Family and Homeschool Activities for Teaching About Compare and Contrast

These family and homeschool activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Compare and Contrast topic page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and more.

Would You Rather…?

Ask your child to make a decision between two things, such as “Would you rather live in the city or on a farm?” Encourage him or her to compare and contrast to help make a choice. Below are other prompts for comparing and contrasting:

• Would you rather be a cat or a dog?
• Would you rather be an eraser or a rubber band?
• Would you rather be have the power to fly or be invisible?
• Would you rather jump into a pool of marshmallows or jelly?  

As your child responds, encourage him or her to use signal words to make comparisons and contrast.

All Around Town

Compare and contrast with your child as you go about your day. While in the car, discuss how other vehicles on the road, such as a truck and a car, are alike and different. At the market, compare and contrast fruit, vegetables, etc. You can challenge your child further by having him or her compare prices and weights of food. At the playground, prompt your child to describe how the different equipment is alike and different. The slide and the monkey bars, for example, both require climbing high. You can compare and contrast at home too, noticing how rooms are alike and different.

Now and Then

Your child has changed a lot since he or she was a baby, and so have you! Pull out your child’s baby pictures and your childhood pictures, too! Begin by sharing one thing about yourself that is the same, such as “My hair is curly today just like it was when I was a little girl” and one difference, “I didn’t wear glasses when I was a child, but now I do as an adult.” Then invite your child to compare and contrast using baby pictures for inspiration. Finally, have fun comparing and contrasting each other! For example, “We both have dark hair, but mine is curly.”