Dragon Counting

This is simple 1-5 counting work and one-to-one correspondence activity.  The dragons are the safari minis and the counting chart I made but there are similar ones you can purchase.  I love having it for the diversity of objects to rotate throughout the year depending on the unit study, season, or holiday!

Of course, the dragons are a an immediate draw for all those boys in the classroom!

Bats on Moon Counting Work

This is a work I've wanted to make for years.  I finally got around to it this year.  I used Ben Franklin's dye cuts which are free to use as long as you buy the felt or paper there.

I made a few extra bats as I'm sure some will get lost at some point!

This was in constant use during October and they referred to it as the "Batman Work"  :)

1-10 heart counting

My director made this and its' been very fun this month!  The cards have a clip art heart on each one and they are lined up as you would would the counters in cards and counters (representing odd and even numbers) but with control of error!  The hearts came from Target a couple years ago.  Although you could use valentine color flat marbles or heart erasers which seem easy to find during February!

0-10 Acorn Counting

With the beginning of the school year approaching, ideas of new works are popping in to my head!  This was super easy to make.  The acorn leaf paper I've had for years.. It was given to me by a former co-worker.  It was actually a tablet of paper.  I used my number stickers and laminated the paper.  I got the acorns at Michaels. 

It will take at least 2 bags of the acrons (they were $3.99 each but remember your coupon!)  There are two different sizes of acorns in the bag  and I wanted them to be all the same size.  After taking count when I got home, I found I was 5 short.  But thankfully I just happend to have some extras in my Thanksgiving box from last year to make 55.  Love it when that happens!

Here's a close up

Now I just need to decide if I should put them out in September, October, or November!

1-10 Thematic Counting

This is a 1-10 counting activity from on of our fellow Montessori bloggers, Tiffany.  

She used 2"x4" labels and backed on cardstock cut to 3"x5".  She found clipart that related to the fall and added numbers in 24 pt font (this is the best size for paper clips).  You could use clothes pins or any fun clips that relate to your theme.  She plans on making them for each of her unit studies. 

You might even be able to find theme related clothespins!

Cards and Counters Extension and Variety

These are really simple cards and counter cards I made last year.  I like to switch out math works and counting manipulative's often and between my own materials and what the school has we have so many different objects!  So I just made these cards that go from 1-10 in all different colors and sizes.  Some on plain paper some on patterned.  Erasers, flat marbles, seasonal objects like plastic hearts for Valentines day or jingle bells for Christmas are so inviting and gives ample opportunity for the kids to practice combining the correct amount of quantity to the symbol!  This was very easy and I did them in one night.  The numbers are actually stickers.  If you ever see a Pepsi or Coke delivery person in your local grocery store you can ask them for these!  They have binders and binders full of them!  Telling people you're a local preschool teacher seems to go a long with people and they are happy to share!  

Math - Spinner Addition

Not the greatest picture (sorry!)

Another way to just mix up basic addition!  The kids seem to love any activity involving a dice or a spinner.  You can get these spinner boards in packs at Lakeshore Learning.  

It's just as simple as it looks with a spinner, addition paper, and two bowls with different objects.

It's fun to switch out the objects throughout the year and relate it to the current season, holiday, or unit that you're studying.  I put this out in late spring hence the frogs and butterflies.  Switching the type of addition paper to a different format or using graph paper keeps them coming back over and over again!