Materials
2 groups of 10 objects of different shapes and/or colors such as cube blocks,linking rings, or red and white bingo chips
Instructions
1. Place two groups of five objects in front of the children. Say, "Find out if there is the same amount or number in each pile."2. Let them experiment with different ways they can find out if the number is the same in both piles. The children may arrange the items so they match in one-to-one correspondence or they may count each group to determine if they are equal.
3. Count the items in each group with the children to confirm their answers.
4. Continue the activity, placing one more item in each pile each time until you reach a total of 10 items in each pile.
5. Leave the activity out during center time for individual exploration.More to do Cleanup: While cleaning up after an active day of play, encourage the children to sort small manipulative items by color and then compare the piles. Which has more? Less? The same amount?
