May is just around the corner! May 1st is May Day, and what better way to commemorate the occasion with your children than by talking about all the different kinds of flowers you might see growing outside? Incorporate math into this flower discussion with this activity from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities.

Materials

construction paper (five different colors)
scissors
plastic water pail
chart paper
glue

What to Do

1. Cut out five types of flowers, and cut out five for each type (for example: five daisies, five roses, five tulips, and so on). Place them in the pail.

2. Show the children the flower cutouts and talk about each type of flower.

3. Ask one of the children to pull out a flower from the pail and identify the flower.

4. Next, glue it on the chart paper.

5. Repeat, gluing each matching flower in a row and starting a new row for each different kind.

6. When everyone has chosen a flower to glue on the chart, count the number of flowers in each row. Compare the numbers and discuss more, most, less, least, and equal.