Homemade Game of "Odd One Out"

How to Play It
- Explain to the child that in the group of 4 photos, there is one which doesn't belong; one which is different from the rest. The child is supposed to place a piece with an "X" printed on it (not shown in photo) on the photo that doesnt belong/the odd one out.

- If the child has not played this game before, start with a very simple set before progressing to harder ones. E.g. the set on the left in the photo above is quite simple. The grouping is "animal". An even simpler set to start off with would be, for e.g. the set on the right in the photo above. The grouping is "fish". Start simple so as to set the child up for success, not failure. Once he feels he can do it, it'll be a great motivator to move on to harder sets.

- Give the child a chance to think & come up with the answer on her own. If it's right, great! But ask why she decided so, to check that it wasn't a fluke. It doesnt matter if it is wrong initially. Explain to her the right answer. Bear in mind also that the child may see things differently from you, so her answer may be right too, based on her logic (that is, if her logic is right).

How to Make It

- I used powerpoint as it's easy to draw shapes for the outline, customise the colour, size, inserting the photo & resizing/cropping it.

- Photos are obtainable from various websites. I tend to use http://www.corbis.com/, http://www.fotosearch.com/.

- Print, cut & paste onto cardboard/artcard. Laminate for durability if you wish.

- Do make sure you vary the location of the photo that doesn't belong (the answer). You wouldnt want the child to think the answer is always for e.g. the top right photo.

Themes

- There's an infinite number of themes to use. The only limit is your creativity. The photos below are some of the sets I've made.

The set on the left is on animals that fly. The set on the right is on insects.

The set on the left is on objects that fly. The set on the right is on ocean animals.

The set on the left is on pets. The set on the right is on farm animals.

Benefits

- early maths skill

- reinforces themes introduced

- fine motor (placing the card with the "X"). If the child is not able to place the card, you can of course vary it by having the child point or name the answer or use the child's alternative communication methods.

- cognitive skill

Want a softcopy to save time?
I'm happy to share my files if it's for personal homeuse. Just email me. My email is in my profile.