Materials
plastic tub filled with sand
large plastic sheeting or plastic swimming pool
large number of 2" paper triangles
transparent tape
plastic drinking straws or stir sticks
assortment of plastic sand pails or containers
plastic sand shovel or scoop
marker
Instructions
1. Place the tub of sand and the other materials on the plastic sheeting or in the
swimming pool. This makes cleanup easier.
2. Create a large number of "flags" by taping paper triangles to drinking straws.
Sand & Water Play
428 The GIANT Encyclopedia of Math Activities
3. Put the flags and marker in a box near the sand tub.
4. Invite one or two children to do this activity at a time.
5. The child chooses a pail and scoops sand into it. Have her count the scoops
as she works.
6. Help the child write the number of scoops on the flag and stand the flag in
the bucket full of sand.
7. Let the child repeat the activity by filling several other pails and counting the
scoops.
8. When all the pails are full, or the child tires of the activity, have her remove
the flags from each pail and dump the sand back into the tub.
Art: Invite the children to cut and paste several sand pails on a sheet of paper
and then tape their flags to the paper to show how many scoops they counted.
If desired, let them glue real sand at the top of each bucket!
