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This magic milk experiment is really fun experiment that shows a fun reaction when dish soap comes in contact with milk and food coloring.

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Did you know that it is easy to turn ordinary milk into a rainbow of crazy colors? With only four common kitchen items, kids are thrilled by the color explosion created by the hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules in our magic ingredient!

Watch our demonstration video, then print out a materials list and instructions to plan for this simple and fun science experiment. Easy to understand explanation of how it works is included below.

JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works

Supplies Needed

Milk (Must be either Whole or 2%)

Food Coloring. The more colors the better

Dish Soap

Shallow Dish or Bowl

Magic Milk Experiment Instructions

Step 1 - Pour some milk into a shallow dish or bowl until the milk covers the bottom.

Step 2 - Add some drops of food coloring on the milk. You can use a variety of colors, just be sure to add 3-4 drops of each color.

Step 3 - Add a drop of dish soap into the center of the milk.

Step 4 - Watch in amazement as the colors dances across the surface of the milk. Do you know what caused the colors to move around in the milk? Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial
Detailed Magic Rainbow Milk Science Experiment Step by Step Instructions
How Does the Science Experiment Work

The key to the dancing colors in this experiment is soap! Soap molecules consist of a hydrophilic ("water-loving") end and a hydrophobic ("water-fearing") end. Water molecules are polar molecules that can dissolve other polar molecules. Fat (and oil) molecules are nonpolar molecules, so they cannot dissolve in water.

Milk is a mixture of water, fat, vitamins and minerals. When soap is added to the milk, it helps to separate the water and fat in the milk. When soap is mixed in with the fat and water, the hydrophobic end of the soap molecule breaks up the nonpolar fat molecules, and the hydrophilic end of the soap molecule links up with the polar water molecules. Now that the soap is connecting the fat and water, the nonpolar fat molecules can be carried by the polar water molecules.

As the soap molecules connect to the fat molecules, the molecules of the food coloring get pushed around everywhere resulting in an explosion of color! As the majority of soap molecules attach to the fat molecules and the soap spreads throughout the milk, the color explosion will slow and eventually stop. Add more soap and see if there are more fat molecules that haven't attached to soap - if there are unattached fat molecules still, the color explosion will begin again.

This experiment works best with 2% and whole milk because they contain more fat.

Other Ideas to Try

Try this experiment again using milk with different fat percentages. Try it with skim milk, 1% milk, 2% milk, whole milk, half and half, and cream. Consider even trying evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. See how the amount of fat affects the explosion of color!

I hope you enjoyed the experiment as much as we did. Here are some printable instructions:

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Magic Milk Science Experiment - Amazing Explosion of Color!

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Did you know that it is easy to turn ordinary milk into a rainbow of crazy colors? With only four common kitchen items, kids are thrilled by the color explosion created by the hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules in our magic ingredient! Watch our demonstration video, then print out a materials list and instructions to plan [...]

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This is a fun activity to see what happens when you squeeze an egg as hard as you can with your hands.

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How Does It Work

The egg's unique shape gives it tremendous strength, despite its fragility. Eggs are similar in shape to a 3-dimensional arch, one of the strongest architectural forms. The egg is strongest at the top and the bottom (or at the highest point of the arch). That's why the egg doesn't break when you add pressure to both ends.

The curved form of the shell also distributes pressure evenly all over the shell rather than concentrating it at any one point. By completely surrounding the egg with your hand, the pressure you apply by squeezing is distributed evenly all over the egg. However, eggs do not stand up well to uneven forces which is why they crack easily when you push on just one side or wear a ring (or why it cracks on the side of a bowl). The uneven pressure of the ring against the shell will result in an amusing display of flying egg yolk for your audience members. This also explains how a hen can sit on an egg and not break it, but a tiny little chick can break through the eggshell - the weight of the hen is evenly distributed over the egg, while the pecking of the chick is an uneven force directed at just one spot on the egg.

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The egg's unique shape gives it tremendous strength, despite its fragility. Eggs are similar in shape to a 3-dimensional arch, one of the strongest architectural forms. The egg is strongest at the top and the bottom (or at the highest point of the arch).

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This is a fun inquiry based experiment that allows children to put ice in different things to see which will melt faster.

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Is it possible to make ice melt faster? Investigate the properties of ice with this hands-on science activity for preschoolers.

Objective: To learn about ice and why some materials make ice melt faster and others keep it from melting.

Materials: Large play tray, 4 small containers (or more, have as many containers as you do ice cubes), ice cube tray, salt, corn meal, measuring cups, and flour.

Ask: Do you know what makes ice melt? What material do you think will help ice melt faster?

Learn: Preschoolers will learn how different materials either insulate ice, or cause it to melt faster by reducing the temperature of ice faster or lowering the melting point of ice (in the case of salt).

Place one cube of ice into each container. You will want to use as many cubes and containers as you have materials to test. We tested cornmeal, nothing, water, and salt.

Instruct the preschoolers to measure the same amount of each material to add to each container.

Set a timer for 15-20 minutes.

After the timer goes off, examine the ice cubes. Which cube melted the fastest? Which melted the slowest? In our experiment, the salted ice cube melted the fastest, but the cornmeal helped insulate the cube and it melted the slowest.

STEAM Integration

Science: Some materials have insulating properties (flour, cornmeal), and others will make ice melt faster (water, salt). Kids will learn about the freezing point of water, and what happens when different materials touch ice.

Technology: If desired, use a digital thermometer to test the ice's temperature right out of the freezer and after spending 15 minutes in the material.

Engineering: Preschoolers will learn the basics of material construction and when they might want to use an insulating material or a dissolving material. You could talk about instances where engineers look for ways to prevent ice formation and when they try to encourage it.

Art: Add food coloring to the ice to make it even more colorful and highlight the differences in melting speed. What happens when two different colors melt together?

Math: Measure the same amount of material for each container.

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What Makes Ice Melt Fastest? STEM Activity for Preschoolers

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Is it possible to make ice melt faster? Investigate the properties of ice with this hands-on science activity for preschoolers. Objective: To learn about ice and why some materials make ice melt faster and others keep it from melting.

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This is a fun geometry activity that helps children recognize and identify shapes.

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This shape activity is one that preschoolers love, and it only takes a minute to put it together.

Jonathan (age 3.5) has been desperate to "do school" when we are doing school. And one or two coloring pages won't cut it! He colors something and then says, "Now what can I do, Mom?" I'm glad he's so eager to learn, but I'm having to scramble to keep up with him. This shape activity worked really well!

To set up the activity, I drew four shapes on paper.

I handed Jonathan a felt cookie from our play food stash to get him started. "What shape is this?" I asked. He thought about it a minute and said, "Cookie!" It was interesting to me that he didn't say circle, and apparently this was a good activity for him! After the cookie, he got the idea and started looking for things to match up with his shapes.

Gresham helped him quite a bit, and they came up with these items.

After we were done, I drew some shapes on a piece of paper, and he colored them in. Home preschool success, and it took me almost no time at all!

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Preschool Shape Scavenger Hunt - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls

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This shape activity is one that preschoolers love, and it only takes a minute to put it together. Jonathan (age 3.5) has been desperate to "do school" when we are doing school. And one or two coloring pages won't cut it! He colors something and then says, "Now what can I do, Mom?"

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This is a fun experiment to do with pennies. You soak them in different liquids and see what penny comes out cleaner.

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This is a fun experiment to show kids salt water density.

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Salt Water Experiment | Ocean Science for Kids

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This super easy salt water experiment is the perfect kitchen science experiment to teach kids about the density of salt versus fresh water. With summer approaching and beach trips planned it's a great time to learn about how salty ocean water is different from fresh river water.

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This is a fun activity where children can use their foot prints to measure different objects.

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In this activity children measure their height with string and then wrap the string around different parts of their body like their head or wrist to see how many times it will wrap around.

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This is a fun activity yo demonstrate what happens when its raining

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Sensory Rain Clouds_ Summer STEM for Kids!

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This is a cool activity to give children the opportunity to see what the moon looks like up close with all of the craters.

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You might have heard of the phrase, “the moon is made of cheese.” After all, it’s round like a cheese. It’s yellow like a cheese. And when you zoom into the moon, it sure does

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This activity demonstrates to children how arctic animals are able to withstand the cold snowy weather

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Arctic Animals - Science Experiment - Forgetful Momma

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I have animal lovers here who have been loving our science curriculum work right now, it's about animals around the world. This week we learned more about arctic animals and this science experiment is perfect for learning more about them and how they stay warm.

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This activity demonstrates what happens when it snows.

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This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
Does it snow where you live? If not, let's bring snow to your kids with this snowstorm in a jar STEM experiment that will have your kids go "oOoOo" and "ahhhhh"!
Since we don't get snow in SoCal (at least not where I live), it's difficult to explain the concept of snow to my kids. But in the wintertime, you can't help but hear about snow.

Hence, my children are very curious about snow, especially what snow looks like falling from the sky.

Snowstorm in a jar science experiment is perfect for showing your kids what a snow blizzard looks like! Plus, it's just a cool STEM experiment to do with your kids.

How to Make Snowstorm in a Jar

Materials:

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Fill up ¼ of the jar with water.

2. Add about a teaspoon of white paint in the water and stir to mix. The mixture should look like milk. If necessary add more paint.

3. Fill up the rest of the jar with baby oil. Let the water and paint mixture settle to the bottom.

4. Add glitter in the mixture if desired (not necessary but it makes the snowstorm prettier).

5. Add a few drops of blue food coloring if desired (to simulate the color of the sky).

6. Let the water/paint mixture settle on the bottom.

7. Break up an Alka-Seltzer tablet and drop the broken up pieces one at a time into the jar.

8. Watch the magic happen!

The Science Behind the Snowstorm in a Jar

There are a few science lessons to teach your kids here:

1. Oil and water don't mix. The water molecules are polar, which means they have a small positive charge at one end and a small negative charge at the other end. Therefore, they are attracted to each other like a magnet and form strong bonds. Oil molecules are non-polar, and therefore they are more attracted to each other than water molecules.

2. Oil is less dense than water. Therefore, the water mixed paint sinks to the bottom, while the water remains on top.

3. When you drop Alka-Seltzer tablets, which contains baking soda, into the water, the reaction between the sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and citric acid and hydrogen oxide (water) creates carbon dioxide gas. The bubbles filled with carbon dioxide gas push the water and paint mixture upward, but the oil exerts pressure downward and pushes the mixture back down - creating the snow effect.

I hope you and your kids have a lot of fun doing this experiment! Originally we did it without adding the blue food coloring, and it created more of a white winter effect. But we then added some blue food coloring and the kids loved seeing the blue "snow" as well.

And that's the beauty of the snowstorm in a jar experiment! You can do it more than once! Just let the water and paint mixture settle down again before you add more Alka-Seltzer tablets.

Looking for more winter crafts and activities? Check out:
DIY Popsicle Stick Snowflake Ornaments
The Exploding Snowman Science Experiment
30+ Easy Christmas Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers

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This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details. Does it snow where you live?

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This is a great activity that teaches children about the life cycle of plant life, and teaches them how to grow plants.

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Plants Science Experiments & Teaching How Plants Grow - Lessons for Little Ones by Tina O’Block

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I love doing plant experiments and sprouting seeds with young children in the spring. Not only do they get excitedContinue reading

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There are some great activities on this website about fish, My favorite one is called How Do Fish Breath. Its a fun engaging way to help children learn this concept

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If you look at everything on earth you can see pattern and order. Nothing looks like it was complied through random chance.

Take 2 piles of blocks for example. 1 is scattered about, the other looks like a house. Which one was made through random chance? No one would say the house because we all know that it had to have a builder. The probability of blocks landing in a house form is zero.

It is the same with our world. Nothing looks like it could have just randomly come together because everything has purpose and a clear design.

Birds and fish are no different. Wings and gills do specific jobs and while there are numerous varieties, they all share a common design.

For the 5th day of the creation story, we did a bird craft and a fish craft, plus and experiment to show how fish breathe under water.

Creation Craft

For our Tissue Paper Fish craft, I drew a fish picture on one side of a sheet of contact paper for each child. I showed them how they could 'color' the picture in using different colored tissue paper.

They loved choosing which colors to use. Then we covered the back with a sheet of white tissue paper.

For our second craft, we made hand print sparrows on our copy-work printables. I don't remember where I found this, it has been a year or so since we did this, but just so you know that this idea isn't mine 🙂

Audrey didn't quite like the feeling of the paint, but the prints came out really good! I had the kids draw the head with their finger and do a few finger prints too.

The kids gave their birds some wings and turned their finger prints into bugs.

How Fish Breathe Underwater

I wanted to show how the gills of a fish help it breathe. This is just one of the many unique features of fish that could be studied to show the amazing design of God's creation.

For this experiment, all you'll need is a plastic cup, coffee filter, rubber band, and water with coffee or sand in it. I told the kids that the filter was like a fishes gills. Then I told them to pretend that the coffee in the water was oxygen. Oxygen is what we breathe and need to live. So when the water goes through a fishes gills, it gets caught.

How Do Fish Breathe Video

To see some more details about how exactly the oxygen gets into the fish, we watched this video. Children can record all their discoveries on a free experiment worksheet printable here.

I ended all of our projects by praying that God would help us remember how perfect He made His creation and to help us seek wisdom to combat the voices that say it is all just random chance.

More Ideas for Day 5 of the Creation Story for Kids!

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Creation Story for Kids: Day 5 - Birds & Fish - True Aim

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If you look at everything on earth you can see pattern and order. Nothing looks like it was complied through random chance. Take 2 piles of blocks for example. 1 is scattered about, the other looks like a house. Which one was made through random chance?

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This activity allows children to learn what happens when leaves change colors in a hands on way

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Science experiments for kids are big in our home. My kids love them-and so do I. While teaching Kindergarten, I made science experiments a priority. Kids are so naturally curious about the world around them, and science experiments bring this learning fully to life!

This is my ABSOLUTE favorite science experiment of all time-oh yes, I promise it is THAT GOOD!

I even included this science experiment in Kindergarten at Home, my curriculum for children ages 4 to 6. Kindergarten at Home consists of 18 units, each spanning two weeks. This science experiment is part of the unit all about leaves! Your little one will make leaf art, prepare a fresh salad with you in the kitchen, practice their literacy skills through some fun leaf activities, and so much more.
Take a peek inside! Check out Kindergarten at Home right here: https://shop.howweelearn.com/pages/kindergarten-at-home
Why Do Leaves Change Color?

When asked by my eldest daughter at age 3 (don't ask me how many years ago that was!), "Why do leaves change color?" I had no answer.

I looked it up and found it too complicated for a 3-year-old, but I explained the best I could and let it be.

I was in Teacher's College at the time, and wouldn't you know, a few weeks later, we learned about-and did-a science experiment for kids about leaves changing color!

It made things so much clearer that I immediately did the experiment with Madeline. And my future Kindergarten classes. And my future children. Multiple times. Yep, it really is that good!
Before we get started, be sure to download your Free Printable with step-by-step instructions for this fascinating Why Do Leaves Change Color? Science Experiment:
Please keep in mind this is my (limited) understanding, having done the experiment and some research in that class. I'd love to share it with you. So...

The Science Experiment!

Leaves contain chlorophyll. Chlorophyll makes the leaves green and is so dominant that it covers up all the other colors in the leaves. To figure out what color a leaf would be without the dominant chlorophyll color, we can separate the colors by doing this science experiment.

This experiment is very simple, and you likely already have everything you need!

Materials:

three leaves from the same tree

rubbing alcohol

glass jar

plastic baggie or plastic wrap

paper coffee filter

small bowl or pan

spoon

scissors (optional to cut the coffee filter)

elastics (optional to hold the plastic wrap in place)

tape (optional to hold coffee filter in place)

Steps:

1. Have your child break the leaves into tiny pieces and put them in the jar. We decided to try leaves from two different trees to see how the results compare (being careful to keep each pile of leaves separate).

2. Pour rubbing alcohol over the leaves until they are just covered. A feline supervisor is optional, but highly encouraged.

3. Mash and stir the leaves into the rubbing alcohol until the alcohol turns slightly green. Really give it a good mashing-this is key. We used a plastic spoon so we could really mush and poke the leaves without worrying about accidentally breaking the jar.

4. Cover the jar with a baggie or plastic wrap. We used a rubber band to help hold it in place. Place the jar in a bowl and pour hot water into the bowl.

5. Leave the jar in the hot water for at least 30 minutes, occasionally swishing the jar to stir the leaves. The alcohol should be a dark green (leave longer if needed). If you can resist, wait 45 minutes or even an hour. We found the color difference in the rubbing alcohol at this stage interesting! Is the chlorophyll perhaps stronger in the leaves on the right?

6. Cut a strip from the coffee filter so it can reach the rubbing alcohol. Place it in the jar, and secure it with a small piece of tape at the top edge if needed.

7. The liquid will travel up the coffee filter, and the colors will separate as the alcohol evaporates off the coffee filter. Let this happen for about an hour for the full effect.

There was definitely a difference between the two types of leaves we chose! While it was difficult to capture in the photo, we could see a lot of orange-red tones in the coffee filter strip on the left, and more yellow tones in the one on the right. We also noticed that the size of the orange-red tinge in the strip on the left was larger than the yellow tinge in the strip on the right.

And sure enough, the leaves on the left turn an orange-red shade in the fall, and the leaves on the right turn yellow!

So... Why Do Leaves Change Color?

In this science experiment, we used rubbing alcohol and energy (hot water) to separate the colors. You likely saw green and, depending on your leaf type, maybe red, yellow, or orange.

I hope you and your little ones enjoyed this experiment! Science is everywhere, and science experiments for kids are such a wonderful way to build on our children's natural curiosity about the world.

If you're ready for an entire year of Kindergarten activities planned for you-easy peasy and full of fun and wonder-check out Kindergarten at Home!

Your Complete 36-Week Curriculum for 4-6 Year Olds

Thank you so much for reading, my friend,
As we know, chlorophyll gives leaves their green color and is so dominant it hides the other colors in the leaves. But in the fall, chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down, allowing the other colors to finally shine through and show their beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges. https://shop.howweelearn.com/pages/kindergarten-at-home

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Science Experiments for Kids: Why do Leaves Change Color?

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Science experiments for kids are perfect for exploring our natural world! So why do leaves change color? Find out!

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Great activity that lets children use measurement while jumping and being active

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We have have been having fun learning about frogs and the frog life cycle. On a recent day I decided to extend the frog learning with a measurement and gross motor activity... Frog Jump!

To play I marked a starting line with painter's tape on the floor and gathered a frog cut out and a measuring tape.

The kids took turns standing at the line and jumping forward as far as they could. I had my oldest demonstrate how to bend her legs and jump and then we marked the spot where she landed with another piece of tape.

Then they measured how far she jumped with the frog.

Using something other than a ruler to measure an object or distance is called non standard measurement. It's a great way for young kids to begin to understand the concepts of length, width, and height.

After we determined how many "frogs" she jumped we then measured the distance in inches with the tape measure.

They took many turns jumping and measuring and got in lots of gross motor and math practice!

When the floor was covered in tape pieces the kids pretended the pieces were lily pads. They were quite engaged in their pretend play adventure and had lots of fun!

Looking for simple ways to add movement and learning into your day makes it much easier to accomplish! Kids can practice non standard measurement almost anywhere with whatever you have on hand, like sugar packets at a restaurant or crayons in a doctor's office.
More Frog Themed Activities for Preschoolers:
Frog Life Cycle Sensory Bin

Frog Life Cycle Books for Kids

Art Activity for Children: Frog Foot Prints

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Frog Jump: Measurement and Gross Motor Activity

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We have have been having fun learning about frogs and the frog life cycle. On a recent day I decided to extend the frog learning with a measurement and gross motor activity... Frog Jump! To play I marked a starting line with painter's tape on the floor and gathered a frog cut out and a measuring tape.

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I think this activity is genius! I have never thought to use the magnatiles for a measurement activity.

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Author: Beth

Magnetic measurement for the win!

Sometimes the best invitations to play are the ones with the least amount of supplies. With magnetic measurement, we are using toys we already own.

We scoop up our magnetic tiles and set them up with a little mathematical twist. Measurement is an important skill that can be practiced now and have a HUGE impact on later. - bonus, it's fun!

So grab those magnetic tiles, and let's get started with this preschool measurement activity!
RELATED: Curious about where to start? Start here with our Startup Guide to Breakfast Invitations.
We have been doing Breakfast Invitations for over three years now. (How is that possible?!)

To keep children learning, we have to keep play prompts fresh.

Isn't that true for us adults as well? Although I enjoy the same venti green tea at the coffee shop, I also enjoy visiting new coffee shop locations around the area-same drink, different view.

We need to think about how we can use a vertical surface, the floor, the tabletop, and most importantly, incorporate movement into the preschool activities we are implementing.
RELATED: This is the best list of activities for ages 5-7!
For one, children learning under the Common Core Standards directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common to see which object has "more of"/"less of" the object and describe the difference.

Measurement is also the foundation of making comparisons.

Preschoolers can practice measurement by finding faster/slower, taller/shorter, bigger/smaller, lighter/heavier. This preschool measurement activity is focusing on length along with quantity.

The more we measure now, the more we can prepare our preschoolers for collecting data and finding relationships in comparisons down the road.
RELATED: Have Washi tape? We have measurement ideas for that!
According to the Center for Disease Control, childhood obesity is a severe problem in the United States, putting children and adolescents at risk for poor health. Obesity prevalence among children and adolescents is still too high.

Another reason we need to keep our kids active and stimulate learning is hands-on play and practice!
RELATED: Want to build a magnetic wall? I have all the details on how!
First, place your painter's tape at a variety of lengths.

Once your lines are placed, measure out your magnetic tiles to ensure you have enough. - Preschoolers can reuse magnetic tiles for each line if they do not have enough for all three or four lines at one time.

Finally, place a small piece of paper at each line's end for your preschooler or you to write the total amount.

Magnetic measurement supply list
RELATED: Love magnetic tiles? You will also love our list of open-ended toys here.
Days with Grey is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.

Note: I used the delicate painter's tape for hardwood floors.

When will you practice magnetic measurement with your preschooler?

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Author: Beth Sometimes the best invitations to play are the ones with the least amount of supplies. With magnetic measurement, we are using toys we already own. We scoop up our magnetic tiles and set them up with a little mathematical twist.

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This activity is a fun way to identify and sort shapes.

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Make a fun activity for preschoolers and school aged kids with this feed the hungry shape monsters sorting game! So simple to make and great for teaching little ones to recognise, name and sort 2D shapes in a silly, hilarious way!

We made this funny feed the hungry shape monsters sorting game using pieces of old cardboard, some paint and googly eyes! It was lots of silly fun for Miss 4 to sort and match the 2D shapes, naming them as she played.
To make this recycled game you need:
pieces of cardboard

ready-mix paints

googly eyes

glue

scissors

Simply paint the cardboard in as many colours as you like, using one per 2D shape that you wish to create. You could also make them all one colour, or black and white even, for an extra challenge!

We stuck with just 4 basic 2D shapes; circle, square, rectangle and triangle. Once the paint was dry I cut those shapes out and made them different sizes, and the triangles were cut in a variety of forms so that they weren't all identical.

Out of some larger pieces of the same painted card I cut one large shape of each, then a correspondingly shaped hole to represent a mouth.

She helped me add some googly eyes to turn them into hungry shape monsters, ready to gobble up their favourite shapes!

We mixed up all of the shape cards and put them in a little tray, then set out the hungry shape monsters ready to sort through and feed them all! They looked so comical sitting in a row waiting with their mouths wide open.

She loved this shape sorting game and naturally her play led to making up stories for each of the monsters and why they were wanting to eat their shapes. Naming the 2D shapes became part of the play and she used words like "corners" and "sides" while describing them. This is a simple way to say and use 2D shape names with preschoolers and to sort them by sight.

For an extra challenge and the next step on you could add in more unusual shapes such as hexagon, heptagon, octagon and even more! Alternatively, ask them to sort them by the number of sides or corners that they have or even create some 3D and others 2D to mix it up further.

You could also try this using colours, numbers or letters of the alphabet too. It's always great fun to post things and retrieve them again (indeed this seems to be the number 1 most popular activity with preschool aged children) so why not extend it and find many different ways to play!

See all our DIY TOYS and GAMES here for more inspiration!

See our SHAPE ACTIVITIES here

And our PLAYFUL MATHS archives are full to bursting with good ideas to try!

If you liked this idea please consider sharing it! Thank you 🙂

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Feed the Hungry Shape Monsters Sorting Game - The Imagination Tree

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Make a fun activity for preschoolers and school aged kids with this feed the hungry shape monsters sorting game! So simple to make and great for teaching little ones to recognise, name and sort 2D shapes in a silly, hilarious way!

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This activity lets kids use popsicle sticks to create shapes.

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Printable 2D Shapes Building Mats: Popsicle Stick Shapes

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These Printable 2D Shapes Building Mats are a great tool for hands-on learning about 2D shapes and their attributes in your classroom or homeschool room. Just pair them with a set of craft sticks or popsicle sticks and you're ready to build!

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I love this activity. I think the shape buddies are super cute and would be so fun for children to make.

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These adorable shape buddies are a fun way to help early learners work on shape recognition while having fun! This shape craft for preschoolers allows toddler, preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten age kids work on shape matching. They will also work on color recognition at the same time as they complete this shape craft activity. So grab some constrution paper, googly eyes, scissors, and you are ready to try this preschool shape activities and crafts!

Shape Craft for Preschoolers

We love making learning fun with shapes preschool crafts. For toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners helping them to learn important things like shapes, colors, numbers, and letters should be done in a gentle, fun way. This adorable shape craft for preschoolers lets kids make cute little shape characters while learning about common shapes like circle, square, triangle, rectangle, heart, and more. Plus you will love that this shape craft activity for preschool usese simle supplies. We love paper crafts because we don't have to get any fancy supplies!

Shape Craft Activity

Like we mentioned, this craft can be done with a few simple materials you already have at home:

construction paper - white and any colors your child like

scissors

glue or tape

google eyes

Shapes Preschool Crafts

If you have a kindergartner that is working on cutting, they can do the cutting for you. If not, I highly recommend you do the cutting ahead of time as little children are not known for their patience.

To work on shape recognition and color recognition I mad the shape buddie in all one color, but you could certainly mix and match it for a colorful friene. I cut out the following:

Blue Circle - large 4″ circle, 2 small 2″ circle, and 2 extra small 1″ circles

Yellow diamond - large, 2 small, and 2 x- small

Green square - large, 2 small, and 2 x- small

Red triangle - llarge, 2 small, and 2 x- small

Orange trapezoid - large, 2 small, and 2 x- small

Purple octagon - large, 2 small, and 2 x- small

White arms and legs - two 4″ strips for arms and two 6″ strips for legs per shape

Preschool Shape Activities and Crafts

To make the shape man children will find all the matching shapes. They will also fold the white strips back and forth accordina style.

Shape Craft for Toddlers

Children will use tape or stick glue to affix the x-small shape to the shorter arms and then to the body. Next kids will affix the small shapes to the longer legs an also to the main body.

Affix two googly eyes (or one if they are silly shape monsters).

Shape Craft

Use a marker to make a nose and mouth if you like.

Shapes Craft Activity for Preschool

How cute are these shape fitures! Not only will kids get lots of practice identifying, matching, and working with shapes, but they will have fun TOO!

Pasta Crafts

Looking for more fun pasta projects you can make with your colored pasta? Try these

Summer Fun

Looking for more outdoor activities for kids and things to do in the summer? Your toddler, preschool, pre k, kindergarten, and elementary age kids will love these fun ideas to keep them busy all summer long:

Summer Activities for Kids

Fun Summer Activities for Kids

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These adorable shape buddies are a fun way to help early learners work on shape recognition while having fun! This shape craft for preschoolers allows toddler, preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten age kids work on shape matching. They will also work on color recognition at the same time as they complete this shape craft activity.

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Great activity to help children practice counting and number recognition.

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Use hands-on and engaging activities with math manipulatives to reinforce one-to-one correspondence skills. Perfect for number recognition, counting skills, number formation.
Every year I have some students that struggle with one-to-one correspondence. It is difficult to move on to other math subjects before they have mastered this skill, so I developed this pack so that I could focus on their counting skills.

I use these activities with a few students at a time in guided groups so that I can make sure they are getting the most out of the activities. I change out which of the manipulatives I am using to keep them engaged in their learning.

Here is a look at all the activities that I included, I kept them very simple so that students could just focus on counting. I store these in a bin ready to use so that it is just grab and go!

Counting Bears

Bears are always a favorite math manipulative with kindergarten students. I don't know if it's the cuteness or the colors but they love using them! These cards are made so that students can put a bear on each image, and use their finger to trace the number.

Clothespin Counting

This activity will also work on fine motor skills as they count. Clip a clothespin to each circle and count as you go. This is great for slowing down their counting so they are not skipping numbers.

Snap Cube Towers

Who doesn't love building towers? Add a math component to make counting fun for your students. I had our students count as they build, to make sure it matches the number on the card.

Sticker Counting

This was a huge hit with my students! I had pulled it out to work with 1 of our kids, and I soon had a table full of students that also wanted to do it. There is just something about stickers that children love to use! There are two versions included: one with circle outlines and one without. This makes it to differentiate for your students.

Color and Count

This is another recording page that students love to color. It can also be used to track their progress, keep for assessment purposes, or to send home for extra practice.

Link Counting

Students used plastic links to make chains to match the numbers on the card, then they attached the chain to the card by linking it through the hole I made. Another great fine motor activity, along with a fun way to practice one-to-one correspondence!

More one-to-one correspondence

If you are looking to learn more about this skill, or find more activities- take a look at my Counting Principles blog post. I take a deep dive into it! These Pick it! Build it! Write it! activities are another great way to work on counting skills.

You can also learn more about how I run my math centers- I wrote a post about Everything You Need to Know About Math Centers.

Which one of these activities is your favorite? Do your students have a favorite math manipulative? Let me know in the comments!
Need more daily inspiration for your classroom? Make sure you are following me here, on Facebook and on Instagram!

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Use hands-on and engaging activities with math manipulatives to reinforce one-to-one correspondence skills. Perfect for number recognition, counting skills, number formation. Every year I have some students that struggle with one-to-one correspondence. It is difficult to move on to other math subjects before they have mastered this skill, so I developed this pack so that I could focus on their counting skills.

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I love this activity, Its such a simple way to help children become familiar with numbers.

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Author: Susie

Need a little math activity? Try this Post-it Number Line game - it's riot!

What is it about kids and Post-it Notes? Moths to little sticky paper flames is what my kids are. I practically have to keep Post-its under lock and key. So I knew when I brought out this Post-it Number Line activity - it wasn't going to be a tough sell.

Curious how I teach my kids each day? Check out my Playing Preschool Program: 190 days of at-home learning.

What's the "why" here?

I love a good "why". I have to know the reason. I have to know the ins and outs to make something worth my time.

Here's the why for this Post-it Number Line game.

Number lines are a big deal - especially with little learners joining the math game. Number lines are (in a sense) the address to where a number lives. It helps children to visualize the relationship of one number to another (6 is between 5 and 7; 4 is two more than 2).

As children develop in mathematical thinking, using a number line will be a critical part. Number lines help give a visual representation to the abstract nature of addition and subtraction.

The low down on the set-up
And it's easy to start introducing a number line now!
(this list contains affiliate links. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.)
Materials:
I started by rolling out the butcher paper along my wall and adding a big, giant line down the middle.

I measured the Post-it notes quickly to make sure my line could fit 20 numbers on it. Next, I took the Post-its and wrote numbers 1 - 20 on them, and mixed them up.

The goal of this Post-it Number Line

The end goal is for the kids to build their number line out of the mixed up Post-it Notes - to put the numbers back in order.

What's fascinating is watching how children work on this activity - my son (5) was able to remember the number he was on and then move seamlessly to the next number. My daughter (3) needed to recount the numbers each time in order to figure out what came next.

A simple way to add a twist

One easy way to get kids moving is to put the Post-it notes around the room. Hide them in, out, and under everything for little hands to find and put in the right spot.

Get their minds active and their body's active too!
It was exciting for both of them!
It's a fun way to play with math!

Math doesn't have to be rote counting or memorizing numbers from flash cards. Math can be interactive and fun!

It's amazing how much kids can learn from a hands-on activity, where they can really touch the learning.

Post-it number line activity

Making this simple number line activity was the perfect way to help my kids visualize the location / address of each number. They're having fun with this now and years down the road, having background knowledge with the a number line will help them so much.

When will you make this Post-it number line activity?

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Post-It Number Line Math Activity for Preschoolers - Busy Toddler

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Looking for a quick and easy math activity? Try making a Post-it Number line! It's a simple indoor learning activity that kids love doing. A perfect preschool math game from Busy Toddler.

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This is a fun independent activity to help children with counting and number recognition.

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Practice number matching with paper cups! It's a fun, hands-on way to learn numbers and counting. So grab the free printable mats and try this math activity with your kids!

I am always looking for engaging ways to teach my kids math, so we have been doing lots of counting mats. Like this pirate treasure counting mat and this Chicka Chicka Boom Boom counting mat. We also love these math activities for preschoolers!
This post contains affiliate links. That means I make a small commission if you purchase items through a link below. It doesn't cost you any extra, but helps us buy a portion of our activity supplies.
Number Matching with Paper Cups

I really love it when an activity is super simple to set up while being engaging and effective for kids. This activity is exactly that. I even made a circle mat that will make it even easier for you!

No need to trace around a cup over and over again for your matching mat. Just print the mats I made and write dots, numbers, shapes or something else in the circles. That's right. You can use this to work on a variety of concepts!

While doing this activity children will practice counting while learning number recognition and one to one correspondence. These skills are important to laying the foundation for higher math concepts.
Supplies Needed:

1. Print out the mat.

2. Write dots or some other object in each circle.

3. Write numbers on the bottom of the paper cups that will correspond to the numbers represented in each circle.

Now your kids can practice number matching with paper cups too!

These would be perfect for a math center in the classroom too. Just make a few mats and enough cups to go around and children can work on this independently during centers.

Check out these other math activities for preschoolers!
Math Activities Inspired by Popular Children's Books
20 Counting Activities for Preschoolers from The Imagination Tree

Counting Activities from Hands On as We Grow

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Counting and Number Matching with Paper Cups

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This site participates in the Amazon affiliate program which provides a way to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. Practice number matching with paper cups! It's a fun, hands-on way to learn numbers and counting. So grab the free printable mats and try this math activity with your kids!

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I love that this activity helps children learn counting, number recognitions and uses fine motor skills.

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Fine motor math activity for toddlers, preschool aged kids, and kindergarten kids

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This activity allows children to collect data on how shoes stay stay on your feet weather its laces, velcro, zippers, or nothing.

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We focused on graphing this week. We graphed our shoes in different ways and showed how a graph will give the same information horizontally or vertically. We also used link cubes to sort and create a graph based on color and identified which color we had more and less of .

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We focused on graphing this week. We graphed our shoes in different ways and showed how a graph will give the same information horizontally or vertically. We also used link cubes to sort and create a graph based on color and identified which color we had more and less of .

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I love this fruit theme graphing activity. I think its a great way to introduce this concept to preschool age children in a way that would be fun for them.

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The term "graphing" might call to mind some advanced math skills. However, the concept can be introduced early. Graphing activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners give valuable hands-on experience with foundational, real-life concepts. It makes sense because it truly is a lifelong skill! Graphing helps young minds organize, analyze, sort, count, and compare!

Plus, this fun Fruit Themed Graphing Activity Set strengthens fine motor skills. Personally, I am a sucker for activities that can check off so many skills at once! Just print the math worksheet graph and accompanying cube, and get to those graphing objectives for kindergarten!

Free Printable Fruit Picture Graphing Activity Set

Graphing activities allow students to experience collecting and organizing data. You can begin to casually introduce the associated vocabulary: data, organize, coordinate planes, x- and y-axis, line plot, compare, and analyze. The fruit salad-themed set makes this incredibly easy to provide graphing opportunities for them.

Picture graphs give a visual representation of data crucial to understanding the purpose and function of many types of graphs.

Students with prior experience with sorting and organizing manipulatives will find this to be a natural next step. It is not necessarily required for you to teach the terminology of the graphs, but introducing children to the process of graphing will benefit them for life!

This low prep graphing activity is easy to prepare and super beneficial for young learners.

More Graphing Resources:

Take your graphing lessons up a notch!

With these awesome resources in hand, math may just become their favorite subject!
hand2mind Double Sided Floor Graphing Mat, Vinyl Floor Mat for School, Teacher Supplies, Math Manipulatives, Classroom Supplies for Teachers Elementary, Classroom Decor (Single Mat) hand2mind XY Coordinate Grid White Boards for Students, Grid Board for Graphing, Dry Erase Boards, Portable Whiteboard, School Supplies, Classroom Supplies (Pack of 30) Constructive Playthings Write and Wipe Magnetic Graphing Chart for Classroom, Home, or Office
Graphing with Dice in Kindergarten

There are two options for the dice of this graphing game.

You might choose differentiated instruction cubes. They are sturdy and easily interchangeable for many different activities and themes. I have included inserts for the differentiated instruction cubes if you choose to go this route.

If you do not have a differentiated instruction cube, I created a paper version. It is easy to fold and glue/tape together.

This set also includes the number graph for kindergarten. The bottom row of the graph has each of the fruits that could be used with the fruit counters. I included apple, blueberry, strawberry, orange, banana, and grapes.

My daughters loved them so much, I've created multiple free printables with a fruit theme just so we could continue using these counters!

How To Use the Free Printable Graph for Kindergarten

make your own dice for graphing

Print the real objects graph for kindergarten and dice from the download at the end of this post.

You can use the differentiated instruction cube or make your own cube.

If you choose to make your own cube, fold the cube template on the inside lines and tape it into a cube. I find it helpful to put additional tape on the outside of the cube to give the dice a little bit more weight and to last longer.

Then, laminate the graph for durability if desired. If you laminate, you can use dry-erase markers to play over and over without having to print again. I like to laminate and place at the math center for a hands-on math activity all year long. Keep it interesting by changing the theme on the graph to match your lesson plans.

How to Play with the Kindergarten Graphing Worksheet

explore graphing with kindergarteners

Students will roll the cube and place an object on the graph in the corresponding column.

They can continue rolling until one fruit meets the top, or you can specify the number of rolls. For instance, tell students to roll the die 10 times and graph the findings.

For preschoolers, this is also a fantastic activity for reviewing or practicing colors. When the grape is rolled, mark it down then ask what color it is. Repetition is important for children to learn, so any time you can repeat something the better!

Whole Classroom Graphing Idea for Kindergarten

Use this graphing set with your whole class or small groups

This set has everything you will need to engage your class or small group in a larger graphing experiment.

First, print out the dice, labels and kindergarten picture graph worksheet cards.

Place the labels at the top of your pocket chart and then have the kids select their favorite fruit and place it under the correct label.

You can do that with fruit pieces or the fruit cards included in the set. Ensure you have enough copies of the cards for each student in your class.

Then, give each child a turn to roll the cube and graph the result.

How Can Kindergarteners Learn Using Graphs?

Analyzing Data with kindergarteners

ASKING STUDENTS TO ANALYZE THE DATA IS AN IMPORTANT STEP ONCE THE OBJECT GRAPH IS COMPLETE. STUDENTS CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS LIKE:

Which picture was rolled the most?

Which picture was rolled the least?

Were any two pictures rolled the same amount of times?

If you try the activity again, will you get the same results?

More Ways to Explore Graphing

Fine Motor

To encourage more fine motor practice while practicing graphing skills, use child-safe tweezers to place the fruit on the graph.

Tally Marks

When children have mastered the simple graphing techniques, you can increase the challenge by making a tally chart. Students can jot a tally mark for each fruit rolled. When they get to "five across," place the fruit on the graph.

Counter Alternatives

If you don't have fruit counters, use dry erase crayons or markers, colored pompoms, or another colorful manipulative!

Find even more engaging activities in the Life Over C's shop!

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The term "graphing" might call to mind some advanced math skills. However, the concept can be introduced early. Graphing activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners give valuable hands-on experience with foundational, real-life concepts. It makes sense because it truly is a lifelong skill! Graphing helps young minds organize, analyze, sort, count, and compare!

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This activity helps teach children the concept of collecting data by making a chart of pictures of objects that are hot or cold.

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Sorting is an essential skill that students need to learn in their early education years. With this set of science sorting mats, students can sort 16 different objects by hot and cold.
What is included?

2 sorting mats

8 sorting pieces per mat (with and without words)

How do I use this in my classroom?
I print on white cardstock, laminate, cut out and add Velcro. During center time or during "free" time, these sorting mats are readily available for students to work on. Depending on ability level, I give the student both sorting mats to work on at once.

You can also use the sorting mats to create a file folder activity or game.
Connect with me:
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Thanks for Looking and Happy Teaching!

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Hot and Cold Sorting Mats [2 mats included] | Hold and Cold Activity

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Sorting is an essential skill that students need to learn in their early education years. With this set of science sorting mats, students can sort 16 different objects by hot and cold. What is included? 2 sorting mats 8 sorting pieces per mat (with and without words) How do I use this in my classroom?

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This activity allows children to see how many letters are in their name. This helps build the concept of collecting data.

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Hi, friends! It's hard to believe that school is just around the corner! With the beginning of the school year comes practicing our name in many forms and using it to complete a number of name activities. Since our name is likely the first word we learn how to read and write, it is not surprising that research supports reinforcing letter and sound recognition through the context of our own name. Let's think about that for a minute... Kids learn best when they are able to relate and connect to the activity, experience, or material at hand. Therefore, it seems only natural to begin learning about letters and sounds using a variety of name activities.
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Each year, I like to kick off our name unit with the story Chrysanthemum. The purpose of reading this story is twofold. One, I like to draw on the length of Chrysanthemum's name; and two, I like to use the events in the story to help convey the importance of using kind words, as well as to discuss the significance of being "absolutely perfect" in our own unique way. As you may know, Chrysanthemum is a delightful young lady who is very eager to go to school for the first time...only to find herself feeling "absolutely dreadful" each time her classmates make fun of her name.

Before reading the story, I show the students a large paper heart. I tell them that this is Chrysanthemum's heart and she is so happy to go to school. We build a little prior knowledge by discussing our feelings on the first day of school. We talk about how some of us were excited, nervous, afraid, etc. As I read the story, I crumple the heart each time one of Chrysanthemum's classmates says something unkind. Eventually, the heart looks nothing like a heart at all. Each time I crumple the heart more, the students shriek out with concern for Chrysanthemum. They begin to see that these unkind words are hurting Chrysanthemum's feelings... her heart.

As the story continues to unfold and Mrs. Twinkle tells about her own long name, I begin to slowly uncrumple the heart. By the end of the story, the heart is completely uncrumpled. However, it is still wrinkled. These wrinkles show the scars that are left behind from all of the unkind words that were spoken to Chrysanthemum. This simple activity really helps the students realize the lasting effects of the words we speak... Even though we may forget what people have said to us, we will never forget how they made us feel!

On the second day of our name unit, we reread Chrysanthemum... this time to focus on her incredibly long name. I write her name so that it takes up the entire board. The students can hardly believe how long her name really is! Of course someone always exclaims, "It scarcely fits on her name tag!"

To better compare our names to Chrysanthemum's, we make a name graph using each individual letter in our name. I create the chart ahead of time so that the columns are spaced two inches apart. Then, as a class we add Chrysanthemum's name to the top and count the letters in her name. At this point, I pass out name strips to each student. They choose their favorite color to trace each letter in their name. I like to use Crayola Fine Line markers for tracing these. Next, the students will cut apart their name strips into individual letters. We glue these letters on to our chart, and discuss the lengths of each. This graph provides a great visual reference for comparing our names. Plus, we can easily count how many more or how many less letters than a particular name.

On the third day, we use linking cubes to create a "name train." These trains are also a great visual representation of the length of our name. We can easily compare name trains to see whose name is longer or shorter.

I like to start by creating a name train for Chrysanthemum. The students help me count out the number of cubes. Then, I write Chrysanthemum's name on the name train using a dry erase marker. I write my name on a separate name train. We compare the length of my name to Chrysanthemum's much longer name.

Then, the students get to work making their own name trains and comparing them to a friend's name. These trains make it easy for the students to count how many more or how many less letters their name might have as compared to Chrysanthemum's or a friend's.

On the fourth day, we begin taking a look at the actual letters in our name. We start by comparing them to the letters in Chrysanthemum's name. Are there any letters the same? If so, which ones? I start by projecting a copy of the Venn diagram on the board. Usually, I'll fill in the diagram using the letters from my own name first. Any letters that are the same go in the middle. Any letters that are just in my name go in the "My Name" circle. Any letters that are just in Chrysanthemum's name go in her circle.

On the fifth day, we end our Chrysanthemum activities with this cute, little craftivity! We discuss what makes us special, or unique... and then we get to work practicing our fine motor skills!

This does not conclude our name activities! Stay tuned for the sequel post, or check them out below!

Plus, you can find more name activities on my "Name Activities" board on Pinterest.

Now, hop on over to read about these great books!

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Hi, friends! It's hard to believe that school is just around the corner! With the beginning of the school year comes practicing our name in many forms and using it to complete a number of name activities.

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This is a great activity to help children build on the concept of patterns.

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As I mentioned earlier this week, teaching kids to explore, recognize and use patterns is an essential part of math education. While students will eventually learn to recognize patterns with numbers and tables and graphs, it's important to start early with basic shapes and colors! And as I've mentioned before, what's more fun than learning math with Skittles? 🙂 My kids had so much fun with these Skittles Pattern Cards, and even got busy coming up with their own patterns after they finished each of these!
*Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure policy here.*
Materials Needed for Skittles Pattern Cards:

Printed cards (cut apart and laminated )

A variety of Skittles candies (although if you're looking for a sugar free option, these pom poms would work great as well! 😉 )

To Use Skittles Pattern Cards:

Simply distribute the pattern cards and place a handful of Skittles on the table. Then let the kids discuss the patterns they see and complete the cards!

Be sure to engage them in discussions while they work, and ask questions like, "What made you put an orange skittle next?" or "How do you know that is the correct pattern?"

Once they've completed the pattern cards, have them come up with their own pattern and challenge each other to add the next 3 or 4 Skittles . See if they can make a pattern with all 5 colors, or who can make the longest chain without messing up or skipping something.

Included in this download are 12 different pattern cards, which consist of the following patterns:

But once your kids have mastered these cards and patterns, let their imagination go wild and encourage them to create more complex patterns! Or if these seem too easy, come up with a more challenging pattern and see if they can add the next 3-4 Skittles .
*This set of pattern cards has been updated and included in my huge Skittles Hands On Math Bundle! Get the entire set of Skittles Math activities for grades PreK-1st for just $3!*
You might also like this set of 3D Shapes cards that include pattern cards, as well as several other game ideas for learning and exploring 3D shapes!

What are some of your favorite ways to work on pattern recognition? The possibilities are endless!

Want more fun math with Skittles? Try one of these ideas:

Want access to exclusive FREE resources that I don't share on the blog? Subscribe to my FREE e-mail newsletter! 🙂

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Creating Patterns With Skittles {FREE Printable!}

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As I mentioned earlier this week, teaching kids to explore, recognize and use patterns is an essential part of math education. While students will eventually learn to recognize patterns with numbers and tables and graphs, it's important to start early with basic shapes and colors!

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I love these counting bears and so do my pre-schoolers. They can be used for many activities but creating patterns is really fun.

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Do you have a set of bear counters? Even if you don't, you can use these 25 free pattern strips with your preschooler!

We've been doing a lot of math with our counting bears to go along with our exploration of the Letter B. Today I'm sharing a set of free printable bear pattern strips. My Four couldn't resist!

Bear counter pattern strips for preschoolers

Last week I printed a set of free bear counter pattern strips that I found on Teachers Pay Teachers. As it turned out, most of the set was too challenging for my Four, and he quickly became frustrated. So I made my own!

I made five strips for each pattern. This way my Four would gain comfort and confidence with each pattern. I started with the simplest: ABAB.

AABBAABB was pretty easy as well.

AABAAB made him think a little bit more.

Here's a set of ABBABB strips.

Finally, I created a set of ABCABC cards.

When he heard that I had more pattern strips for him, my Four's first response was, "I'm not doing those!" But when he saw that I had cut them apart, laminated each strip, and put them on a metal ring, he was intrigued.

"Do you want to take these in the car on the way to pick your sister?"

"Okay!"

It was so fun to hear his high little voice from the back seat. "Red, yellow, red, yellow, red, yellow, RED!" And "BLUE green green, BLUE green green, BLUE!"

I was satisfied with my Four's pattern practice in the van and decided not to push it by asking him to do the strips again for a picture ;). My oldest son, however, was happy to oblige after he returned home from his first morning at kindergarten.

If you don't have counting bears, no problem! The last page of the printable has some bears you can cut out to use for completing the patterns.

You'll love this fun no-print activity!

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Bear counter pattern strips for preschoolers

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This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Do you have a set of bear counters? Even if you don't, you can use these 25 free pattern strips with your preschooler! We've been doing a lot of math with our counting bears to go along with our exploration of the Letter B.

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These animal block pattern activities are fun for children that allows children to use geometric blocks to create animals.

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Hey there! I have a fun little activity for you today. If you are a fan of pattern blocks, I have a new set for you: Farm Animal Pattern Block Cards. These pattern block cards are so cute and great for any farm themed lesson you may have planned!

We have done a lot of different pattern block cards here over the years. This week with our community helpers theme, I wanted to create some more farm content. We are so grateful to our farmers who are keeping us fed!

I made these ones a little different than my last sets. I made them smaller as cards instead of full page. There are a few reasons I did this. This allows it to be easier and less expensive for printing purposes, and uses a lot less paper. I also like the idea of kids building free-hand.

What Included in the Farm Animal Pattern Block Cards:

These cards include 10 different animals:

The cards come in three styles: full color, black and white with shapes as well as black and white without the shapes- just the outline. These give you options for different levels of learning as well as utilizing the different printer options. I know not everyone has a color printer!

Want to Purchase the Farm Pattern Block Cards?

These are available to purchase in my shop:
For another fun Farm Learning Activity, check out my Farm Word Spelling Mats.
See More of My Pattern Block Activities:
Easter Pattern Block Mats St. Patrick's Day Pattern Block Mats Christmas Pattern Block Templates New Year Pattern Block Mats

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Hey there! I have a fun little activity for you today. If you are a fan of pattern blocks, I have a new set for you: Farm Animal Pattern Block Cards. These pattern block cards are so cute and great for any farm themed lesson you may have planned!

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This is a great way to start teaching children addition and subtraction.

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Are you looking for a hands-on way to practice addition and subtraction skills? These insect addition and subtraction mats are a ton of fun. Add them to your math lessons for hands-on learning and practice.

Insect Addition and Subtraction Mats

If you need a way to make working on addition and subtraction skills fun for your kindergarten and first grade students, these insect addition and subtraction mats are for you!

These mats are no-prep and allow students to roll, show, and write to solve addition and subtraction problems. This will engage every area of their brain as they learn in an active way that feels like a game!

This is the perfect activity to include in math centers, small groups, or as an independent learning activity for your students. Your students can even pair up and solve together!

As they complete the activity, they'll practice building the equation, modeling it with manipulatives or drawings, and writing the complete equation with the answer. This activity touches on several math skills from number identification to addition and subtraction skills and problem-solving.

There are 2 addition mats and 2 subtraction mats included. Each skill has a butterfly-themed mat and a ladybug-themed mat.

No Prep Activity Mats

These insect addition and subtraction mats are so easy to get ready for your students. There is no prep required for these mats. All you need to do is simply print them and slide them into a write-and-wipe pocket or laminate them for durability.

This will be a huge time-saver for you, especially during the busy weeks at the end of the school year.

Setting Up the Insect Addition and Subtraction Mats
Supplies Needed: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Instructions:

1. Print the mats.

2. Slide the mats into write and wipe pockets OR laminate them.

3. Gather dice, manipulatives, and dry-erase markers.

4. Store the entire activity in a colorful tray or large zipper baggie.

Practicing With the Insect Addition and Subtraction Mats

When using the insect addition and subtraction mats, there are a few key things to keep in mind depending on if you are practicing with the addition mats or the subtraction mats.
How to Use the Mats for Addition
Students will roll two dice and place them in the top spots on the mat.

Next, they'll place the corresponding number of manipulatives (plastic counting cubes, buttons, pom poms, mini erasers, etc) on each side of the insect.

Lastly, they'll use their dry-erase marker to write the equation at the bottom of the mat.

Example: The student rolls a 4 and a 6. They'll place them in the boxes at the top of the mat. Then they'll put 4 buttons on the left wing and 6 buttons on the right wing. They'll add up all the buttons and write the equation at the bottom.
How to Use the Mats for Subtraction
Students will roll two dice and place the biggest number on the first spot at the top of the mat and the smaller number on the second spot.

Next, they'll put manipulatives on the mat to represent the larger number rolled.

Students will remove the manipulatives on the mat to represent the smaller number rolled.

Lastly, they'll use their dry-erase marker to write the equation at the bottom of the mat.

Example: The student rolls a 5 and a 3. They'll place the 5 in the first box and the 3 in the second one. They'll put 5 buttons on the butterfly and remove 3 of them. How many are left? They'll solve and write the equation at the bottom of the mat.

Ideas for Differentiation

These addition and subtraction roll it, show it, write it mats can be differentiated to meet the needs of all your math students. If your students are struggling with a particular skill, either addition or subtraction, you can have them work only with those mats.

Additionally, you can differentiate the numbers used by making your own dice. You can do this easily by using foam cubes and a permanent marker. Simply write the numbers you'd like them to work with on the cubes. This allows you to work on equations within 10 or within 20 if you'd like.

If you don't have manipulatives on hand, students can simply draw a picture with their dry-erase marker to represent the math problem.

This activity can be used as a mini lesson partner game, small group activity, math center activity, or even independent practice. Your students can also practice with these mats during morning work or as an early finisher activity. There are so many ways to use these no prep math mats.

Since you can simply wipe them off, you can always be prepared for addition and subtraction fun anytime of day.

I hope your students have fun practicing their addition and subtraction skills as they roll, show, and write each math problem with these insect addition and subtraction mats. This is the perfect hands-on way to practice these skills at the end of the year!

To check out more engaging addition and subtraction activities, click here!
Click the button below to grab your free copy of the Insect Addition and Subtraction Mats.
Here are some more insect activities to check out!
Ladybug Cover Up Alphabet and Letter Sounds Mats Butterfly Cover Up Alphabet and Letter Sounds Mats Bug Jar Addition and Subtraction Mats Editable Insect Theme Four in a Row Game Insect Theme Math and Literacy Printables Insect Count and Cover Mats

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Free Printable Insect Addition and Subtraction Mats

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Are you looking for a hands-on way to practice addition and subtraction skills? These insect addition and subtraction mats are a ton of fun. Add them to your math lessons for hands-on learning and practice. If you need a way to make working on addition and subtraction skills fun for your kindergarten and first grade students, these insect addition and subtraction mats are for you!