Pattern Prediction

One of my fellow preschool teachers showed me a great activity to do with kids that makes patterns fun! Start with a piece of construction paper:
Fold it into thirds
Now tape it down and also tape one end closed.
Next, make your pattern cards. The beauty of this is that you can make any pattern you want - shapes, colors, sizing (big/small, tall/short), objects, letters, etc. You can make them easy or difficult. You can tailor them to the things your child needs to improve. They don't distinguish p's from q's? Make a pattern! Even toddlers will enjoy simple patterns.
I used sentence strips cut down to fit in my construction paper holder, but you could use construction paper, cardstock, or even printer paper. Just cut it into thirds so that it will fit inside the holder and the pattern can't be seen. I made my cards double-sided, with different patterns on each side.
Once you have your pattern cards made, slip them inside the holder. When your child is ready, slowly pull out the card, showing them what's on it and figuring out the pattern. For example, I would slowly pull this one out, one color at a time, saying, "Red. Blue. Green. What do you think comes next?" Once the pattern starts repeating, your child will love guessing and discovering what comes next!