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Math
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*Addition
Family Chart
Make a family chart by graphing the number of family members in each
child's family. Ask each child to name each member of his or her
family, and hand out a strip of paper for each family member named.
Invite each child to place the strips on the chart and say, I'm
adding____ people to the chart. When everyone has had a turn, count
out loud the total number of strips.
*Subtraction
Cat Cat Mouse Game
Gather children in a circle. Together, count the number of children
in the circle. Then play "Cat, Cat, Mouse." The
"cat" will walk around the circle until the teacher says "mouse."
Whomever the "cat" is standing behind must leave the circle
and join the "cat." Count the number of children left in
the circle and explain that there is now one less. Repeat until you
have an entire class of "cats."
*Classification
Morning, Noon, and Night-Bulletin Board
Need: magazines, scissors, glue, bulletin board.
Divide a bulletin board into three sections labeled
"morning," "afternoon," and "evening."
Draw a rectangle in each section. You could add a picture at the top
of each rectangle. Morning could be a smiley face, afternoon could be
a less smiley face, evening a sleeping face.
Have the children cut clothes and objects from the magazines and
place them into the proper region. For example, what would someone
wear in the morning? When would a toaster most likely be used? When
would a bed most likely be used?
Morning, Noon, and Night
Need: magazines, catalogs, paper
Make a three page book. Label the pages: Morning, Afternoon and
Night. Have children find pictures of morning, afternoon, and evening
routines to cut out. Show the pictures. Have children glue the
pictures onto the correct page in their books.
3-Ring Circles
Place 3 pieces of yarn on the floor to make a "3-ring
circles". Have children sort buttons, toys or other objects and
place each item inside a ring.
Then take 2 related and 1 unrelated objects and place them in a ring.
Do this for each ring. Have a child remove the thing that does not belong.
Sort the Cars
Need: toy cars
Place a large assortment of toy cars in the group time area.
Challenge children to find different ways to sort them. Possibilities
include color, number of wheels, cars with or without writing, cars
with doors that open, and number of doors. Children might come up
with other ideas, as well.
Color Lids
Need: paper scraps, yarn, fabric, small lids, felt pieces, glue,
juice-can lids
Ask children to sort materials by color. Children may glue materials
of the same color onto juice-can lids. Children can make several lids
of different colors.
*Measurement
*Fingerplay/Songs
Measuring
tune: pussy cat pussy cat
Meas-ure your hand, and then meas-ure your nose,
Meas-ure your feet and then meas-ure your toes,
Meas-ure your head, then your ears, and your chin,
You're smil-ing, you're hap-py! Let's meas-ure your grin!
*Measuring &
Comparing
Strings of me!
Need: Yarn or string cut to the same height as
the child.
Measure each child with a piece of string. Let the
children compare their string with other objects and other
children's strings. Contributed by: Leslie Lee
Measure the children
Use tape measure and measure the height of the children. Use tape to
mark heights on the wall.
Group Measuring Feet
Children will get a "kick" out of measuring objects with
their own feet. Pairs can help each other trace around a foot on a
piece of paper. Children can use their footprints to measure the
length of a table, the doorway; and other classroom items.
Mouse Tails
Show children the picture of the mouse. Help children find partners
and cut a piece of black string the length of the mouse’s tail
for each pair. Show children how to use the mouse-tail measurer to
determine the length of an object.
Encourage them to find more objects to measure, such as a book, a
block, the tabletop, or a shirt sleeve.
*Weighing & Comparing
Rock & Leaf (heavy & light)
Set up the balance scale. Explain the concepts of heavy and light by
using a large stone on one side of the scale and a leaf on the other
side. Invite children to look for other items around the area that
can be weighed on the scale. Encourage children to weigh their items
along with those of their classmates to compare weights.
*Opposites
*Fingerplays/Songs
Opposite Chant
I can say yes
And I can say no,
I can say fast
And I can say slow,
I can say bottom
And I can say top,
I can start
And I can STOP!
*Art
Opposite Painting
Have children use glue to create patterns on heavy cardboard. The
children need to apply the glue thickly. Let dry (may need to do on a Friday).
When the glue is dry have children brush paint over the glue design,
cover it with a sheet of paper, press firmly. Then carefully lift off
the paper. Have children compare the design on the print with the
original glue design.
Hairy-Dos
Need: glue, various sizes of macaroni and spaghetti, 2 9x12 inch
white drawing paper for each child.
Give each child two sheets of white construction paper. Have them
draw a large circle on each piece. One sheet will be for long things only; the other for short things only.
On the "long" sheet, have the children draw long eyes,
nose, and mouth. Then tell them to create a hairdo for the long face
using long spaghetti. Glue the spaghetti onto the sheet.
On the "short" sheet, have the children draw short eyes,
nose, and mouth and glue on short pieces of macaroni.
Little Hand, Big Hand
Fold a construction paper in two and label one part "Big"
and the other part "Little". Trace a large hand on the
construction papers. Hand the papers to the children and have each
child trace their hand beside the large hand.
Table Drawing
Needed: table, 2 strips of paper the length of the table,
crayons or markers 1 for each child
Tape the paper to the bottom of the table and give each child a crayon
Show them how to color by laying down on the floor and let them draw whatever they want. I told them that it was opposite week and the opposite
of top was bottom.
You could place paper on both the top and the bottom of the table and have the children draw on the top and bottom papers. Ask them which was easier to draw on.
Contributed by: Lisa Ladner
*Sequencing
Number Order
Need: ten 4" x 3" cards
Draw one circle on the first card, two on the second, etc. Place
cards on floor, mix them up and have children put them in the correct order.
Nature's Niches
Need: twigs, leaves, and weeds, large sheet of construction paper (22x28inches)
Randomly give each child a bunch of dried grasses, weeds, twigs, and
leaves. Have them order them from shortest to longest on paper. Glue
them down and make a forest scene from dried pieces.
Coloured Gumdrops
With my preschool class...For a math activity I had the children
count gumdrops, and make patterns with the gumdrops! They loved it
and it was definately tasty at the end!
Contributed By: Ria Galvin
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