Materials
buttonsplastic netting12 plastic eggs
Instructions
1. Loosely wrap different numbers of buttons in pieces of netting. Keep the total number of buttons small (one to five buttons per bag).
2. Place one bag of buttons in each egg.
3. Hide the eggs in the room.
4. When it is time to play the game, explain that you have hidden 12 eggs in the room.
5. As the children find the eggs, have them place them on a table and keep track of them by counting the whole group each time an egg is added.
6. When all the eggs have been found, have one child open one and take out the bag of buttons (without opening it).
7. Ask the child to predict how many buttons are in the bag.
8. The child opens the bag and counts the buttons.
9. Continue until all of the eggs have been opened and all the buttons counted.
10. For a variation, label each egg with a numeral from 1 to 12. Fill 12 bags with buttons (one button in one bag, two buttons in the next bag, and so on to 12). Encourage the children to count the buttons in each bag and put them in the matching egg.
