Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Harriet's Cosy Winter Sort: Free Printable Card Set for Reception
- ForReception
- StageEarly Years
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Harriet's Cosy Winter Sort is a free printable card set for Reception (ages 4 to 5). Harriet the Hen needs help. Children cut out the cards, sort them into two groups and find Harriet's mistake. It is screen free, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children meet cards showing things people use to keep warm, make light, heat water and have a bath. A grown-up reads each card aloud. The child cuts the cards out, sorts them into two piles, Long Ago and Now, then pairs each old card with its new partner and talks about it. There is also a table to fill in, and Harriet has made a mistake to spot.
- Coal fire
- Light switch
- Stone hot water bottle
- Bathtub
- Kettle on the fire
- Electric blanket
- Candle for light
- Radiator
- Tin bath
- Rubber hot water bottle
- Bed warming pan
- Electric kettle
How the activity builds
Listen and look
The grown-up reads each card aloud while the child looks at the picture. Hearing the name and seeing the object together helps children who are still building their vocabulary.
Cut and sort
Cutting out the cards is good practice for small hand muscles. Sorting into two piles, Long Ago and Now, gives children a clear and simple choice to make.
Pair and talk
Each old card has a new partner. Children match them and say why. This is where the best talk happens, so give it time.
Find the mistake
Harriet has got something wrong. Spotting it lets children feel like the expert. It also shows they can check someone else's thinking.
Why talk about long ago and now?
Young children start to understand time by comparing. They notice that some things in a home look different from the things their grandparents or great grandparents knew. Words like old, new, before and now are the first building blocks of history. They do not need dates. They need pictures, objects and a grown-up who asks good questions.
Everyday things at home are a good place to start. Children already know how to keep warm, see in the dark and have a wash. When they compare how people did these jobs in the past with how we do them now, they use what they know. They also practise noticing what is the same and what is different, which is a key habit in Understanding the World.
The cards show fires, kettles, candles and hot water. Talk about them as pictures only. Real fires, candles, kettles and hot water are for adults to handle. Children should keep well away from them.
Skills and curriculum link
- Sorting into two groups
- Pairing old and new
- Same and different
- Using time words
- Speaking in sentences
- Fine motor control
Ideas to help children think
- Look for cluesAsk what the picture shows and what the object might be used for. Let your child point to the parts they notice.
- Use time wordsModel words like long ago, now, before and after. Children copy the language they hear, so say them often.
- Ask about jobsAsk what job each object does. Is it for warmth, for light, for washing or for heating water? Thinking about the job helps children make links.
- Link to homeAsk what your child sees at home that does a similar job. This ties the cards to their own life.
Key words
- Long agoA time before now, when your grandparents or their grandparents were alive.
- NowThis moment, and the time we are living in today.
- SortPut things into groups because they belong together.
- PairTwo things that go together.
- SameAlike in some way.
- DifferentNot alike. Something about it has changed.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2 for yourself.
- Read each card aloud. Let your child look at the picture and say what they think it is.
- Your child cuts out the cards and sorts them into two piles. Then they pair each old card with its new partner and talk about it.
- Work through the activity together the first time. Talk about each choice. Then check against the notes and answers on page 2.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start with just two pairs. Ask, "Which one would your gran's gran have used?" Give your child time to look at the picture and think. Point to clues, and say the words Long Ago and Now together. Add more cards once they feel ready.
To stretch confident children
Ask for one thing that is the same and one thing that is different for every pair. Encourage a full sentence, such as "They are both for..." or "This one needs...". Then ask your child which one they would choose, and why.
Make it a game
Turn the cards face down. Pick one, say Long Ago or Now, then find its partner. Take turns with a grown-up or a friend. Say one thing about the pair before keeping it. The player with the most pairs wins.
Talk about it
- What is this card showing? What do you think it is for?
- How do you think people kept warm in winter long ago?
- What do we use at home now to do the same job?
- What is the same about these two cards?
- What is different about them?
- Can you see what Harriet got wrong? How do you know?
Take it off the page
Family questions
Ask a grandparent or older neighbour how they kept warm in winter when they were young. Draw a picture of what they say.
Old and new hunt
Walk round your home and find things that do a job people once did another way. Talk about what has changed. Only look and point at anything that gets hot.
Winter role play
Make a cosy corner with blankets and cushions. Pretend to be Harriet the Hen getting ready for a winter evening. Talk about what she needs.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go and let them lead. Read each card aloud, then ask questions rather than giving answers. Praise their thinking, not only the right pairs. Keep it short and relaxed, and stop when interest fades.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, a table activity or an early finisher task. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. It fits Understanding the World, where children talk about past and present. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed groups.
Home educators
Pair it with books about the past, a visit to a local museum or a chat with older relatives. The cards give you a starting point for talking about change over time. Print again for brothers and sisters, or to revisit another day.
Where this fits
Before this, children learn to sort by one feature, such as colour or size. They also talk about their own families and routines. Sorting into Long Ago and Now builds on both, and adds the idea that things change over time.
After this, children learn to put events in order and to use more time words. In Key Stage 1 they go on to study changes within living memory and compare life then and now. The talk they practise here is a good foundation.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Harriet's Cosy Winter Sort for?
It is written for Reception, ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Younger children can join in with a grown-up doing most of the reading. Older children can use the stretch idea on page 2.
- What will children practise?
Children practise sorting and pairing things from long ago and now. They also talk about what is the same and what is different. This supports Understanding the World in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
- How do I use it?
Print both pages. A grown-up reads each card aloud. The child cuts out the cards, sorts them into two piles, then pairs each old card with its new partner and talks about it. Check with the notes and answers on page 2.
- What if it feels too hard?
Start with just two pairs. Ask, "Which one would your gran's gran have used?" Look at the pictures together and say Long Ago and Now aloud. Add more cards when your child feels confident. Come back to it another day.
- How long does it take?
There is no set time. Children work at their own pace, and cutting out and talking can take a while. Start with a few pairs if your child tires, and finish another day. Stop when interest fades.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can colour the cards in if they like, but they do not need to. Print page 2 as well so you have the notes and answers.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or table activity, with no preparation beyond printing. Home educators can use it alone or as part of a wider plan. It is free to print again.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.