# data[].attributes.body
Counting with Easter Eggs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Meghan from Playground Parkbench joins our ABCs and 123s letter and math series today with this clever idea for counting with plastic Easter eggs.

Counting with Easter Eggs

Incorporating seasonal themes into learning activities always ups the interest level for kids. Today's activity does just that - teaching one-to-one correspondence, using simple and super affordable materials, while also challenging little hands' fine motor skills at the same time.

Teaching one-to-one correspondence with Easter eggs

One-to-one correspondence is a basic math skill for preschoolers. Once mastered, it enables them to actually count objects and identify that 4 objects equals 4. While young toddlers are often capable of memorizing and reciting '1, 2, 3, 4...', actually mastering one-to-one correspondence takes practice. Affordable, seasonal math manipulatives are a great way to practice this basic math building block and keep it entertaining all year round!

Counting with Easter eggs

For this Easter-themed math activity, you will only need a few basic supplies, costing in total less than $5!

Use your black Sharpie to put dots on the inside, bottom half of your Easter eggs. Write the corresponding number on the outside, top half of the egg. I made dot formations like those seen on the face of a die. Recognition of numbers in this formation is also an important skill for preschoolers to master without having to actually count the individual dots.

Our miniature holiday-themed erasers were baby chicks that I found in the Target Dollar Spot, but I've seen similar at most Dollar Stores and craft stores as well.

Using the egg carton to hold all the eggs and erasers, instruct your child to add the correct number of erasers to each egg. Then, match the written numeral to the correct number.

The small pieces and closing the eggs while keeping all the chicks inside make for a great fine motor skill challenge too! You can also then use them as shakers.

For older children

For my 2 year old, using half a dozen eggs and counting up to 6 was sufficient challenge. My 4 year old was capable of more. To add to the challenge for older preschoolers, you can use numbers up to 12 with the full dozen eggs. For older, elementary children, you can turn it into a simple addition challenge, combining egg contents to reach addition solutions.

For more fun math activities for kids, be sure to check out Teaching Place Value to Preschoolers with Pasta and Deck the Crown with Jewels - A Sorting & Dice Game for Preschool.
Meghan is a former hedge fund professional turned SAHM to Big M (4), Lil' M (2), and Baby M (5 months). She writes at Playground Parkbench, where she shares kids activities and parenting tips. Check out her first book: Green, Crafty & Creative, 70 eco- and family-friendly crafts, activities and tips and the perfect resource for Earth Day!
ABCs and 123s : fun learning activities for letters and math

All our favourite literacy and math activities, all in one place :: download our ABCs and 123s guide here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Counting with Easter Eggs - NurtureStore

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Things to do with plastic Easter eggs - try this clever Easter egg counting game! Great Easter themed math center.

# data[].attributes.body
Cupcake Counting Game

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Today I'm sharing a cupcake themed "busy bag" learning activity that is not only great for preschoolers, but is also quick, easy and inexpensive to put together on the fly!

To assemble this Cupcake Counting Game all you need to do is download the free printable files below - then print, trim and laminate.

To play, simply add some colorful buttons to the cards and help your child decorate the cupcakes with the appropriate number of "sprinkles."

This busy bag game is not only great to keep kids "busy" but you can also teach them numbers along the way. Throw in some other twists and focus on colors, shapes etc! The possibilities are endless. I just provided the basic frame work for this busy bag idea - so I hope you take advantage of it! Enjoy! #gluedtomycrafts

* First download and print the THREE cupcake files above in color on white cardstock {this will give you the numbers 1-10 with two blanks}
* Trim each out and laminate each cupcake piece.
* To play - identify the number on the cupcake and have children decorate them with the corresponding number of buttons. For added fun, have children only choose colored buttons that match the bottom half of the cupcake. Since these are laminated, you can also skip the buttons and have children decorate them with dry-erase markers.

If you are looking for MORE busy bag ideas - be sure to check out these post!
Fall Tree Busy Bag Idea & Free Printable
Pumpkin Pie Felt Pretend Play
Fruit Tree Busy Bag Idea
Christmas Busy Bag Game Printables

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cupcake Counting Game - Busy Bag Idea & Free Printable

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today I'm sharing a cupcake themed "busy bag" learning activity that is not only great for preschoolers, but is also quick, easy and inexpensive to put together on the fly! To assemble this Cupcake Counting Game all you need to do is download the free printable files below - then print, trim and laminate.

# data[].attributes.body
Number Sheets

# data[].attributes.body
Counting Stamp Match

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
by -
This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.

Post by Contributing Writer Amy
Stamping has been all the rage with my twin girls lately. One day, while covering every square inch of a sheet of paper in random holiday stamps, my 4-year old said, "I think we should write a number and stamp that many on a paper and count them up!" The Counting Stamp Match was born!

Understanding that numbers are not just symbols, but represent quantities, is an important concept for young children. Too often, children can recite their numbers, but don't fully understand what the numbers represent. I also noticed my girls struggling with the meaning behind words like more, less, most, and least. This combined activity and game can help children with understanding and comparing numbers.

You'll need:

20-25 blank index cards or white cardstock cut into rectangles. (I used 12×12 scrapbooking paper cut into quarters)

Stamps (Stickers would work great, too!)

Stamp pads

Wet paper towel for cleaning stamps

A marker for writing the numbers

First, decide what would be the right amount of challenge for your child without being too frustrating. I thought doing numbers 1-10 would be too easy, but 10-20 could be pretty challenging, so I did 5-15. Both girls skip number 13 when counting, so I hoped this activity would help.

Second, make two sets of cards by writing one number on each card. So I ended up with 22 cards total. Two sets of cards, each labeled with numbers 5-15.

Next, have your child identify the number on each card and then stamp the same number of stamps (or place stickers) on the card. If you are doing this activity with one child, they could do two cards for each number or you could do it along with them to create the matching set. Having extra cards handy is a good idea since they may get carried away with stamping. Using stickers would make it easier to fix mistakes.

Practice counting by checking for accuracy after stamping.

Once, the cards are done, it's fun to flip them all over and mix them up!

Lay the cards out face down and you are ready to play a number version of memory. Take turns turning over two cards at a time looking for a match. After each turn, we briefly talked about why it wasn't a match using the terms more, less, most, and least. For example: "I got 8 and 13. Thirteen is the most. Eight is less than thirteen so it's not a match. Your turn!" The kids quickly followed my lead and we would all discuss which number was more and which was less when they chose their cards. Since we had been talking about more or less with every turn, when we finally did get a match, I could introduce the term equal. "Oh, 14 and 14! We can't say which is the most and which is the least because they are equal! They are same amount."

They were both excited with each new match, shouting, "Woohoo! We got a match!" Although I hadn't planned it, we played the game collaboratively and put all of our matches together. We could then organize the pairs from the least to the most. Seeing the kids collaborate instead of compete was much more fun than the "Having fun and playing by the rules is more important than winning." pep talk I had prepared. Who doesn't love seeing kids having fun and working together while learning?

Amy is a former reading and third grade teacher as well as a mother to three little girls with big personalities. She believes joy can always be found in playing, learning, and ice cream.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Counting Stamp Match - I Can Teach My Child!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This Counting Stamp Match activity is perfect for teaching number recognition and one-to-one correspondence!

# data[].attributes.body
Super Sticker Number Lines

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Build Kindergarten Number Sense with these 20 differentiated centers! With "Super Sticker Number Lines," students practice number order and one to one correspondence in creating their own number lines.

# data[].attributes.body
Button Counting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I love coming up with quick and simple math activities for my son. I'm not looking for drill and kill - just fun ways to help him (3 years old) develop his math skills. Lately, he's been super into numbers so I came up with this simple playing cards math activity that focuses on number sense.

Number sense is more than just counting and it's way more than just recognizing numerals, although both are key components. In this activity, we focused on 1:1 correspondence and identifying the quantity of numerals 1-10.

Making this playing cards math activity is so simple!

Playing cards and buttons are great math manipulatives and make any activity an instant hit.

To set up this simple math activity / lesson, grab playing cards ace through 10 and set them out. I taped them to a piece of Kraft paper, but admittedly, that's because my floor is dirty and we needed nice pictures of this (hashtag blogging truth).

Introducing the numbers and the activity

We started this activity by counting to 10, touching each playing card as we counted. Not only does this correlate the number to the numeral, but it provides yet another great chance for 1:1 correspondence practice.

The goal of this activity was to link numerals to quantity.

To accomplish this goal, I grabbed a bowl of buttons to use as math counters. I had my son count out the correct number of buttons for each playing card - this is great for the tactile learning aka touch learning.

Sometimes, he placed the buttons below the card and counted them out.

Other times, he used the suit of the card as a reference for the number of buttons he needed.

Either method is great - placing the buttons on the actual cards is especially great if working on quantity is a new concept for your kiddo.

Extending this activity for elementary aged siblings is a snap - use the cards and buttons to represent number sentences to practice addition skills.

What I love about this activity is that it's a simple, quick way to practice and play with number sense. Playing cards are fun, buttons are fun - just those materials in an activity together meant this was a winning game.

What will your child think of this play cards math activity?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Playing Cards Math Activity - Busy Toddler

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Looking for a fun number sense for toddlers? Try this simple playing cards math activity that uses buttons and a deck of cards. A great, easy math activity!

# data[].attributes.body
Counting and Matching Bears

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One-to-One Correspondence Activities for Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten What is One-to-One Correspondence One-to-One correspondence is a foundational math s

# data[].attributes.body
Rubber Duck Counting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One-to-One Correspondence Activities for Preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten What is One-to-One Correspondence One-to-One correspondence is a foundational math s

# data[].attributes.body
Counting using Clothpins

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
delightfully dedicated : This is normal: The ramblings of a first year special ed teacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Clever one to one correspondence activity. Great for number concept!

# data[].attributes.body
Ice cream Summer Math

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The end of the school year is fast approaching. This means it's time for final assessments, finishing up portfolios, and planning the end of year slideshow. It also means integrating summer-related ideas into the school day! With warmer weather upon us, some summer math with "ice cream" was called for.

Fun and Engaging "Ice Cream" Summer Math

Easy to Set Up

This was a super simple activity to put together! I cut twenty small triangles out of brown construction paper, then wrote the numbers 1 to 20 on them. I ran them through the laminator so they'd last for a while, then put them into a bowl. The kiddos and I rummaged around the pompom bin and picked a variety of fun colors, and those pompoms went into a tray. Then a few of our small tongs were added to the mix. Everything's more fun with tongs. Just ask the preschoolers.

How the Children Used the Summer Math Invitation

Once everything was ready, the kiddos were ready to jump into some fun ice cream math! One of my girls decided she wanted to do ice cream cones one through ten. She grabbed all the numbers and lined them up in order, then set to work making her ice cream orders. She tried to see if she could pick up all the pompoms she needed at one time. That worked well until she got to number eight. Then she had to settle for adding the pompoms a few at a time. Once she was done, she asked me to "make sure to take a picture for my dad" before she cleaned up. Can you tell she was proud of her work?!

Another one of my ladies wanted to tackle numbers 11 to 20. I helped her put those numbers in order, talking about how the numbers are formed and such. Then she jumped into adding the pompom "ice cream scoops" to each of those cones! I just loved watching her look of concentration.

Other Ways to Use the "Ice Cream" Math

From there, a few of my boys came over to check things out. They decided to sort the pompoms by color first. Then they chose random numbers, one at a time. They used the tongs and their fingers to make "super tall" ice cream cones with the pompoms. From there, it was making patterned ice cream cones. They seemed to find that last part hysterical. I was definitely entertained, too!

Learning with Summer Math

As I mentioned earlier, this was a very simple activity to put together. As I'm fond of mentioning, sometimes the simple activities can yield the most learning. Here are some of the early math concepts (and more!) our pompom ice cream math touched on:

Preschool Ice Cream Theme Lesson Plans

Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we've provided different versions for preschool teachers and home preschool families and so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.
Get your plans here > > > Preschool Teachers | Home Preschool | Teachers Pay Teachers
Be sure to check out more activities for a preschool ice cream theme below! The #TeachECE crew always has meaningful ideas to share!

Ice Cream Math Playdate from The Educators' Spin On It

The Great Ice Cream Cone Race from Capri + 3

Ice Cream Cone Patterns Printable from Life Over Cs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Summer Math That's Perfect for a Preschool Ice Cream Theme

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The end of the school year is fast approaching. This means it's time for final assessments, finishing up portfolios, and planning the end of year slideshow. It also means integrating summer-related ideas into the school day! With warmer weather upon us, some summer math with "ice cream" was called for.

# data[].attributes.body
Students to be able to understand the concept of 1:1 correspondence.