Activities

Secure 10 to 15 corn kernels in 6- or 8-ounce water bottles. Play music such as Fisher Price's Dance, Baby, Dance CD and encourage the infant to shake the bottles.

This activity is messy, but fun! Color on white paper with brightly colored crayons, covering the entire page with color in the art center. Place the paper in a tray – a cookie sheet with sides is ideal. Cover with a layer of cornstarch.

Provide cotton balls and tweezers with a variety of cloud mats. Have the child fill the cloud up with cotton balls and then describe which cloud has more or less cotton balls.

Draw a shape on a piece of construction paper. Ask the children to think about how many cotton balls it will take to fi ll up the space. Count the number of cotton balls as you glue them to fill the shape. Compare the number with the predictions.

Soak cotton balls in various extracts such as cinnamon, orange, vanilla, mint, and coffee. Place the cotton balls in small containers with lids and poke holes in the top. Place in the sensory center andh ?ave the children guess each scent.

Provide nontraditional tools for the children to use while at the art center. Instead of paintbrushes, encourage the children to use cotton swabs, their fingers, stamps, pieces of sponge or other materials as they work.

Do a Pre-K chant sung in drill sergeant voice to help the children practice counting when lining up to go inside: Line up Pre-K 1-2-3, Let's go Pre-K 4-5-6, Keep it coming 7-8-9, We need more 10-11-12, Line up 13-14-15, Don't forget 16 and 17.

Read the book Count and See by Tana Hoban. Have the children look for things to count on the playground or surrounding area. Using your camera, take photos of the different things the children find and count.

Gather the children for a movement activity such as “The Hokey Pokey.” Before beginning, say, “Let's count to three and then we'll start. Ready, one, two, three.” Encourage the children to count along with you.

Give each child 10 chips or markers and a cup. Say “We are going to play a word counting game.” Demonstrate the game by saying a sentence, pausing and then saying, “I am going to say that sentence again.

Create a game using a poster board with a 10" x 10" grid which makes 100 squares. Using counters, such as pennies or bottle caps, have the children roll a die and place that number of counters on the grid.

Sing the following song with the children to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb":
Come along and count with me,

Count with me, count with me.

Come along and count with me.

Use a countdown timer to help the children be prepared for transitions. This can be done with a phone or an alarm clock. If you have a computer or tablet in the classroom, there are websites and apps where you can download a timer.

Provide a variety of real and found items for counting, sorting and patterning in the math center. Keys, hair barrettes, buttons or shells all help children connect to prior knowledge.

Provide backwards counting books such as Counting Cows by Woody Jackson or 10, 9, 8 Polar Animals! by Rebecca Davis.

Provide stacking blocks or cups. Encourage the infant to explore the blocks. Stack three blocks on top of each other and point to each one. “There are three blocks...one...two...three.

Add counting books into the reading center, such as Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth; The Icky Bug Counting Book by Jerry Pallotta; Counting Kisses: A Kiss & Read Book by Karen Kat

Make a counting can from a Pringles® chips can. Cover and decorate it. When a child needs to self-soothe, have him/her open the can and count while blowing into it. You can have the child start out by counting to five.

Encourage the children to count with you as you put toys away together. Count the dolls as you place each one on the shelf. "Let's put away the dolls. One doll, two dolls. Two dolls on the shelf.

You will need a number cube, numeral stamps and paper. The children roll the number cube, and then stamp the number that is rolled on their paper. They will repeat this process until they all fill up their papers.