This Halloween eraser graph makes the perfect morning activity (we call these Breakfast Invitations) for preschoolers. Learn math through hands-on learning and play with simple supplies you already own. Prep time is less than three minutes.
Remember these Halloween erasers? You may have seen them in the pumpkin patch or frozen for this water play. I look for them every year; you guessed it, they are back in stock.
Yahoooooooo! Let the Halloween games begin.
RELATED: Ready to change seasons? Here are 31 activities for Halloween to celebrate all of October.
Why math activities are important for preschoolers
Math is involved in just about everything we do. When we do laundry, we sort the darks and the lights. When we go to Target, we count the dollars from Grandma and figure out what we can buy. And if we are waiting for a snack, we may wait for the oven to read 10:00.
Math is all around us, and it helps organize our life to have systems in place.
This is why creating math activities that feel like a game is a great way to review:
- adding
- counting
- grouping
- measuring
- organizing
- problem-solving
- shape recognition
- sorting
- thinking critically
RELATED: You’ll love these 50 fall activities for preschoolers.
Seasonal Activity Cards
No more searching for ideas. Here’s exactly what you need to celebrate fall, Halloween, winter, and Noon Year’s Eve.
You will ADORE these 20 all-new ideas.
Why the Halloween eraser graph?
When we take the time to set up kid activities for our toddlers and preschoolers, it is important to understand what is going on behind the scenes. (even if our kids see it as a fun game)
Since this easy idea introduces graphing, children are learning how to:
- count
- how many more
- sort
- which has the most
- which has the least
And if you like graphing with kids, you may also enjoy grids with kids!
Guided play
We play simple learning games like this in the morning to begin our day with play. It is an excellent way to start our day with more intention than the Paw Patrol. – I save that for later in the day when we all need a break.
This type of play is called guided play, and you can read more about how kids learn from guided play here in this professional article.
What guided play means is as the adult, I set something up for the child with a goal in mind. Remember, the purposes are sorting, counting, and graphing. As my child plays, I make observations.
Conversation starters
As my preschooler works, we chat over breakfast and my hot tea.
I am cautious not to hover as my child works. Instead, I sit across the table and talk simply about his work.
- Hmm, I wonder which Halloween eraser will have the most.
- Which Halloween eraser has the least?
- It looks like there are more pumpkins than skulls. How many more pumpkins than skulls are there?
As your preschooler completes the graph, naturally encourage conversation based on your observations.
Set-Up
Now that we know what is happening behind the scenes let’s get set up!
- Use painter’s tape to make a graph.
- Take out a few Halloween erasers. The pack has too many for the graph on the table.
- Lay one eraser along the bottom row of the graph.
- Go to bed and invite your child to play at the table when you wake up.
RELATED: Here is how kid activities help with parent burnout.
Supplies
I chose these supplies because they are items we already use. If you have been here for some time, you know my obsession with painter’s tape is legit. We use it for tape mazes, counting activities, and LEGO thinking prompts. I could not do life with kids without it.
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Cool, right? This preschool math activity has TWO supplies. We like to keep activities manageable for both the parents and the child.
We have a few more Halloween activities that you will enjoy:
We enjoy doing simple games in the morning to bring more play into the day. Other ideal times are after a nap, school, or dinner prep.
Play this math graphing game with ages 3+. Younger children will sort, and older children will begin to read the graph, understanding which one has more or less. High-level thinking is how many more one row has over another.
Graphing works great for one to three children. Use this on the table at home or in a small group at preschool.
