I have reserved my very favorite preschool
math activities for my "PRE-MATH"
booklet (see the "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers" section
of my website).
NUMBER:
9
From
Stormie:
Math/Art Center Activity: Counting:
"Pussy Willows":
For the spring theme, bring in a real pussy
willow to show the children. In advance, draw a branch on a sheet of paper
for each child. Help each child count out nine pieces of puffed wheat, then
paste them on the branches.
Fine Motor Center Activity: "Flower Tops":
Draw nine stems with leaves all in a row. Children then choose tiny pom-poms
from a container and lay them in clusters at the top of each stem to complete
a flower. For counting opportunities, they can count the nine flowers in
the row as well as the number of pom-poms they used to create each flowerhead.
Snack Faces: Let children spread peanut butter onto a round cracker
then count out nine raisins to use for creating a face on top.
Fine
Motor: Clouds In the Sky: Provide each child with a large blue piece of paper
and a smaller white sheet of paper. Have them tear the white paper into
nine pieces (clouds) and glue them onto the blue paper (sky).
Creativity
Within the Limits of a Theme: Bunnies: Have each child count out nine cotton
balls from a container. Instruct them to create their own "bunnies" picture
using the nine little cotton bunnies. Provide plenty of collage materials.
Variation: Create a "sky" picture with nine little cotton clouds.
New Fun With Old Rhymes:
Pease
Porridge Hot
Pease
porridge hot, Pease porridge cold,
Pease
porridge in the pot, Nine days old.
Some
like it hot, Some like it cold,
Some
like it in the pot, Nine days old.
Define "porridge"
(a food boiled into a thick consistency). In this case, the rhyme refers
to a thick "pea soup." Discuss the rhyme with the children. Heat a
can of peas, thicken them with cornstarch, and let children taste it. Ask
if they think it would taste good cold. You could store it overnight in
the frig and let children check it out the next day. Does it look good?
Count nine days on the calendar. Discuss whether you think it would taste
good after nine days.
Stormie's
Games: By the way, I offer a "Counting Cards"
game in the "Teaching Aids" section of "Stormie's
Stuff for Teachers.
Favorite Books:
From Stormie:
One, Two, Three, Oops! by Michael Coleman; illustrated
by Gwyneth Williamson: This is a neat counting book for the
month as Mr. Rabbit is having trouble keeping count of all his bunnies.
It's fun and silly!
---------------------------------- Reminder
from Stormie: If you would like to begin collecting ALL my current classroom
ideas (each on a 4 x 6" index card), as well as new ones that I create, you
can do so by ordering my "Activity Cards." Click here
to check them out.
NUMBER:
9 