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What are they doing? — print pack

Print, cut, and talk about it together. · Ages 5–9 · Roo Bloom

How to use these pages

  1. Print on A4, single sided, at 100% — not “fit to page”.
  2. Cut along the dashed lines to make the cards.
  3. Ask the question, then ask “what can you see?” before anything else.
  4. The last page is for you, not for the wall.

Four things to ask

“What can you see?” “What happened?” “What clue helped you?” “So why did that happen?”

Why cards

Cut these out. Show the picture, read the question, and talk.

  • Two children in a library. One is stretching an arm upwards towards a book sitting high on a shelf. The other stands nearby watching.

    What is Mei trying to do?

    What are they doing? · 1

  • A girl walking across a kitchen carrying a plate in both hands, heading for the table. A grown-up sits at the table, with a plate and a cup already in front of him.

    What is Jo doing with the plate?

    What are they doing? · 2

  • A party. A girl is walking across the room holding a card out in front of her, towards another girl who is sitting down. A balloon floats near the ceiling. A present and another card sit on the floor.

    What is Nia doing with the card?

    What are they doing? · 3

  • A boy standing on a front step, turned towards the path, with his bag on the step beside him. A grown-up beside him is holding out a lunch box.

    What is Arlo about to do?

    What are they doing? · 4

  • A boy walking along the edge of a pool carrying a folded towel. Another towel lies on the ground behind him. Ahead of him a girl stands at the water's edge, with a wet patch on the ground around her feet.

    What is Sam trying to do?

    What are they doing? · 5

  • A girl walking across a classroom with a cloth in her hand. There is a patch of mud on the floor ahead of her, with a pair of gumboots standing beside it. Another child stands next to them.

    What is Kit going to do?

    What are they doing? · 6

  • A boy carrying a big sheet of paper towards a craft table. On the table there is a pair of scissors and a glue stick. A grown-up stands at the far side of the table.

    What will Sam do at the table?

    What are they doing? · 7

  • Two children at a lunch table. One is reaching down into an open bag on the floor beside her, and the table in front of her is bare. The other child has an open lunch box out and a sandwich in her hand.

    What is Tabi looking for?

    What are they doing? · 8

  • A school hallway with a row of pegs. Two pegs have bags hanging on them. The peg between them is bare. A boy with empty hands looks up at the row, and a grown-up waits further along.

    What is Ravi trying to find?

    What are they doing? · 9

The three answers

Cut these into strips and lay the three out under the matching card.

  • 1

    • She is getting a book down.
    • She is looking for her drink bottle.
    • She is putting her jumper on.

  • 2

    • She is taking it to the table.
    • She is washing it up.
    • She is putting it away.

  • 3

    • She is giving it to Tabi.
    • She is drawing on it.
    • She is putting it in her bag.

  • 4

    • He is leaving for school.
    • He is waiting for a friend.
    • He is looking for his jumper.

  • 5

    • He is taking a towel to Mei.
    • He is packing his bag up.
    • He is looking for his sun hat.

  • 6

    • She is going to wipe the mud.
    • She is bringing Arlo a drink.
    • She is going outside to play.

  • 7

    • He is going to cut the paper.
    • He is going to draw a picture.
    • He is going to read a book.

  • 8

    • She is looking for her lunch.
    • She is looking for her jumper.
    • She is looking for her ball.

  • 9

    • He is looking for his bag.
    • He is looking for his hat.
    • He is putting his lunch box away.

Why → Because

Say the first half and let your child finish it. That is the whole exercise.

  • 1Mei is reaching up because

  • 2Jo is carrying the plate because

  • 3Nia is carrying the card because

  • 4Arlo is at the door because

  • 5Sam has the towel because

  • 6Kit has the cloth because

  • 7Sam is carrying the paper because

  • 8Tabi is looking in her bag because

  • 9Ravi is looking around because

For grown-ups: the answers and the clues

The clue is the useful column. If your child is stuck, point at the clue rather than saying the answer.

  1. 1. What is Mei trying to do?

    She is getting a book down.

    Clue: Look up at the high shelf.

    Ask which way her hand is pointing, then what is up there.

  2. 2. What is Jo doing with the plate?

    She is taking it to the table.

    Clue: Look which way Jo is walking.

  3. 3. What is Nia doing with the card?

    She is giving it to Tabi.

    Clue: Look which way Nia is facing.

  4. 4. What is Arlo about to do?

    He is leaving for school.

    Clue: Look at the bag on the step.

  5. 5. What is Sam trying to do?

    He is taking a towel to Mei.

    Clue: Look at what Sam is carrying.

    Ask what the wet ground tells you about Mei.

  6. 6. What is Kit going to do?

    She is going to wipe the mud.

    Clue: Look at the floor ahead of Kit.

  7. 7. What will Sam do at the table?

    He is going to cut the paper.

    Clue: Look at what Sam is carrying.

  8. 8. What is Tabi looking for?

    She is looking for her lunch.

    Clue: Look at what Nia has out.

    Ask what everybody else at the table already has out.

  9. 9. What is Ravi trying to find?

    He is looking for his bag.

    Clue: Look along the row of pegs.

Roo Bloom · roobloom.com

This is an educational resource, not therapy or medical advice.