NUMBER STICKS ON PLAY DOUGH MATH ACTIVITY FOR TODDLERS
NUMBER STICKS ON PLAY DOUGH MATH ACTIVITY FOR TODDLERS
Introducing your little ones to numbers and counting can seem a little tricky at first. Where do you start? How do you do it? There are SO many questions that may arise, and you’ll always find yourself questioning if you’re doing it right. After all, you’re beginning your little ones education! Of course you have to take it seriously!
So, if you’re currently in the process of introducing your little one to numbers, I’ve got you covered! How about trying this fun combination between crafts and math activity for kids? I love when the little ones learn while playing, without even noticing! I am all for fun education that helps your child learn alongside their developmental guidelines.
My little one, Nicky, absolutely loves baking balls out of play dough to stick the popsicles sticks in. The vertical sticks make it a but more challenging for younger kids but if you have younger ones, leave out the play dough part and have them add the cloths pins flat on the table instead. I just think this activity is so cool, and I had a really great time putting it together. I hope you and your children love it to! Here’s to fun learning!
MATERIALS:
Play dough (Check out our homemade play dough recipe)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Number the popsicles sticks.
Roll up a piece of play dough for each stick.
Place the sticks in the center of each play dough in numerical order.
Add the corresponding number of clothespin to each stick.
Counting With Popsicle Sticks
This activity is usually played with the instructions above, but there are certainly a few more that you can play! This way, you can get a few fun games out of these sticks!
Addition and subtraction game.
This one is definitely more suitable for older children, but makes it so helpful for older kids to join in with their family in this activity. For older kiddos, you can use the popsicle sticks for simple addition and subtraction problems. You can use the popsicles sticks with numbers on them, and ask your child to add or subtract the two numbers you’ve shown them! They may even be able to show the littler kids a thing or two!
Number matching game.
This one is super fun for kids of all ages! You can make it harder for older kids or easier for the little ones. Just write numbers on the popsicle sticks and place them on the playdough. Then you can prepare a number of small objects that the child can use to match with each numbered stick by placing the objects next to the appropriate stick. You can customise the items you get them to match with the sticks to their liking. If they like bears, use small bears, if they like nature, use some trees or bug toys.
Counting by groups.
When creating your pop sticks, make at least 30-40 and number each craft stick 1-10. This way, you can teach your children to count by groups. Simply group each stick into sets of ten or other numbers and place them on the playdough. Have the child count the number of sets and each stick number, then multiply to find the total number of counting sticks. For example, if there are 4 groups of 6, the total is 24.
Make counting and learning numbers fun!
Well, there you have it! Multiple games, for multiple different ages, that the whole family can enjoy! It is so fun and can literally be tailored to your child, how they learn, and what they need to learn. You can say goodbye to tears and sighs of boredom when trying to teach, and hello to a whole world of fun that your little one will absolutely LOVE. In fact, my kids always ask when we can play it again!