Dot Rules

In short

Dot Rules is a calm pencil activity for the table. Every color gets its own mark, and your child uses these marks on the colored dots of a printed sheet. It suits school-age kids who already hold a pencil confidently. Along the way, your child practices looking with purpose, keeping several rules in mind and not rushing into scribbling.

What you need

• Printouttemplate on A4
• A pencilfor marking

How to play

1. 1Look at the legend at the top together and say every rule out loud.

When it fits

• In the afternoon before homework, as a quiet way to settle in at the desk.
• On a rainy day, when your child likes hidden picture puzzles and wants something tricky to do alone.
• In a waiting room or on a train ride, since all you need is the sheet and a pencil.

What your child practices

• Selective attention
• Holding rules
• Impulse control

Picking out the right thing among many similar ones while keeping a rule in mind is something school asks for all the time, for example on worksheets with several instructions. Specialists also use tasks where kids mark target symbols among others to test selective attention. Dot Rules turns this into a colorful sheet where your child sets their own pace.

Works well before or after

Before, Tap the Color works well, since it is also about colors and rules, just with the hands. Afterward, some movement feels good, for example Red Light, Green Light in the hallway.

Printable templates

All 2 sheets for this exercise are in the printable pack.

Further reading

• Attention span by age: how long can a child focus?

Similar exercises

• Tap the ColorYou call a color, your child taps it with the matching hand.age 4+ · 3-4 min
• Simon SaysOnly join in when the sentence starts with “Simon says”.age 4+ · 3-5 min
• Roll and CircleRoll the die, then find and circle exactly that many dots.age 5+ · 5-8 min