Numerals and Number Sets: Fishing for Styrofoam Bits

A good fine motor as well as math project which involves pincer grasp and eye-hand coordination skills.

Objectives

Children ages 4 ½-5 years can count 1-10 and answer how many Cog. IIIC
and they are able to match number sets to numerals Cog. IIIC
Children ages 4-5 can glue Styrofoam bits onto paper FM II
and children participating will be able to pick up bits with clothes pin FM I

 

Materials

Individual cups of Styrofoam bits (packing pellets); pinch-type clothes pins; glue; pre-made charts to paste bits onto with correct number of sets of bits drawn under each written numeral.

Procedures

1. Seat children around table. Give each child a cup of Styrofoam bits, a clothes pin, and a pre-made chart with numerals and number sets. Older children can have charts with numerals only.

2. Explain and demonstrate that they are to pick up (fish for) bits from the cup using the clothes pin. Then glue the Styrofoam onto the paper. (Kids may want to color bits before gluing them or draw design around them once glued.) Glue one bit under the numeral 1; two bits under the numeral 2, etc.

3. Let children take their counting charts home.