Counting Games
Adapted from: Preschoolrainbow.org
Here are some exciting activities that encourage the learning of counting,
observation, and listening skills:
Number Hunt
Materials: A set of number cards relevant to your children, 0-10 or 1-5 depending on
abilities. Try writing the number and corresponding dots along with the number word
on each card.
Description: In advance, teachers discuss the number cards with the children. Next,
children sit down and close their eyes, then the teacher hides number cards around
the room. Children now have to find the numbers. When they find the numbers they
arrange them in to order. This activity can be played in the garden where more
exciting hiding places can be found.
By cutting different shapes e.g. fish for the number cards the game can be theme
based. When using fish, ask the children to feed a shark with the fish in order. The
shark is a cardboard box with a toothy mouth cut in it. If you make a hole in the
back of the box you can put your arm inside and grab the fish from the children like
a real shark. The children really enjoy learning number concepts this way.
Comments: Just plain numbers are fun but by changing the shape of the numbers
the children feel their playing another game and experience a great deal of number
concept reinforcement.
Counting Speckled Frogs
You will need:
The following rhyme, a green plastic gardening glove, a black Sharpie marker, a tree
branch.
Five Little Speckled Frogs
Five little speckled frogs,
Sitting on a speckled log,
Eating the most delicious bugs, yum, yum.
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool.
Then there were four speckled frogs.
(Continue until only one frog is left)
One little specked frog.
Sitting on a speckled log,
Eating the most delicious bugs, yum, yum.
He jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool.
Now there are no speckled frogs.
Take a green plastic gardening glove and a black Sharpie marker and make
"speckles" all over the fingers, then make two eyes and a smile on the outside tip of
each finger.
Find an old "speckled" tree branch from the yard and use it for the "log".
Hold the log with the left hand and "dance" the "frogs" ( the right gloved hand) while
singing the song. When one dived into the pool, Jump the right hand onto the floor
space (the "pool") between you and the students and wiggle the "frogs" around,
sometimes touching the students shoes. Each time you take away a frog (folding a
finger down) until when none is left put your hands behind my back and take off the
glove. The students really enjoy this "puppet" show and practice counting, too.
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