines and time

• Spin the seasons wheel and name each season

• Connect seasons to weather and clothing

Skills Developed: Time awareness, number recognition, seasonal understanding

✋ Page 8: I Can Count (Hands & Fingers)

Core Play: Count using fingers and hands.

More Ways to Play:

• Count forwards and backwards

• Make simple addition and subtraction sums

• Compare numbers (greater than / less than)

• Show different ways to make the same number

• Encourage mental maths through play

Skills Developed: Numeracy, problem-solving, early maths concepts

🔺 Page 9: Shape Matching

Core Play: Match shapes to their correct space.

More Ways to Play:

• Name each shape

• Talk about sides and corners

• Find shapes in everyday objects

• Sort shapes by size or colour

• Encourage independent reasoning

Skills Developed: Shape recognition, spatial awareness, logical thinking

😊 Page 10: Emotions Memory Game

Core Play: Memory game using emotions.

More Ways to Play:

• Talk about each emotion

• Share times your child feels each way

• Undo snap buttons and mix pieces for a new game

• Practise empathy and understanding

• Encourage emotional expression

Skills Developed: Emotional intelligence, language, social development

🎯 Page 11: Colour Matching Maze

Core Play: Move buttons through the maze to the correct bag.

More Ways to Play:

• Match buttons to the same colour bag

• Practise controlled hand movements

• Count how many buttons reach each bag

• Try again by mixing colours

• Build patience and persistence

Skills Developed: Fine motor control, colour recognition, focus

🐢 Page 12: Mumma Turtle & Babies

Core Play: Attach baby turtles to mumma turtle using snap buttons.

More Ways to Play:

• Practise snapping and unsnapping

• Talk about families and caring roles

• Encourage persistence with tricky snaps

• Celebrate effort and determination

• Retell a story about the turtle family

Skills Developed: Fine motor strength, perseverance, confidence, empathy

🐒 Page 13: Five Little Monkeys (Finger Puppets)

Core Play: Sing the rhyme and act it out.

More Ways to Play:

• Count forwards and backwards

• Use finger puppets to jump on and off the bed

• Pause and let your child finish the rhyme

• Create new endings or verses

• Practise finger isolation and control

Skills Developed: Counting, sequencing, language, fine motor skills

✨ Page 14: Sensory Sequin Free Play

Core Play: Explore sequins through touch and movement.

More Ways to Play:

• Draw letters or shapes on the sequins

• Write your child’s name

• Create patterns and designs

• Use calm, sensory play for regulation

• Encourage creativity and self-expression

Skills Developed: Sensory exploration, creativity, fine motor control, calm focus

✨ Why You Will Love the Big Bird Book

• Designed to support school readiness

• Builds literacy, numeracy and time awareness

• Encourages perseverance and problem-solving

• Supports emotional development

• Grows beautifully with your child through multiple stages