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How to Make Connect the Dot Games

As well as being entertaining, connect the dots games (also known as join the dots) can be useful. You can use connect the dots games to help develop younger children's numeracy, pencil control skills, and vocabularies. You can make these games yourself: the simplest way is by hand, but you can also use computer software.

Things You'll Need

Images
Paper
Soft pencil
Black felt pen
Eraser
Photocopier (optional)
Tracing paper
Carbon paper
Computer with a graphics package installed
Printer

Instructions

Freehand Method
- 1
  Sketch your picture lightly on plain paper with a soft pencil.
- 2
  Add evenly-spaced numbered dots -- starting at one point with the number 1 and continuing with sequential numbers as you go -- and any details in black pen.
- 3
  Erase the pencil lines. Make copies of the game and laminate or cover with contact paper, if necessary.
Tracing Paper Method
- 4
  Place the tracing paper over your chosen image. Trace any wanted details in pencil. Add numbered dots at regular intervals along the main outline -- starting at one point with the number 1 and continuing with sequential numbers as you go -- but do not trace the line itself.
- 5
  Lay a piece of carbon paper face down on a sheet of plain paper. Lay the traced image on top of this. Pressing firmly, draw over the details and dots to transfer them to the plain paper.
- 6
  Ink the dots, numbers and details with the black pen. Copy and laminate as needed.
Simple Drawing Package Method
- 7
  Launch a simple drawing computer program such as MS Paint. Open your image. From the File menu, save a copy so you can revert to the original image if you make a mistake.
- 8
  Click on the Eraser tool. Erase most of the outline, leaving the interior of the image intact. Select a round brush or the Draw Ellipse tool. Draw dots around the outline of the image.
- 9
  Left click on the Text tool. Use text boxes to add numbers to each of the dots, starting at one point with the number 1 and continuing with sequential numbers as you go. Save and print the file. Copy (or print) and laminate as needed.
Advanced Image Software Method
- 10
  Launch Photoshop, Gimp or another image manipulation program. Open your chosen image.
- 11
  Create a new layer. Working on the layer with both layers visible, use a round brush to make regular dots around the outline of your original image. Left click on the original layer in the Layers menu so that you are working in the bottom layer but you can see the top layer while you work. Erase the outline of the original image under the dots.
- 12
  Merge the layers. Number the dots with the text tool, starting at one point with the number 1 and continuing with sequential numbers as you go. Save the image and copy or print as many copies as you need.

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