Ladybug Math

Ladybug Math

 I found an activity on Pinterest recently that looked a little like this, (found here: http://www.love-and-lollipops.blogspot.com/2010/09/colour-fun-6-bottle-top-ladybugs.html) but I have added my own twist to it.  Reusing milk bottle caps and a peanut butter jar I now have one activity that all 4 of my kiddos can play with.

K, my one year old, is fascinated with putting things into a container and taking them out.  The jar is large enough that her hands aren't going to get stuck.  Oh, and she also enjoys dumping them out!

K likes to put the ladybugs into the jar...

...and take them out...

...and put the lid on.

L, my 5 year old/soon to be kindergartner, can match the dots to the correct number, and put them in numerical order.

L is matching ladybug dots to the correct number.

 N, my 2/almost 3 year old works on naming the numbers and counting the dots.

N likes to mix them up!

All lined up!

Such a simple, FREE activity you can make at home!  Just save those bottle caps and jars!

Activities for my almost 7 year old and older students:
~ make one bottle cap with a plus sign, one with a minus sign, and one with an equal sign, and create number problems. (extra:  have them write them out on paper or in their workbook!)
~ make one bottle cap (slightly larger) with a greater than sign (>) or a less than sign (<) and have him draw bottle caps out of the jar and compare the numbers

Other Pre-K to Kindergarten activities:
~ draw out a bottle cap and use another object (little erasers, pom-poms, straws, popcicle sticks, etc.) to count out that number

Punching Patterns

Fiskars Butterfly Paper Puncher

I like to be resourceful and reuse materials materials if I can.  For this activity I used the paint chips that N previously cut and used my kid-friendly Fiskars butterfly paper puncher (that I found on clearance at Wal-Mart) and punched out some butterflies.  I say "kid-friendly" because all N has to do is push down on the white knob with her hand.  Most paper punchers this small require using mostly the thumb- which can be quite a task.  I also like using the paint chips because they are sturdy and easier for little hands to pick up.

Gluing Patterns in N's Notebook

I decided to use an easy ABAB pattern with N.  I placed the glue dot and N placed the butterfly in place.  We had to say the pattern over and over, but she eventually understood. 

Other Creative Ideas:

~ use more colors
~ ABCABC patterns, ABBAABBA patterns, AABBAABB patterns
~ find a variety of paper punchers (Micheals usually has a dollar section somewhere with small paper punchers)
~ create patterns with different shapes (not the colors of the paper)
OR
...when they are ready...
~ create patterns using alternating colors and shapes

Cutting Paint Chips

Cutting Paint Chips

Using scissors correctly is one of the skills most preschoolers have not developed before going to school.  Don't be afraid to put a pair of scissors in your child's hands- with supervision, of course!

Teach them how to:
1) hold the scissors with correct placement of thumb and fingers
2) open and close (cutting straws is great practice for this)
...and when they are ready...
3) cut along a straight line

Paint chips are excellent (FREE) resources for this kind of activity.  They provide a thick, solid, straight line AND they are sturdy enough for little hands to hold without too much bending.  Some paint chips are tall and slender so it wouldn't take too much effort to succeed at the task.  As your child masters the opening and closing of the scissors you can give them the longer lines.  Success is very important to your child-especially at this age.  The littlest thing- like cutting a small straight line, can give them such a sense of independence.   

Do A Dot Name Painting

Dot Paint Name

N loves to use the dot paints! Such a simple activity that keeps her attention.  Simply write your child's name in large letters (upper or lower case-they need to learn to recognize both) and let him/her start dabbing away!  N likes to drag the dot painters so I had to show her again how to dab them. 

Other ideas for this activity:
~ large shapes
~ individual letters
~ curvy or zigzag lines
~ print off alphabet pages from
http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2012/12/a-z-do-a-dot-worksheets.html
~ search for other great do a dot pages

Eraser Math

This activity reinforces lots of different skills.  Once you have your eggs (or whatever object you choose), put the eggs in a basket/bucket. 

Materials:  lots of little erasers, something to stuff them in (we used Easter eggs)

 Little Learners Activities:
1.  Sort erasers into groups
2.  Count each group
3.  State which has more or less
4.  Use erasers to make lines or shapes

Be creative with how little hands and minds can use these little erasers.

 PreK Eraser Activity:
1.  Pick one egg
2.  Sort/group/count erasers
3. Add each group for a total number
4. Repeat with another egg
5.  Now add the two total numbers together

This activity reinforces:
counting, sorting, addition, one-to-one correspondence

Fruit Loop Rainbow

N is working on two skills with this activity.
1.  Color recognition and sorting
2.  One-to-one correspondence

What to do:
1.  Draw the rainbow lines with corresponding color marker.
2.  Place glue dots along each line
     (I spread the glue dots out myself for two reasons- so the activity wouldn't take too long as N has a
       short attention span, and so that things wouldn't get too messy.  Let your child do the gluing if
       you think he/she is ready, though!)

Now you have a rainbow!

Other ideas for gluing with cereal:
~shapes
~letters
~name