Math for the Young

8/7/2019 Math for the Young

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\ilk Lid Ma

You will be surprised at the varietyof math activities that can be achievedutilizing this free manipulative.


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M ilk L id M athStart saving those milk jug lids because there are countless math activities that youcan do in your classroom using this free manipulative. Here are just a few ideas.

1) Sort the lids by various attributes such as:a) Colorb) Snap-on or Twist-onc) Label or No Labeld) Kind of edge (smooth or rough)

2) Make a pattern using two different colors of lids.a) Identify the pattern using letters of the alphabet or numbers. The pattern below would

be an A, A, B pattern or e I, 1, 2 pattern.000000red red blue red Ted blue

b) Now ask the students to use more than two colors to make a pattern.c) Once more, have the students identify the pattern using alphabet letters or numbers.

3) Let the students grab one handful oflids.a) Ask the students to count the lids.b) See if the students can write that number.

4) On file cards draw the symbol> on one side and a = on the opposite side. Give cne file cardto each student. Now have the students grab two handfuls of lids and piace them intotwopiles on their desk. Have the students count the lids in each pile and compare the twonumbers,

a) Which is more?b) Which is less?c) Have the students correctly place the> file card between the two piles of milk lids.

(The card becomes


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5) Using lids of the same color, ask the students to count out six lids. Have the studentsorganize the lids into two separate sets.

a) How many different sets can be made using just six lids?b) Ask the students to record the different combinations on paper.c) To practice a variety of fact families, repeat this activity using a different number of

lids.6) Ask the students to estimate the number oflids it would take to go across their desk top if the

lids were laid out flat end-to-end.a) Now have the students find the actual number by positioning the lids flat on their

desk end-to-end.b) Find other objects in the room to measure with the lids.c) Remember to have the students estimate first!

7) Work on the concept of fractions using the milk lids.a) What fractional part of these four lids is blue?b) What fractional part of these four lids is not blue?

0000 0000blue Fed green green blue blue blue red

0000 0000blue blue red red blue blue blue blue

8) Probability - Place two blue lids, one green lid, and one red lid into a paper sack. Have thestudents predict which color the teacher will get when s/he pulls one lid from the bag withoutlooking. Now actually remove a lid from the bag. Ask the students, "Was your predictioncorrect?"Put the lid back into the bag, and have the students make a second prediction. Removeanother lid, and again ask, "'\".vasyour prediction right?" Ask the students to elaborate onwhy they believe their prediction was right or wrong.

a) Repeat this activity at least ten times to arrive at a conclusion.b) Divide the students into groups of two to carry out this activity. Have each pair

record their results.c) Compare the results of each group to arrive at a whole class conclusion.d) Change the number of lids as well as the colors placed in. the sack. Repeat the

activity.e) Introduce ratios. What ratio of the lids is blue? Green? Red?

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9) With a permanent marker, write the numerals 0-9 as well as the signs of the four mathoperations on the inside of 14 lids. Make sure the lids are all the same color.

a) Ask the students to arrange the lids from greatest to least or least to greatest.b) Arrange the lids to make equations such as: 4 + 3 = 7, 5 - 2 = 3c) Tum all of the number lids over so the numbers cannot be seen. Select two lids and

flip them over. Decide which number is greater and which number is less. Practiceusing the symbols < and > .

d) Tum over all of the number lids so the numbers cannot be seen. Pick one lid, tum itover, and identify what number comes before and after the number on the lid.

e) Tum all of the number lids upside down so the numbers cannot be seen. Select twolids, turn them over, and name what number comes between these two numbers.

f) Tum all of the number lids upside down so the numbers are hidden. Select one lid,tum it over, and then identify the number that is one more or one less than thatnumber.

g) Flip all of the number lids over so the numbers are out of sight. Choose one lid, tumit over, and decide if that number is even or odd.h) Turn all of the number lids upside down so the numbers are hidden. Pick out one lid,turn it over, and then write the number word.

i) Flip over all of the number lids so the numbers are not showing. Choose one lid andturn it over. Try to count backwards from that number.

j) Place all of the lids upside down so the numbers cannot be seen. Choose one lid, turnit over, and skip count by that number as far as you can by that number.

10) Decide on a money value for each color of lid. (Example: Red lids are worth a nickel, blue lidsare worth a dime, and white lids are worth a penny.) Put all of the lids into a bag and have thestudents draw out four lids. Have the students add up the total value of these four lids.a) Use play money (coins) to have the students show the value of the lids.

b) Have the students practice writing money as either a part of a dollar or as cents.c) Another idea is to have the students find all the combinations of lids that would

equal a nickel or a dime or a quarter.11) Using gram weights and a balance scale, weigh one lid.

a) Find out if the mass is different for different colored lids.b) Find the mass of five lids, ten lids, etc.

12)Since the lids are circles, measure the diameter of the lid.a) If you know the diameter, what is the radius of the lid?b) Find the area of the lid.e) Find the circumference of the lid.

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13) Estimate how far a milk lid can roll across the floor.a) Do this investigation five times and determine the average length of the five rolls.b) Practice using the metric system as well as the English system of measurement.

14) Use the lids to make a bar graph.

ooo o 88R e d Green Blue

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Note~T his u nit is m ea nt fo r c hild re n o ve r th e a ge o f fo ur. M os t a ctiv itie s re qu ire c lo se a du lt s up erv is io n.

A r tButton CollageS up ply th e c hild re n w ith b utto ns , c on stru ctio n p ap er a nd ta ck y g lu e a nd le t th em m ak e b utto n c olla ge s.

Buttons onSocksH ave the child ren c reate a soc k pu ppet b y plating buttons on a colorful soc k with t ac ky g lu e.

Button BraceletP la ce a p ie ce o f m as kin g ta pe a ro un d the child's wrist, sticky side ou t, an d lo ose eno ugh to be c om fo rta ble . L et th e c hlld p la ce

b uttons on the tape.

Button Picture FrameY ou w ill n ee d si x popsicle sticks, ta cky glue, butto ns, tw o sm all m agnets, c onstruc tion pa per and a picture of th e ch ild. T hen yo u m ake a fram e w ith four popsic le sticks. Lay tw o stick paralle l to one another (s tick 1 and 2) then com ple te the from w ith sticks 3 'and 4. Then to make the pic ture stay In you w ill need to add stick 5 and 6 on the top and bottom of the fram e. So you have sticks 3 I

. and 4 (the sides) w ith a s tick on the top In front, top in ba ck, bottom in front and bottom in back. F ollow ? C onn ect thes e stick s w ith.\ glue. W hen dry ha ve the children dec orate thes e s ticks w ith paint. L et th at dry. T he n let tile ch ildren glue buttons o n the fram e. Let.that dry. C ut a piece of paper to fit the back of the fram e. G lue that on. C Ut the picture to fit in the fram e, and insert the pic ture.Then glue the m agnets at the top and bottom of the back of the fram e. V iola . . an aw esom e gift.

Button PrintsU se tacky glue to attach a variety o f buttons to th e bottom of em pty film canisters . W hen dry, show th e c hildren how to use these !a s s ta m ps .Y ou can us e p ain t or non-toxic ink pads .

Button Necldace or BraceletS up ply th ec hild re n w ith s trin g a nd b utto ns to m ak e a n ec kla ce o r b ra ce le t.

Button Balloons\ S up ply th e c hild re n wi th buttons, blue co nstruc tion paper and tac ky glue. Le t the m glue a few b uttons on their paper. A sk them to :tum the buttons into balloons by adding string. .

Button BugsS up ply th e c hild re n w ith b utto ns , c on stru ctio n p ap er a nd tacky glue. Let them glue a few buttons on their paper. T hey can turnth es e b utto ns in to m an y d iffe re nt b ug s b y d ra win g le gs , w in gs a nd a nte nn ae .

Button FlowersS up ply th e c hild re n w ith b utto ns , g re en c on stru ctio n p ap er a nd ta ck y g lu e. let them glue a few buttons QrI thelr parer. H av e th echildren turn the button s into flow ers by dra wing ste ms a nd le aves on the bu ttons.

Button HeadbandsM ea sure yo ur c hild 's head, an d cut a pie ce of constru ction p aper lo ng eno ugh to c reate a he adband . G lue the pape r together 50 th e: headband fits s nu gly o n y ou r c llild 's h ea d b ut is lo os e e no ug h to tak e o ff eas ily. Let the child glu e bu ttons on the he adband w itht ac ky g lu e. Be s ure th e g lu e is c om ple te ly d ry b efo re w ea rin g.

Button RubbingsG lue s om e button s onto card stock w ith tacky g lue. A fter the glu e has dried, have the childre n pla ce this pape r und er th eir pap erand tub over It w ith a crayon.

--- ... ---.-. ---


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Sticker ArtFo r a ve ry sim ple art p ro je ct, su pp ly the child re n w ith 11 pie ce o f p ape r a nd bu tton stickers. Fo r y oun ger ch ildre n this provid es a ne xc e lle n t f in e m o to r a ct iv it y.

I Tom Paper Clothes, H ave the children tear pieces of paper to form a shirt and glue them onto 11 piece of paper. Then have the children glue buttons on .: the shirt.

Button and Yam ArtH ave the children glue som e buttons onto card stock w ith tacky glue. After the glue is dry, supply the children w ith yam toin te rtw in e a ro un d th e b utto ns to fo rm a n in te re stin g sh ap e. (K in d of like a sp id er w eb .)

Buttons and Play DohSupply the children with b utto ns an d p la y do h.

G am es, M ath and S cienceWho Stole the Button ChantO ass: W ho sto le the B utton from the Button Jar?

T ea ch er: (A nn ) sto le the B utton from th e B utton Ja r?Ann: W ho m e?C la ss : Y es y ou !A n n: C o ul dn 't be!oass: T he n w ho ?A nn: (Tom my) sto le the button from the button jar?Tom my: W ho m e?C la ss ; Y es y ou !

T om m y: C o uld n't be !O ass : T he n w ho ? [R ep ea t]

Button SortH av e th e ch ild re n s ort th e b utto ns by s iz e o r c olo r.

Basket GameS up ply the child ren w ith five b aske ts a nd bu tton s. P lace a p ie ce of paper w ith a num ber on it in each basket and instruct th echildren to p la ce th at m an y bu tto ns in th e b aske t. If th e ba ske t sa ys "5" p la ce five b utto ns In the b asket

ButtonBalanceS up ply th e. c hild re n w ith p la stic b utto ns a nd . a b ala nce to p la y w ith .

Buttons in the sand and Water TableS upp ly the child re n w ith h und re ds of b utto ns in the sa nd an d w ate r ta ble.

: What is in the Egg?; Place diffe re nt n um be r o f b utto ns in sid e plastic eg gs. H ave the ch ildren sh ake the e gg s an d tr y to guess how m any are inside. O pen

up the eggs

Mystery CanSend a large coffee can hom e w ith a child . S end a letter w ith the can sim ilar to th is:D e a r p a re n ts :

This m onth w e are going to be p la yin g a g am e c alle d "M yste ry can" 1 am sending the can hom e w ith your child. P lease help youri c h il d f in d s om e th in g to place inside the can that had buttons on it and retum it tomorrow with three dues written on a piece ofp ap er. T he ch ild re n w ill try to g ue ss w ha t it is and the first p erso n to gu ess co rre ctly w ill ta ke ho me th e can .

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SAME AND DIFFERENTC opy and cut apart a se t o f Sam e and D iffe ren t C ards(pages 7-8). L am in ate th e c ard s fo r d ura bility . H a vec hild re n s tu dy e ac h c ard a nd id en tify th e b utto n th atdoes not be long in each group. Encourage them toe xp la in th eir a ns we r (v erb ally o r in w ritin g) a nd d es crib ehow the rest o f the buttons are sim ila r. To m ake thea ctiv ity s elf-c orre ctin g, m ak e tw o c op ie s o f th e b utto nca rd s, circ le the d ifferen t b utton o n o ne se t, p air a b la nkb utton se t w ith a n an sw er s et, an d lam ina te the m, b ac kstogether .

.~Uaj"i]aG iv e e ac h c hild a s ma ll p la stic tu b o f v ario us b utto ns .In vite child ren to so rt th e bu tto ns in a ny w ay tha t m ake sse ns e t o the m. T he n, ha ve th em d escrib e th eir gro up sto you , an d ch eck th e gro up s fo r con sis te nc y (e .g., ifthey have sorted by shape, be sure tha t all the buttons inth e c irc le g ro up a re c irc le s). R na lly , ta ke a p ho to o f th eirg ro up s, an d ha ve the m d ictate or w rite a d es crip tio n o fthe ir g ro up s, or in vite the clas s to id entify the rule. P ostth e ph oto s w ith th e d esc rip tion s o n a b ulle tin b oa rdtitled What's My Rule?

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.- ,, - BUTTON ATTRIBUTESC opy the Venn D iagram (page 9) on an overheadtra nspa ren cy, an d m ake a cop y for ea ch p air o f ch ildre n.G ive e ach pa ir a h an dful of b utton s a nd a V enn D ia gram .D is pla y th e tra ns pa re nc y, a nd la be l e ac h c irc le w ith a n ,a ttr ibu te. M ode l how to use the d iagram by p lacingb utto ns th at h av e e ac h a ttrib ute in th e a pp ro pria te c irc le .P la ce b utto ns th at h av e b oth a ttrib ute s in th e in te rs ec tio no f the tw o circles . T hen , ha ve pa irs take tu rns placingone of the ir buttons in the correct section o f thediagram.


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Bu ttons , Bu ttons

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Same and Different Cards

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We see 1 circle button.

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We see 1 circle button.

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We see 2 square buttons.

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We see 2 square buttons.

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We see 3 rectangle buttons.00

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We see 3 rectangle buttons.

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We See 4 triangle buttons.

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We see 4 triangle buttons.


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We see 5 oval buttons.

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We see shape buttons!

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1262. Button UnitPresentation on Buttons For Math Integrated Unit - Primary Grades --by Paulie Schenkelberg1. Corduroy by Don Freeman (Read to class first.) ISBN 0 14050.173 8Synopsis: A stuffed bear waits hopefully in a department store for someone to buy him. A littlegirl and her Mom pass by him and Mom says she will not buy the bear for her daughter becausehe has a button missing. Later, the girl returns with her own money and buys him, takes himhome and sews a new button on him. She tells him she likes him "just the way he is but he will.be more comfortable with his shoulder strap fastened." (This introduces the children to topic ofbuttons.)2. Chart with kids: (make laminated chart with these words and it can be reused.)"What do you know about buttons?"It What would you like to know? "When finished with unit , you can add:It What we learned."3. Sort animal buttons (bought at Lakeshore Learning Store - 2 pkgs, "Animal face Buttons byRoylco): by type of animals only to get students familiar with sorting. Don't worry about anyother attribute. Make a "real graph" (using the actual pieces) with a partner. (K) Then make agraph using an X in each row - row-using, make an X and place animal back in container.Compare graphs with other buddy groups in room by teacher asking questions such as, Who hasthe most (insert animal name) of all? or Who has an even amount of animals on theirgraph? or (name of student) How many more than do you have? orAdd the and the and tell me what you get.4. Read Buttons, Buttons by CTP --written by Rozanne Lanczak Williams ISBN 0-916119-31-9(This introduces attributes.)5. * Read from Frog and Toad Are Friends, "The Lost Button." ISBN 0-06-444020-6(also have a tape that could be used or used later in listening center with buttons for activity.)* Flannel board with K each time they found a button. Use felt buttons of attribute in story.*With 1st and 2nd, you could actually have the types of buttons that they found and Toad's realbutton. Have each pair of students locate the button talked about in the story.-you could ask for sequence of events and list


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- you could ask if there is a pattem in sequence when looking for lost button. (every other buttonfound, is found by Frog.) ... skip counting-compare the ones found and the attributes for Toad's missing button.

6. Could decorate Toad's coat FOR ART PROJECT (enlarge pictures of Frog and Toad --Literature Notes - Frank Schaefer publications ISBN 0-86734-2 I2-9 ) with found buttons for giftto Frog.black - 2 holes - big - square - thin - K could be given laminated paper buttons with Velcro onback and could stick to Velcro places on Frog's new jacket OR older students could locate abutton that is from the button can that fits each description.7. Now that students are familiar with attributes: (You will have to get your own sets of buttonsthat are like my heart buttons.)

Heart button activity. (black and white hearts, up to 4 sizes of heart buttons and flat and beveledfronts) If you want to go to extremes, you could sort them by the round or squareness of hole onback of hearts. (One team of teachers did at math Institute.) Spokesman from each groupsexplains how they made their groups. (Many correct answers)8. Choose a button and write about it on the frog and toad paper. (This is a xeroxed copy of apicture of Toad and Frog with lined paper from the Frank Schaffer publication listed above.)9. Add button to seal button groups by drawing. The seal xerox has different groupings ofbuttons balanced on their noses (by holes, and other attributes.) This is a picture of sealsbalancing buttons of a certain attribute on their noses - you add more. Sorry, but I can'tremember where I got this from. A teacher could easily make up herlhis own.)10. Guess the number of buttons on my sweatshirt for a prize. I have a sweatshirt with yohossewed on it and a button in the center of each arranged in the shape of a big heart. Itwas too hotto wear in July when I did this presentation so I hung it up and told them to take note of it atbeginning of class. Then I removed it from their sight and let them guess how many buttons foran estimation jar prize full ofbuttons! Even if they happened to count all the yohos, one buttonwas missing so it gave them a challenge because it was displayed for so short a time.11. The Frank Schaffer publication listed above also provides activities to do with buttons forfirst or second graders: There is a template of Frog and Toad writing paper and you could domany things using it. Another one has you complete the sentence to describe the button you havein your hand given you by the teacher. Another is a template to write a friendly letter - could bethank you letters pretending you are Toad.12. There is a book called The Button Box by Margarette S. Reid ISBN 0-14-055495-5 ~Goodtie in with Literature and math. The last page has the story of buttons so ties in with SocialStudieslHistory also.

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13. Read Monster Math Picnic by Grace Maccarone ISBN 0-590-37127-4 Use the idea of thestory for addition and subtraction problems - use buttons to represent the monsters.14. Play the game of "NIM" using buttons. I used 9 large flat buttons for the game I made incollege. These are the directions for the game - print them out and add 9 buttons in an envelopeand you have a good game for 2 people. Kids could make their own and have to play (with aneighbor) in a baggie in their desks when they are finished with their work and have "nothing todo."NIMFor 2 players.Set up this activity in the following way: Put 9 buttons in 4 rows -- 3 in each of the two bottomrows and 2 in the second row and 1 in the top row. Itwill look like this:

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Take turns removing (by sliding) buttons using these rules:*You may take buttons from one row only during each turn and that row may not be on thediagonal."You may take all or part of a row but you must take at least one button during your turn.*The player that takes the last button is the winner.*All buttons must be taken by sliding them away - you cannot take the center button ifthere arebuttons surrounding it.See if you can develop a strategy for winning every time.15. Place value Game:This is another game I devised in college. You will need cardboard that is about a foot square --at least two but if for whole center to use, you would want to make 5 Place Value boards. Usemarking pen to divide them into three sections vertically. About one inch from the top draw aline across each board. It is in this space at the top, you wil l glue one button representing eachamong: ones, tens, and hundreds In my activity, I used a small purple button for the ones, amedium pink button for the tens and a large blue button for the hundreds. I also have a container


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that has many more of each ot these sizes and colors of buttons in three compartments. I have 4activities for this garneboard - one for each of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing.BUT, this can be used for which ever the student is studying. I cal the boards "chip tradingboards." The first one is for addition and I will explain it. The rest of the math activities can beplayed in a similar fashion depending on whether you are adding, subtracting, multiplying ordividing.Addition game:Use a spinner - spin two times and add the two numbers. Take that many points represented bybuttons from the container and place in appropriate place on chip trading board. If you spin atotal of 9 or less for your first tum, take that many buttons and place them on the chip tradingboard in the ones column. It is then the 2nd person's tum. Let's pretend that they spin 12 total.They get 12 ones but they can trade it in for one ten and two ones. When they have opportunitiesto trade buttons in for a higher button they get another tum. So player number two takes anotherturn. Lets say they got a total of7. They look at their board and see what they have: 2 +7 in theones column makes only 9 so they cannot trade any more. Their tum is over. Back to player oneand the play continues with each player trying to get the most (or 300 points) in the hundredsplace of course! (Or the tens or whatever is decided upon.)16. Floor Puzzle by "Learn to Read" called "Buttons Buttons" -- students will learn color words,classification and math skills besides making a puzzle. Ithas 27 large pieces. (CTP 4204)Anactivity Guide is included.17. Use two colors of buttons to play Tic Tac Toe.18. Play: Button Button Whose Got the Button?19. Have large container of buttons mixed sizes: estimate how many non standard scoops will fitin a different size container to fill it up.20. Measure the length of something with buttons that are the same size. Ex.: my footprint is 17black buttons long.21, Tie a piece of yam together and make a circle and fill with buttons flat on table or floor;count. Then make yam string into a triangle shape and repeat. Then make it into a square andrepeat. Then make it into a rectangle and repeat. Compare the random number of buttons in each.Graph. Graph by using jars of equal size and looking at how full they are filled by each shape.22. Could also measure the perimeter of them using buttons of random sizes.23. Use buttons to form numbers (and ABC's).24. Graph people wearing things with buttons and those without.


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25. Use different size and colors of buttons to count the number of days in school. Small ones forones in snack baggie, medium ones for 10's in different snack baggie. Large ones for 100's in 3rdsnack baggie.26. Graph letters in first name using buttons for each letter. Do by self and also as a whole groupproject.27. Arrange 5 or more buttons in order by size.28. Use a Venn diagram to sort buttons by color, size and number of holes.29. Weigh a measurement of buttons of small, medium and large buttons. Notice the differencein weight of each size.30. Using 10 buttons of two colors (5 each) make a die having 2 sides one color and 4 sides theother. Discover which side would roll ten of their color first. Do this 3 times. Is there anydifference?31. Use buttons to add or subtract or to make doubles. (See story above about monsters.)32. Develop vocabulary: big/medium/small; more than/less than; shape, color, size, number,thick/thin - same/different.33. Graph by any attribute.34. Do any number of these activities in centers that rotate. Compare through discussion afterthree centers completed by all. (Things to do: estimate number of buttons in container - dump outand count - graph according to at least one attribute. )35. Use buttons for Bingo markers for Math facts. (or any curricula)36. Place 5 buttons of two colors in a bag and record with tally marks which color came out -- dothis 10 times.37. Make a place value game with different activities (see one described above for sample38. Use a button puzzle to help students learn attributes. (Information above)36. Write in a Math Journal about a problem the class solved using buttons - illustrate,37. Write a story using numbers of things doing something. Ex.: The sign said there are threebears living in the zoo. I see only two bears. One bear is hiding in the cave. (use buttons forobjects to represent whatever you are writing about.38. Sing button songs -- piggyback songs about buttons are fine. Could sing"Who Stole theButton From the Button Can?" -- a take off of the famous cookie one.


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39. One to one correspondence using two colors, or sizes of buttons40. Empty the container of buttons by rolling dice and taking that many out each time. Olderstudents could write/record what happened each time.

41. Design a quilt using different amounts of buttons in each square - this could use paperbuttons.42. Lace big plastic buttons for fine motor skills.43. Play Mancala after making your own games - sponsor a tournament. Directions below:* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

MancalaPlace 4 similar buttons in each bowl of the egg carton - does not matter what color is where. Donot put anything in the end Mancalas. Place the game between two players with the Mancalas atthe left and right of players. Each player "own" the Mancala to the right ofthem and the 6 bowlsof buttons closest to them. Player one starts by scooping up all the buttons from one of the bowlson their own side. The player drops one button in each bowl going to his or her light continuingaround the Mancala board including their own Mancala but not opponents Mancala. They will beadding buttons to opponents bowls at times tho. Any time a player puts his/her LAST button intotheir own Mancala during their turn, they get to have another turn. Ifa player has an empty bowlon their side and places their last button in that empty bowl, they get to take any buttons in theiropponents bowl directly opposite where they just landed. Players take turns moving. Play untilone person runs out of buttons on their side - not including the Mancala. The object is not to goout first but to have the most buttons in your Mancala.When one side has all their buttons gone,the remaining person gets to place all the remaining buttons left in their bowl into their Mancala.Then the buttons are counted from each Mancala and the one with the most buttons wins thegame. It is not always best to go out first. HINT: Think about how you can place your last buttoneach turn in the Mancala so you can have another turn.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I made home made Mancala games with my 2nd graders a couple years ago. Everyone broughtan egg carton. I provided two styrofoam cups - like the size ice cream comes in for each and theytied the cup to each end of their egg carton while it was open and with yam in a knot. This madethe game board. Each child needs 48 buttons in sets of 4 for each of the 12 "holes" in the eggcarton. When not playing the buttons were kept together in a small snack baggie inside thecarton. The carton was closed with the lid down and placed in a clear plastic bag I got donatedfrom the store bakery where they make French bread -- long bags. Twist a tie on it and Mancalagame can be stored in desks for rainy days or a class tournament,


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PBS MATHLlNE ESMP - Button, Button: Activity Sheet

----------_-----------------


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This is a set of

There are - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - buttons in this set.

This is a set of _

There are _ buttons in this set.PBS MATNUNE ESMP - Button, Button: Activity Sheet


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This is a set of

There are ---------------------- buttons in this set.

This is a set of _

There are _ buttons in this set.PBS MA THLlNE ESMP - Button, Bution; Activity Sheet


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Button Attribute GameMaterials: Buttons with different attributes:color, size, holes, materials, shanks, and shapes.Playing cards with name of attributes on them.Directions:

1. Each child chooses five buttons from the pile ofbuttons in the middle of the playing area.

2. area with the extra buttons.card and then collects all the buttons fromthe other players that match the attribute onthe card they drew.4. Each player (that lost a button) then chooses abutton from the pile._

5. Play continues in like manner. The second playerchoose a card from the playing cards and collectsall buttons from the other players that match theattribute on the card that helshe chose.6. Each player then_draws another bu~~on from thepl~e in ~ne middle of the playing area~

I. Play con~inues until one player has a maiorityof t_hR h11i-_t_ons_


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wooden Two-holed

Four-holed Red

Yellow Black

White Pink

Blue Thick


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Thin Shiny

Dull Rough

Oval Small

Large Shank

Plastic Metar


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Square

RoundNovelty

Smooth


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's- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Coun ting B ook

L au rie P ats alid es - fo r p er so na l o r c la ss ro om u se o nly


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L au rie P atsa lid es- fo r p ers on al o r c la ss ro om u se o nly


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L a ur ie P a ts al id es - f or p er so na l or cla ssro om u se o nly


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Laurie Patsalides- for personal or classroom use only


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iJ

Laurie Patsal ides- for person al or cla ssroom use on ly


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Laur ie Pa tso lk ie s- f or pe rsona l o r c la ss room use on ly


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o

L a ur ie P a ts a lid es - f or p er so n al or c la ssro om u se o nly


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t a u ri e P a t sa l id e s- f or p e rs o n a l or c la s sr oom u s e o n ly


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o

L a ur ie P a ts al id es - f or p er so n al or c la ssro om u se o nly

o


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______ counts ....

L a ur ie P a ts aJ id es - f or p er so na l or cla ssro om u se o nly


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Developmentally Appropriate Math Sequences (preK-K)

MAl: Can Explore with Materials

Observing the colors, shapes, sizes, textures and other attributes of materials, as well asrecognizing the naming the properties of discrete and continuous materials. Discretematerials are those that can be counting, such as blocks or cookies. Continuous materialsare those that can be measured, such as water or sand.Future applications: Sorting and classifying: identifying attributesProblem solving and logical thinking: understanding and

identifying attributes.Sample Activity: Water Exploration

Allow the children to explore the attributes of water, ice and snow in a water tableor tub. Place different types and sizes of containers for exploration. Ask the childrenhow many cups of water it would take to fill a certain container. Place different utensilsin the center, such as slotted spoons, hand beaters, colanders, etc.

Block ExplorationAllow the children to explore with different types of manipulatives. When the

child has been allowed to explore with the item, she is ready to listen when the teacher isteaching a skill using the items. She is ready for a new challenge.

MA2: Recognizes Spatial RelationshipsDistinguishing objects by telling where they are in the space with knowledge of directionand position. "Do you mean the one in front or the one in backt"Future applications: Problem solving and logical thinking: Understanding direction

and position.Patterning: Understanding direction and position.Ordering: Arranging materials in specific order.Geometry: Identifying plane (flat) and three-dimensional shapes.Sample Activity:

Obstacle CourseCreate an obstacle course inside the classroom or outside on the playground.

Make sure that in the obstacle course there are opportunities for the children to work onpositional words. The course should take the children over things, under, on top of.beside, in front of, etc. Have the observing children check to see if the child on the


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course made the correct positional connection with each part of the course (example:"Did he go over the balance beam?").

MA3: Classifies and Sorts by AttributesSorting and grouping objects based on the likenesses and differences of attributes.Future application: Patterning: Arranging objects based on likenesses and

differences.Ordering: Making comparisons.Place value: Identifying ones, tens and hundreds.Geometry: Identifying plane and three-dimensional figures.Numeration: Identifying odd and even numbers.Fractions: Identifying whole numbers and fractional parts.Sample Activity: Magnet Sort

Allow the children to classify items with a magnet. Place several items on a traymaking sure that some of the items will be picked up by the magnet. Let the childrendetermine which items stick to the magnet and which items do not.

Color SortSorting and recognizing colors of different items is a great w ay to support this

skill.

MA4: Creates Patterns by Extending and ComparingRecognizing, copying, extending and creating the repetition of specific items.Future applications: Numeration: Counting, skip counting.Multiplication: Recognizing patterns of increasing numbers,

such as 3xl=3, 3x2=6, etc.Counting: Adding on.Algebra: Repetition in equations.Sample Activity: 1. Block Patterns

The block center is a good place to work on repeating patterns. Help the childrencreate repeating AB patterns (such as: red, blue, red, blue, etc.) using blocks. Begin withusing two colors of blocks or two sizes of blocks. Create several repetitions with the


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blocks and then ask the children what would come next in the pattern. Connecting blockswould be a good way for the pattern to hold together for picking up and observing.

MAS: Shows One-to One Correspondence and Recognizes the Manyness of SetsUnderstanding one-to-one relationships while counting items. Matching objects todetermine the size of a set (greater than, less than, equal to, etc.).Future applications: Graphing: Interpreting data.

Geometry: Moving coordinates across an axis.Numeration: Plotting positive and negative numbers on anumber line.

Sample Activity:Home to School Board

The Home to School Board is a great way to show children that they belong to aspecial group at school. Create two posters, one the shape of a school and the other theshape of a home. Attach Velcro strips to each poster. Take individual pictures of thechildren in the class. Attach Velcro to the back of each picture. When the children arriveat school, have them move their picture onto the "School" board (they are at school).When they leave school for the day, have each child move his/her picture to the "Home"board. Point out the one-to-one correspondence of having one picture for each child.Count the children and then count the pictures. Compare sets by asking, "Are there morechildren at school or at home?" This is also a great attendance record since the absentchildren's pictures will still be on the "Home" board during school.

MA6: Understanding OrderingOrganizing materials and information in a specific order based on relationship. Orderimplies specific patterns (such as, the number s 0-9 or days of the week). Sequenceimplies what comes next.Future Applications: Fractions: Comparing fractional parts.

Geometry: Comparing similar figures.Measurement: Comparing objects.Problem solving: Sequencing steps in story problems.

Sample Activity:2. The Three Bears

Tell the story of the three bears. Provide flannel board figures for the language orreading center, if possible. Point out that Goldilocks goes from the smallest to the largestwith each item. Have the children retell the story in the reading center, emphasizing the


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smallest to largest concept. The Three Billy Goats Gruff could also be used from thisactivity.

A1A7:Demonstrates Understanding and Recognition of Numerals 0-9Understanding the "manyness" of a number and assigning a numeral (symbolicrepresentation) to that number. Understanding that the symbol "5" means five objects.**Do not confuse with the ability to rote count.Future Applications: Life skills.Sample Activity: Number Bags

The children should have had lots of practice incounting objects during the one-to-one correspondence section. Now they are ready to attach the numeral symbol to thecounted objects. A good way to do this is with number bags. Using a permanent marker,draw a line vertically down the middle of a large ziplock bag. Write a number at the topof the line, such as a large "5." Provide a tray ofmanipulatives and have the childrenpractice counting five items and placing them in the bag. As the children becomefamiliar with this activity, the teacher can begin to orally set up addition and subtractionscenarios. When a child brings the bag to the teacher, the adult can manipulate threeitems on one side of the line and two on the other side. The teacher will ask, "How manyitems are in the bag?" and "It looks like if we place two items and three items in the bagthey will equal 5."

MA8: Recognizes and Manipulates Basic ShapesRecognizing geometric figures and their attributes (a child should have thoroughknowledge of numeration prior to being asked to identify attributes, such as, "How manysides to this shape?").Future Applications: Geometry: Identifying plane and three dimensional shapes.

Trigonometry: Understanding the relationship between sides andangles of triangles.

Sample Activity:Rectangle Blocks

Send the children to the block center to find rectangle blocks. Rectangle is theshape that occurs in the block center very often. As the children find rectangles, placethem on the floor or table and talk about the attributes that make it a rectangle (twolonger sides and two shorter sides; etc.) and how different each of the rectangles can alsoappear to be when you have different types of blocks.


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.MA9: Understands the Concept o(MeasurementIdentifying an attribute of an object in tenus of a standard unit. Children can begin tomeasure with nonstandard or arbitrary units to build the concept of measuring. Forexample, "How many paper clips long is the book?" or "How many containers of waterwill fill the bucket?"Future Applications: Geometry: Comparing similar figures.

Trigonometry: Measuring sides and angles of triangles.Problem Solving: Estimating making comparisons.

Sample Activity:How Tall is My Outline?

Trace the outline of a child on a piece oflarge butcher paper. Using large blocks,have other children lay blocks on the outline and count how many blocks are needed tomeasure the length of the child. The class could also see how many blocks it would taketo fill in the entire outline.Advanced SkillsPlace ValueIn order for children to understand numerals beyond 9, they must understand place value.Our numeration system is a base 10 system (probably because we have 10 fingers).FractionsUnderstanding that a whole can be divided into parts.Time and MonevUnderstanding that time can be measured in units (seconds, minutes, hours, days, months,etc.) and money can also be measured in units (penny, nickel, etc.).


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Arrange the cords in order from the smallest number to the largestnumber.

Arrange the cards in order from the largest number to the smallestnumber. Show only the set of dots (covering the numerals with your indexfingers) and ask your child to name the set. Sort the cards info two groups:

(I.e., numbers less than 51 numbers greater than 5,even /odd numbers.) Tw o people can ploy this game. Each person draws a card from thestack and says the number. The player with the largest number getsboth cards. Ploy continues until one person has all the cards. Play the game again only this time the person with the smaIJest numbergets both cards. Play until one person has aUthe cards. Place the cards in a paper sock. Have your child draw out a card.Ask them to say that number and one of the following:

the number that comes afterthe number that comes beforetwo more than that numberthe number that is one Jessthe number that is one morethat number doubledRepeat by drawing out a different card, but using the same

question each trme. When they understand that concept,chang~ to a new question. Play concenfration. Turn olf cords face down. Take turns turning 2cards face up. If they are a match, you get another turn. If they do notmatch turn the cords face down againbut remember what th~numbers were!

Draw two cards and add the numbers together or subtract the 2numbers. Put a handful of beans in the middle of the playing area. Draw a card.Take that number of beans from the plle in the middle. The secondplayer does the same. Ploy continues until one player has 25 beans.Decide on the number of beans to be collected before play begins.Target numbers can be from 20 to 50.


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Cut : ? C':te1! Cut X1!~


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Cut X

. . . . . .'0~~11 Cut X1I. . . .


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One button

Two buttons


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R ed bu iiofLS

Blu e bu -lions


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L it t l e b u t- l : o n s

B i g i;i - l : o n s

00


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Bear butions

Pig buttons


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Square buttons

Round huttons


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Losi bu itons

?

Found i;- l ions


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Bell!! buttons


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_'o: NATIONAL COUNCIL OFNCTM TEACHERS OF MATHEMATICSWhat Is Important in Early Childhood Mathematics?

A Position of the National Council of Teachers of MathematicsQuestionWhy is mathematics important for early childhood learners?NCTM PositionThe National Council of Teachers of Mathematics affirms that a high-quality,challenging, and accessible mathematics education provides early childhood learners witha vital foundation for future understanding of mathematics. Young children in everysetting should experience effective, research-based curricula and teaching practices. Suchpractices in turn require policies, organizational support, and resources that enableteachers to do this challenging andimportant work.

Increasing numbers of young children are in settings where they can encountermathematics in experiences that build on one another, expanding early understandingsequentially, in developmentally appropriate ways. Research on children's learning in thefirst six years of life validates the importance of early experiences inmathematics forlasting positive outcomes. A growing body of research also supports curricular resourcesfor early mathematics. Teacher preparation programs, education agencies, policymakers,and other partners must commit resources and mobilize to support teachers andcollaborate in developing effective early childhood mathematics programs.In a high-quality mathematics program for early childhood learners, teachers andcaregivers can enhance children's natural interest inmathematics and their instinct to useit to organize and make sense of their world. Mathematical experiences for youngchildren should take advantage of familiar contexts, building on relationships withinfamilies, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and the informal knowledge of earlylearners. Mathematics curricula and teaching practices should rest on a solidunderstanding of both mathematics and the development of young children.Teaching practices should strengthen young children's problem-solving and reasoningabilities in experiences that are both informal and involve more formal; preparedmaterials. Teachers should connect ideas within mathematics as well as with othersubjects, and they should encourage children to communicate, explaining their thinkingas they interact with important mathematics in deep and sustained ways. Finally, earlychildhood educators should actively introduce mathematical concepts, methods, andlanguage through a range of appropriate experiences and teaching strategies. Theseshould be monitored by observation and other informal evaluations to ensure thatinstructional decisions are based on each child's mathematical needs.Teacher education programs should give attention to the mathematics component of earlychildhood programs, and continuing professional development opportunities shouldsupport high-quality mathematics education. The development of institutional policiesthat promote teachers' mathematical learning, teamwork, and planning can provide thenecessary resources to overcome the classroom, community, institutional, and system-wide barriers to young children's mathematical proficiency, Such initiatives will ensurethe future of young children, who are our next generation of mathematics learners.

S e pt em b e r 2 0 07


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Great Beginnings

Pre-Number Concepts

Early development of number concepts is critical in developing positive attitudes about mathematics atan early age. Special methods and activities will assist children to develop early numeracy skills.These methods will need to include the useof motivating and engaging concrete materials thatchildren can manipulate. Young children need to experience a lot of 'doing' and 'saying' before writtennumerals will make sense to them.

As early as 2 years of age, many children will parrot the words 'one', 'two', 'three', 'four', 'five' etc.However, rarely do they understand that the number refers to an item or a set of items. At this stage,children do not have 'number conservation' or 'number correspondence'.

What are these concepts and how can you help?

Engaging children with a variety of measurement concepts is a great beginning. For instance, childrenenjoy telling us that they are 'bigger' than their sister or brother or 'taller' than the lamp or that theyare 'higher' than the dishwasher. Young children will also think that they have 'more' in their cupsimply because their cup is taller. This type of language needs to be promoted and children needparental guidance to help with the misconceptions of these concepts through experimentation. Thebathtub is a great starting point, using a variety of plastic cylinders/cups and containers. At this age,perception is the child's guide, they do not have any other strategies to guide them in determiningwhich has more or less, is heavier or lighter etc. A parent or day care provider can provide greatlearning experiences to assist young chlldrens' misconceptions through play.

Classification is a pre-number concept that children need lots of experimentation and communicationwith. We classify on a regular basis without even considering what we're actually doing. We look inindexes that are alphabetized or numerically arranged, wepurchase groceries in areas of food groups,we classify to sort laundry, we sort our silverware before putting it away. Children can benefit from avariety of classification activities which will also support early numeracy concepts.

Classification Activities

-Use blocks to engaged young children to repeat the patterns ..... blue, green, orange etc.-Ask young children to sort the silverware or the laundry based on color.-Use shapes to encourage children to determine what comes next----triangle, square, circle, triangle,etc.-Ask children to think of everything they can write with, ride on, that swims, that flies etc.-Ask children how many items in the living room are square or round or heavy etc.-Ask them to tell you how many things are made of wood, plastic, metal etc.-Extend classification activities to include more than one attribute (heavy and small, or square andsmooth etc.)

Before Children CountChildren need to 'match sets' before they will understand 'number conservation' and that counting isactually referring to sets of items. Children are guided by their perceptions and will think that thereare more grapefruits than lemons in a pile due to the actual size of the piles. You will need to do oneto one matching activities with young children to help them develop conservation of number. The childwill move one lemon and you can move the grapefruit. Repeat the process so that the child can see


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Grades K-2

What you'll need

Newspaper, scissors, pencil or crayon, glue, and graph paper

What to do

1. Newspaper numbers. Help your child look for numbers 1 to 100 in the newspaper. Cutthe numbers out and glue them in numerical order onto a large piece of paper. Forchildren who cannot count to 100 or recognize numbers that larqe, only collect up tothe number they do know. Have your child say the numbers to you and practicecounting up to that number.

Or2. Collect only numbers within a certain range, like the numbers between 20 and 30.Arrange the numbers on a chart, grouping all the numbers with 2s in them, all thenumbers with 5s, and so on.

3. Counting book. Cut out pictures from the newspaper and use them to make a countingbook. Page 1 will have one thing on itt page 2 will have 2 things that are alike, page 3will have 3 things that are alike, and so on. All the things on the each page have to bethe same. At the bottom of each paqe, write the number of items on the page and theword for the item. Have your child tell you a story about what is on the page.


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The following list provides you with the basic concepts that should be attained by the end of theschool year. Mastery of the concepts at the previous grade is assumed.

Number

Read, print, locate, compare, order, represent, identify numbers to 10 and match numbers afobjects to the numeral. Count to 10 frontwards and backwards.

Understand number conservation - 6 pennies are represented by a 6 etc. up to 10. Understand simple adding: If I put one more penny on the pile of 5, I will have 6. etc. Recognize coins by pennies and 1 cent up to 25 cents.MeasUI"ement

Be able to name the days of the week and which one comes next when given a certain day.

Understand the basics of time - afternoon, evening, morning, weekend etc. Identify important times: 8:00 is bedtime, 12:00 is lunch time. Measure and compare lengths such as taller than, shorter than. [ul Geometry

Describe and identify the basic shapes (squares, triangles, circles, rectangles etc.) Describe similarities and differences in the basic shapes. Construct pictures using a variety of shapes that resemble houses, cars etc. Move shapes in front of, beside, behind, ahead of etc.Algebra

Identify simple patterns like checkerboards and determine when the pattern is wrong and why. (Allthe shapes are yellow except for this green one which doesn't belong because .... Make simple patterns - 2 green buttons, 2 red buttons and 2 green buttons. Extend simple patterns - AA BB CC AA BB CC etc.Probability

Make simple picture graphs e.g., a picture of a girl and a boy followed by a sticker or pencil strokefor everyone in the class. Conduct simple surveys and generate 'yes', 'no' questions. Use basic grids - Bingo, Tic Tac Toe.


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Toddler GamesToddler games give toddler an amazing package of self-reliance: I play, therefore I grow.Your toddler is learning and growing with each stroke of play. You will find top 10 activitieswhich are tested by my students below.

Kitchen Soccer ---- Ranks No.1 On List of top 10 toddler-tested toddler gamesWhat you needPack of plastic Wiffle golf ballsUnbreakable containerlarge plastic laundry basket.

InstructionPlaceall the Wiffle balls in the container. Put the laundry basket on its side on the floor,propped up against the wall.( the basket resembles a soccer goal.) Squat down to yourtoddler's height and give your child a demonstration: Bounce the ball on the floor about 20inches away from the basket and watch it bounce inside the goal.Position your toddler 2 to 3 feet away from the basket, and place the container of ballsnearby. As you've demonstrated, your child gives each ball a hearty bounce and watches asit bounces into the basket to score a goal. When all the balls have been bounced one by oneinside the goal, ask your toddler to gather the balls up, puts them back into the container,and starts over again.VariationSet up the laundry basket in the same way as I described above, and now have your childsit on the floor 2 to 3 feet away to roll a small playground ball into basket. So during thisgame, part of his or her time will be spent rolling the ball, and art of his or her time will bespent retrieving it before sitting back down to roll it again.For older toddlerArrange the laundry basket in the same way I described above. Make a "tossing line" on thefloor by putting a long piece of painter's tape across the floor a short distance away fromthe goal (laundry basket). Give your child a container of toddler safe beanbags andchallenge him or her to toss each beanbag to the goal.

Hallway bag-ball --- Ranks No.2 On List of top 10 toddler-tested toddler games


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What you needPaper grocery bagPlastic balls or tennis ball

InstructionHave your toddler sit on any un-carpeted floor. Fully open the paper grocery bag and placeit on the floor on one of its long sides, several yards away from your child. Squat down nextto your child and give him or her a play demonstration, such as roll the ball so that it goesinside the paper bag.Once your children sees how to play, he or she will simply roll the balls and retrieve themfrom inside the bag. Both parts of the game, hitting the target and retrieving the balls, areequally enjoyable.Note: Don't use tennis ball for younger toddlers who often put things into their mouth.

Box Ball ---- Ranks No.3 On List of top 10 toddler-testedtoddler gamesThis game is best for older toddler who has no longer eat paperWhat you needMedium size cardboard boxSheet of colored construction paper or copy paper

InstructionPlacethe cardboard box a few feet away from your child.Ask your child to crumple the colored paper into balls (they will happy to do this), then havethem toss the balls into the cardboard box to score a basket, and dump all the paper ballsback onto the floor to start all over again.

VariationFor older toddlers, make outdoor box ball for a few minutes of high-energy fun. First, workwith your child to make an assortment of paper-balls; then, find an suitable container to actas the catching basket. You hold the container, your child tosses the ball in your direction,then you chase and capture it in your container. For creating more fun, make a tossing lineon the lawn with masking tape. Stand back a few feet and toss the ball one by one over theline.


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Edible Finger Paint ---- Ranks No.4 On List of top 10 toddler-tested toddler gamesWhat you needSmall mixing bowlFlourWaterplastic traytiny drops of food coloring

InstructionIn a small mixing bowl, stir a small quantity of flour and some warm water together untilthe substance reaches the consistency of runny pudding. Add a drop of food coloring. Waituntil the mixture to cool before your child plays with it.Position your toddler in her high chair and snap the tray in place. Dump the contents of thegoop on the tray and let your child's finger paint to her or his heart's content.

Scarf Magic --- Ranks No.5 On List of top 10 toddler-testedtoddler gamesWhat you needScissors(for parents use only)Large, rigid plastic cup with sturdy plastic lid3 or 4 long, narrow silk scarvesInstructionCut a silver dollar size hole in the lid of the large to-go cup. Tie the scarves together end toend (by knotting the corners) to create one humongous, long scarf. stuff the giant scarf intocup, leaving one end of the scarf on top then put the lid on the cupWhen your child is ready to play, thread the end of the first scarf through the big hole in thetop of the lid. Help your toddler grab the end of the scarf and begin pulling it out the cup,you will need to hold the lid in place while she pulls the long scarf all the way out of the cup.


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Your child will delight in the perception that her/ his tugging action seems to make the scarf"grow" right before her or his very eyes.

Pat a cake ---- Ranks No.6 On List of top 10 toddler-testedtoddler gamesInstruction

patty cake, patty cake, baker's man

clap baby's hands together,

Bake me a cake as fast as you can

Roll it and pat it and make it with a BMove baby's hands in a circle. clap them together, and write an imaginary B on baby'shands

And put it the oven for baby and me!Put baby's hands together, move them toward your mouth, and kiss, or pretend to nibbletops of baby's hands

Ride a Wagon ---- Ranks No.7 On List of top 10 toddler-tested toddler gamesWagons let your toddler transport lots of things from place to place. Indoors, toddlers canfill up a wagon with toy cars,trucks, blocks and books. Outdoors, rocks, leaves, dolls, and stuffed animals could be goodchoices to fill up the wagon.What you needSmall plastic wagonAssorted items to haul indoors, such as blocks, books, toys,etc.Assorted items to haul outdoors, such as leaves, bottles of water, sand,etc


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InstructionIndoors, designate one low, kitchen cupboard to hold all the containers for wagon loading.Or add dolls or stuffed animals to transform the wagon into a portable doll-house to barn.Outdoors, fill the wagon with an inch of two of water and expect a bit of splashing and wetclothes. Add floating toys and measuring cups for portable water play. Create a giant" carwash" for your child's plastic cars, trucks,or plastic balls, with plastic cups for rinsing. Addseashells or rocks that need a good bath, and provide a baby toothbrush for some soap-freescrubbing


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What you needPlastic children's tools, such as hammer, wrench, screwdriver, etc.Plastic toolbox with a handle

One objects that require "fixing"Ride-on toysToy shopping cart, waqons, doll stroller, toy lawn mower

InstructionYoung toddlers will enjoy dragging the tools around from place to place in a toolbox thatthey can open and close on their own. Putting the tools out and putting them back in thebox again is a big part of the fun. Young toddlers will enjoy banging and pounding withthese tools, so get ready for a bit of noiseOlder toddler love to pretend to fix any toy that has wheels.(This is particularly true if yourchild has ever seenyou fixing a car, bike, or lawn mower) They may also use their tools torepair the hinges and handles on low kitchen cupboards, and other safe furniture aroundyour home. A set of wooden blocks can easily be integrated into fixer-upper play to fix orbuild things in your child's "shop" as well. Busy toddles don't stay-In one place very long, soit's likely that everything is sight will be "fixed" in very short order!

Restaurant ---- Ranks No.10 On List of top 10 toddler-testedtoddler gamesWhat you needUnbreakable bowl, cups and small spoonsEmpty juice boxesFood or pretend foodsPlastic soda bottlesCloth napkins

InstructionSet up the temporary restaurant for your child. Help her or him fold the napkins and showher how you set the table. Your younger toddler's restaurant play may end up looking morelike the feast of a caveman than that of a four-star diner, but banging the bowls with aspoon and moving things from place to place are all part of the exploratory play experience.


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Older toddlers might get the hand of folding cloth napkins and pouring water as they"serve" their boss

copyrigt"lt 2008--2009 Kids-Games-for-Playirlg.com


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Kids Guessing Game ---- Ranks No.1 On List of top 10preschool gamesThis interesting guessing game sharpens Children's concentration skills as they begin toplay with their peers

What you needTraySmall familiar itemsCloth

InstructionDepending upon the children's developmental level, place between three and six Items on atray. Talk about what they are, and describe some of the distinctive features. Ask thechildren to look them over carefully, then have them close their eyes.Remove one item and hide it under the cloth. Now, invite the children to guess which item ismissing. Give clue if necessary:" It has a long handle"(clue for spoon).After they have played a number of times, sharpen their detective skills by removing twoitems or scrambling the position of remaining objects.

VariationHave children in the circle close their eyes. Tap one or two children and have them leavequietly. Then, ask the rest to guess who is missing. Continue until everyone has made thetransition.

kids Sing-along games ---- Ranks No.2 On List of top 10preschool gamesInstructionHave two children hold hands up to create a mountain for the children to go through andaround. Sing the popular song "The Bear Went Over the Mountain," and invite the "littlebears" to follow the actions and sing along:

. The bears went over the mountain.The bears went over the mountain.The bears went over the mountain.


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To see what they could see.Make up other verses about ways for the bears to travel("next to the mountain") For thelast verse, sing" around the mountain," make a circle. Then talk about what the bears mightsee.Verse variation

Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn aroundTeddy bear, teddy bear, touch the groundTeddy bear, teddy bear, go upstairs.Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn off the light.teddy bear, teddy bear, say qood night!

Grandma's Glasses ---- Ranks No.3 On List of top 10preschool gamesTo get the children ready for circle time quickly, try this classic finger play.InstructionDemonstrate the finger play below. Then have the children recite the words and imitate theactions:

Here are Grandma's glasses[Make two circles with thumbs and index fingers in front ofeyes]Here is Grandma's cap.[Place interlocking fingers on the top of head]This is the way she folds her handsAnd puts them in her lap.[Fold hands]

However, if you want the children to get to know each other's names and be playful abouttheir own and each other's actions and characteristics, try some modernized versions, suchas examples below:

Here is Brain's hatHere is Brain's smile


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This is the way he wiggles his fingersAnd puts them on his tummy.

Colors, Colors Everywhere ---- Ranks No.4 On List of top 10preschool gamesIn this matching game, the children learn color names and identify the colors in theirclothing.What you needConstruction paper, several 3"XS" pieces in each color, such as red, blue, yellow, orange,purple, green, white, brown, black, and pink.

InstructionSpread out all the construction paper on the floor. Have the children each pick one piece ofcolored paper that matches something they are wearing. For example, a child with a yellowshirt, blue pants, and brown shoes may choose one of these colors.Then have them take turns naming their color and what part of their clothing it matches.Next have them put back the color they are holding, and find a different paper color thatmatches a different part of their clothing. After each child has picked a second color, invitethem to group themselves by color.

Help children determine the most popular color by counting the number of children in eachgroup to find out which one has the most.,~----.-----.----

Where is it? ---- Ranks No.5 On List of top 10 preschoolgamesThis game gives children experience in identifying position words.What you needBeanbagsempty boxesInstruction


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Have the children divide into pairs, and give each pair a beanbag and an empty box. Havechildren take turns placing the beanbag in the position that is describe --- above, inside, orunder the box.Make the directions fun by telling a story, such as "Mr. Beanbag was sitting INSIDE a box.But he got bored, so he went OUTSIDE and climbed to the TOP of the box."Continue the story, using as many position words as possible. Directions can also be givenby singing them to a familiar tune, such as "The Farmer in the Dell." Give each child abeanbag and have them act out the song directions:

The beanbag's on your headThe beanbag's on your headHi ho the derry-oThe beanbag's on your headContinue in this way, with the children joining in on the last half of each verse.

Dizzy Directions ---- Ranks No.6 On list of top 10 preschoolgamesThis game helps children distinguish between right and [eftInstructionThe children will do various activities involving right and left as directed. Start slowly byhaving the children raise their right or left hands, or put their left hands on their rightknees.Give a few other simple directions. Then pick up the tempo to make this a fast movinggame. Usea lively beat for the directions(similar to a rap), one standing tune to sing thedirections.Have the children work with partners, one standing behind the other. Here is an example ofdirections:

Put your right hand on your partner's left shoulderPut your left hand on your partner's right shoulderMove to the right, right, right.Now move to the left, left, left.


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Faceeach other and shake right handsSurprise the children and get them giggling by throwing in an impossible directionoccasionally:" Touch your left knee with your right nose: touch your right ear with your tefteye."

Mighty Muscles ---- Ranks No.7 On List of top 10 preschoolgamesChildren will like this muscle-flexing, face-making game

What you needHand mirrorsInstructionAsk the children to close one hand into a fist as tight as they can. Have them squeeze hard,Then ask them to feel the muscle on the upper part of the same arm while they squeeze afist.Call attention to how tight it feels. Then ask them to release the fist and relax the hand onthe same arm. Have them feel the upper arm again and notice the difference.Ask the children to extend one arm and move the hand toward the chest. While they aredoing this, let them feel the muscle in the upper arm to see how it works.Give the children time to feel each other's muscles. Let them select some other parts oftheir bodies to tense and release, such as their legs or facial muscles. Children like makingfaces by tensing their noses, foreheads, and mouths. Give them hand mirrors to passaround so they can see themselves use their facial muscles.

Hair-Raising Experience ---- Ranks No.8 On List of top 10preschool gamesChildren use balloons and friction to make static electricity.What you needInflated balloonsPieceof wool cloth


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InstructionAsk a children to rub a balloon five or six times against apiece of wool cloth. Then have thechildren hold the balloon near another child's hair.The static electricity will make the child'shair stand on end. Pass around more balloons and have the children find what else they canrub the balloons on to repeat the experience.Let the children work in pairs to enjoy the hair-raising experience. Encourage them to tryvarious pieces of clothing. Lead them to see that wool works to create static electricity, butcotton and some other fabrics do not. Help the children relate the experience to whathappens when they walk across some types of carpet and then touch something that ismetal.

._------Let's spin a yarn ---- Ranks No.9 On List of top 10 preschoolgamesOne by one, children tell a story and pass it along, creating a web of yarn that shows howall in the circle are connected.

What you needChart PaperMarkerBall of yarn

InstructionInvite children to make up a story together, taking turns telling what happens next. Havethem brainstorm ideas for a story beginning before they start the pass-along.Write down the children's ideas on chart paper, and have them choose one. Holding the ballof yarn, tell the story beginning. Then hold the end of the children in the circle. Have thechild pick up the yarn ball and pick up the story, too, telling what happens next. Afteradding to the story, have the child hold onto the yarn and roll the yearn ball across theCircleto another child.After each addition, both the ball of yarn and the story are passed along to someone newuntil each child in the circle has had a turn at telling. The last child can make up an ending,or the whole group can decide together how the story ends.TipTo help spark the children's creative thinking when they are stumped about what to addnext, use question prompts: How did. she feel? Who did he want to play with? What did shelike to do? What did he want? How do you think she could get there?"


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A little help from your friends --_.. Ranks No.l0 On List of top10 preschool gamesChildren get by with the helping hand of a neighbor in this musical game.What you needTissuesMusicInstructionHand out tissue to each child, and have them place it on top of their hands. Explain thatthey are going to be moving around the room, and they should try and keep the tissue fromfalling off while they move.Play the music, and invite the children to move and dance to the music. The children mayhop, skip, dance, sway, or move in another way as long as the tissues stay on theirheads(no hands allowed). If the tissue falls off, the child must freeze in place. This is wherea little help from a friend comes in handy!Another child can pick up the tissue and put it back on the first child's head. That willunfreeze the first child. To simplify the activity, the tap of a friend can unfreeze a frozenchild, allowing the child to pick up the dropped tissue and put it back in place.

-----~Playing with others

What good things can come about when your kid plays with others? He learns what itmeans to be a friend and make a friend with others. He learns to work with others and taketurns. He runs, jumps, imitates. He learns to guide and follow. He learns that another child'sideas and desires are different from his own. He learns to express his feelings by USingwords and body languages. And he learns how to apologize and manage his feelings.Pretend play is one of the best kinds of preschool games for kids to have fun while bringtheir imagination into play.


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Number Game Th is o ld m an, he played one, he p layed nick-nack on m y drum

C horus: N ick-n ack, pa ddy-w hack, g ive the d og a bo ne, th is o ld man ca me ro lling ho me

This o ld m an , he played tw o, he played nick-nack on m y shoe "C horus" Th is o ld m an, he p layed three, he played nick-nack on m y knee "C horus" Th is o ld m an, he played fou r, he p layed n ick-neck on m y door "C horus" Th is o ld m an, he played five, he played nick-neck on m y hide "C horus" Th is o ld m an, he played six , he p layed nick-nack on m y sticks "C horus"

Th is o ld m an, he played seven, he played n ick-nack up to heaven "C horus" Th is o ld m an , he played eight, he p layed nick-nack at m y gate "C horus"

Th is o ld m an, he played nine , he played nlck-nack on m y sp ine "Chorus" Th is o ld m an, he p layed ten, he played n ick-nack once again "C horus"Clapping game

Th is is a good w ay to learn c lapp ing rhythm . S it in a circ le w ith one player in the m idd le .

Th is p layer claps out the rhythm on his shou lder; knee or arm and everyone e lse m ust copy. A ny num ber can p lay.

For more than 5 players P ick one player to be S im on

S IM ON SA Y S (he gives the orders to the other p layers such as, S im on says pu t you r hands in the air.T he oth er p laye rs m ust obey im m ediate ly b ut on ly if they hear the w ords S im on says, if they do theaction w ith out hearing the w ords S im on sa ys th en they are ou t.Guessing game

Th is gam e is for no less than five p layers . C hoose a queen/king to sit on a throne.

Eyes m ust be blindfo lded so they cannot see. O ne by one eve ryone creeps up and w hispers in a disgu ised vo ice to m ake it d ifficu lt to gu ess w ho theyare.

The king/queen m ust then guess w ho it is . If w rong then tha t person becom es the next k ing/queen.

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