...at Dinner Time

HINTS: Ask the child what Clifford wants to do. What would help him eat his dinner? Why would each of the other things NOT help? You may want to explain that incorrect choices are not foods; they aren't things that Clifford could eat. The correct choice is something that Clifford could eat. Extend the activity offline by discussing things that the child can do to help prepare or serve a meal.

...When It Rains
HINTS: Ask the child what is happening in the picture. What would someone need when rain is falling? What item would help Clifford most? You may want to explain that incorrect choices would not help Clifford in a rainstorm; they may be things that he would like to have, but they're not things that he would need. Extend the activity offline by asking "How can you help me in the kitchen (or other area of the home)?" and "How can I help you?"

...Play Ball at the Beach
HINTS: Ask the child what is happening in the picture. What would someone need to have fun at the beach? What item would Clifford and his friends want most? You may want to explain that incorrect choices are not things that a person would want or need at the beach. Ask the child to explain (or explain to the child) where and when those objects would be useful. Extend the activity offline by asking "What would you give Clifford to help him have fun in the snow (or other situation)?"

...Stay Warm
HINTS: (Games marked + are more challenging.) Ask the child what is happening in the picture. What would someone need to stay warm on a cold winter day? What things would help Clifford most? Discuss the reasons why the incorrect choices would not help Clifford stay warm. (He couldn't play tennis or ride a bike in the snow or swim in a pool in cold weather, and a frog might keep him company but couldn't help him stay warm.) Extend the activity offline by asking "What else helps us stay warm on a cold day?" and "How do we cool off on a hot day?"

. . . Paint the Fence
HINTS: (Games marked + are more challenging.) Ask the child what Clifford wants to do. What would help him paint the fence? Why would each of the other things NOT help? (The camera and lawn mower are tools for other jobs. What jobs are they for? The easel is a tool for a different kind of painting. When would Clifford use an easel? Clifford might like to have the hot dog as a snack, but it wouldn't help him paint the fence!) Extend the activity offline by helping the child paint one of the printable pictures on Clifford's site.

. . . Take a Bath
HINTS: (Games marked + are more challenging.) Ask the child what is happening in the picture. What would someone need to take a bath? What items would help Clifford? Discuss why each of the other things would NOT help Clifford. (They would be useful in doing other things, but not in taking a bath. The wheelbarrow and rake would help Clifford work in the garden. The stepladder would help someone reach a high place-but Clifford wouldn't need it! The box of tools would help Clifford do many jobs around the house, but they wouldn't help him take a bath.) Extend the activity offline by asking "What toys do you think Clifford likes to take into the bath with him?"

CLIFFORD KISSES
HINTS: Explain that T-Bone has a way to make sure that everyone gets a big kiss from Clifford. He wants to make sure that they all take turns. Ask what T-Bone is holding in his mouth. What color is it? Who has a balloon the same color as T-Bone's? That person gets the next Clifford kiss! Extend the game offline by matching pairs of items to take turns in any home activity or, with a group of children, use matching items to take turns in a game.

A CLIFFORD SLIDE
HINTS: Explain that Emily Elizabeth has a way to make sure that everyone gets a chance to slide down Clifford's back. She wants to make sure that they all take turns. Point out the character who is waiting to take a turn. Ask what color bathing suit and towel the character has. Which inner tube is the same color? The character needs that inner tube to slide down Clifford's back and splash into the water. Extend the game offline by matching pairs of items to take turns in any home activity or, with a group of children, use matching items to take turns in a game.

. . . Hats
HINTS: Urge the child to click on a dog that does not have a hat. When all the hats have been distributed, discuss the idea of sharing. Extend the activity offline by encouraging the child to share toys among dolls or stuffed animals—or, better yet, with other children!

. . . Bones
HINTS: Urge the child to click on a dog that does not have a bone. When all the bones have been distributed, discuss the idea of sharing. Extend the activity offline by encouraging the child to share toys among dolls or stuffed animals—or, better yet, with other children!

. . . Balls
HINTS: Urge the child to click on a dog that does not have a ball. When all the balls have been distributed, discuss the idea of sharing. Extend the activity offline by encouraging the child to share toys among dolls or stuffed animals—or, better yet, with other children!

. . . Mustaches
HINTS: Urge the child to click on a dog that does not have a mustache. When all the mustaches have been distributed, discuss the idea of sharing. Extend the activity offline by encouraging the child to share toys among dolls or stuffed animals—or, better yet, with other children!

. . . Sweaters
HINTS: Urge the child to click on a dog that does not have a sweater. When all the sweaters have been distributed, discuss the idea of sharing. Extend the activity offline by encouraging the child to share toys among dolls or stuffed animals—or, better yet, with other children!

. . . Ice Cream
HINTS: Urge the child to click on a dog that does not have an ice cream sundae. When all the sundaes have been distributed, discuss the idea of sharing. Extend the activity offline by encouraging the child to share a snack or treat among dolls or stuffed animals—or, better yet, with other children!

Leaf of Absence

Page 1

HINTS: Ask the child what is happening in the picture. Ask for interpretations and predictions. Why are the dogs making piles of leaves? Who will make the biggest pile? What will happen next? After the picture changes, discuss what happened to the leaves in Clifford's pile.

Page 2
HINTS: Talk with the child about what it means to make a promise. If someone makes a promise to you, do you expect the person to keep it? What did Clifford promise T-Bone? What would Clifford have to do to keep his promise? How do you think T-Bone feels about Clifford's promise?

Page 3
HINTS: Did Clifford keep his promise? What made him break his promise? Do you think Clifford is happy right now? Do you think he will stay happy? What might make him feel bad about jumping into T-Bone's pile of leaves?

Page 4
HINTS: How do you think Clifford felt when he saw T-Bone's leaves blow away? Why did Clifford chase after the leaves? Why didn't he just let them blow away and forget about them? Why did Cleo help Clifford find the leaves?

Page 5
HINTS: Did Clifford and Cleo do the right thing? Do you think that T-Bone will like this pile of leaves as much as he liked the one that he made by himself?

Page 6
HINTS: Why did T-Bone thank Clifford for taking care of his leaves? Do you think that Clifford did a good job of taking care of T-Bone's leaves? Why or why not? How do you think Clifford felt at the end of the story? What do think Clifford learned?
 

Tummy Trouble

Page 1
HINTS: Ask the child what is happening in the picture. Why does Clifford do what Emily Elizabeth asks him to do? Why does Emily Elizabeth give Clifford a treat? Ask for predictions. What will Emily Elizabeth do if Clifford does another trick for her?

Page 2
HINTS: Will Cleo and T-Bone like the idea of getting treats for doing tricks? Why or why not? What tricks do you think T-Bone and Cleo can do? What other tricks can Clifford do?

Page 3
HINTS: Why did Cleo give T-Bone a treat? Do you think that T-Bone will want to do more tricks? Why or why not? Do you think that Cleo would like a treat too?

Page 4
HINTS: Why did Cleo give herself a treat? Do you think she deserved to get a treat for the trick she did? Do you think the dogs have had enough treats?

Page 5
HINTS: Why did the dogs keep giving themselves treats? How many treats do you think the dogs could eat? Which dog could eat the most treats? Why? How do you think the dogs will feel if they eat ALL of the treats?

Page 6
HINTS: What made the dogs eat too many treats? Have you ever made that mistake? Do you think the dogs will ever eat so many treats again?
 

Runaway Rabbit

Page 1
HINTS: Ask the child why Emily Elizabeth might have wanted Clifford to watch Wally. Why is Wally in a cage? What might happen if Wally got out of the cage? What do rabbits like to do? What do they like to eat? What do you think might happen next?

Page 2
HINTS: Do you think Clifford made a mistake? Why did Wally hop away? Where do you think Wally will go? Why are T-Bone and Cleo running after Wally? What do you think might happen next?

Page 3
HINTS: Why couldn¹t the dogs catch Wally? Where do you think the dogs might have looked for Wally? Do you have any more ideas about where Wally might go? If you were a rabbit, where would you go?

Page 4
HINTS: Why did Wally go to the carrot patch? Do you think Wally will want to leave the carrot patch and go back to his cage? Why or why not?

Page 5
HINTS: What do you think Clifford¹s idea is? How would you get Wally back home and into his cage?

Page 6
HINTS: Why did Wally follow Clifford? Why did Clifford give Wally the carrot at the end of the story?
 

HOUSE PAGES
HINTS: Remind the child that people (and dogs) are different from one another. Which house belongs to Clifford? To Emily Elizabeth? To Cleo? How are Clifford and Cleo alike? How are they different? How about Clifford and Emily Elizabeth? You may want to explain why incorrect choices are incorrect, based on the concepts of size and appropriate living conditions. Clifford could not fit into any of the rooms in Emily Elizabeth's house; they would be too small for him. Clifford couldn't even fit his head into T-Bone's house! T-Bone wouldn't live in Emily Elizabeth's house because he's the Sheriff's dog; he has a house of his own in the Sheriff's yard. T-Bone would find Clifford's house much too big for him; he'd be "rattling around" in it. Emily Elizabeth wouldn't want to live in a dog house . . . because she's not a dog! When the child clicks the right house, he or she will be able to print a cut-out to color and assemble offline.

SHOPS PAGES
HINTS: Help the child look for clues in the pictures that lead to the correct answer. Which shop has bread in the window and other foods that are like bread? Which shop has eyeglasses in the window? Where else do you see eyeglasses at that shop? Which shop has pictures of dogs that have had a bath? You may want to explain why incorrect choices are incorrect, based on the concepts of similarities and differences. Bread, rolls, cookies, and cake are alike because they are all foods, all made from flour, and all baked-but bread is very different from eyeglasses and dogs. All eyeglasses are alike in that they help people see better, even though they may be different sizes, colors, shapes, or strengths—but eyeglasses are very different from bread and dogs. Every dog is unique, but after a bath all dogs are alike in being clean-and dogs are very different from bread and eyeglasses. When the child clicks the right building, he or she will be able to print a cut-out to color and assemble offline.