Materials
- Shoeboxes (plastic or cardboard)
- Hands-on materials (see activity)
Instructions
- Place colorful hands-on materials or materials in a variety of shapes in different boxes. Label each box as appropriate. For example:
* Color Boxes add paint sample cards or Formica samples (from the hardware store), color paddles, colorful rocks and shells, or other small objects. Make one box per color or one box with color activities.
* Shape Boxes add blocks, cookie cutters, puzzle pieces, books on shapes, and so on. - Keep these boxes on a shelf for the entire year, and change the contents often.
- Use this idea to make nature boxes, such as shells and rocks. Children can sort, count, and examine the contents using a magnifying glass. Some of the children return to these boxes again and again, enjoying the cool smooth stones, or the beauty of the shells.
Instructions
1. Plan a field trip to the zoo.
2. Before the trip, make a ten-page animal counting booklet for each child.
3. On each page, draw a different zoo animal, starting with one animal on the
first page, two on the second page, and so on. For example, page one might
have one elephant, page two might have two lions, page three might have
three giraffes, and so on. Make copies and staple them together so that each
child gets a packet.
4. On the trip, give one packet to each child along with a pencil.
5. Ask the children to put a check on the page when they find the animal.
Encourage them to count the number of animals in the packet and at the
zoo.
6. They can color the animals in the packet at home or when they return to
school.
