Kid math activities need to involve movement. This preschool color counting hunt will do just that. Why? Because the color counting hunt has preschoolers practicing colors, problem-solving, and learning by doing. Movement wakes the brain and body to make larger connections to prior knowledge. Let’s create active and meaningful math activities to help our children soar!
RELATED: These kid activities at home are open-ended and a great way to learn through play.
How do I teach math to my preschoolers?
I use guided play to enhance learning math. This means I am setting up intentional play prompts for my children to extend existing math concepts in new ways.
Learning math with preschoolers is fun and flexible.
When teaching math to preschoolers, I want to:
- Use open-ended materials (this STEM toy list is the best!)
- Motivate preschoolers to problem solve
- Include movement
- Follow multi-step directions
RELATED: We keep learning fun in all our top 101 preschool activities!
Kickstart your morning routine with play.
PDF Startup Guide – A road map for executing mornings anchored in play, discovery, and learning.
PDF Activity Cards Set One and Two – Breakfast Invitations are play-based, hands-on, and designed with an intentional introduction to learning through play.
Before you begin this preschool math activity, ask yourself:
- Does my child correctly identify colors? If not, head to this outdoor color activity.
- Does my child sort by color? If not, head to this indoor color sorting activity.
- Does my child successfully count to ten? You can use this counting to ten activity to check.
If your child has mastered the above, we are ready for this color hunt! If you want to scale your activities at home, check out our list of toddler activities.
A simple list of supplies:
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White Paper Roll
This paper is a staple in our home. Place it on the table or a verticle surface. So many uses!
40 Pack of Washable Markers
Share these markers with your kids, or keep them for yourself. I am not one to judge. (I keep my markers separate)
Color Counting Hunt Set up:
- Tape down your white paper.
- Draw a variety of circles on the paper.
- Add numbers in each circle. Remember to make each number a different color.
- Invite your child to hunt the house and find the number of objects listed on the paper.
RELATED: Here are 35+ activities to learn colors your children will enjoy.
What to expect as your child plays
- Allow your preschooler to pick a circle.
- To start, try saying things such as You picked the red circle with a red 6! I wonder what we should do to fill it?
- Have your preschoolers hunt for six red items.
- Return, pick a new circle, and repeat.
Remember, preschoolers learn more through movement than they do a worksheet. Here is the importance of sensory play and why we incorporate it into our home. This article from Success Starts Early shares the importance of movement and play.
Why is counting and number sense so valuable for preschoolers?
By Kindergarten, understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.
You can help prepare your preschooler for this skill by touching as you count now.
Remember to touch each object as you count to demonstrate that you match a number name to a number amount.
Take number sense one step further, begin to Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group.
Ready? Let’s do this!
A BUNDLE OF OUR BEST RESOURCES
it’s like Mary Poppin’s bag – full of great ideas to inspire you and your kids with play!
You get an amazing bundle including:
- The Starter Guide to press restart on your days.
- 2 Sets of Activity Cards for activities when you need them.
- The WONDER Course: More Play, Less Stress for You and Your Child.
FAQ
This collection of learning activities is our favorite way to reinforce early learning concepts through play. We like to play these games in the morning when my child wakes up, and I prepare breakfast.
When learning is playful, children are more likely to take risks. The more risks, the more connections are made in the brain. As children repeat play patterns and take risks, they strengthen their intelligence. We want to make math approachable, enjoyable, and enough of a challenge that keeps children thinking and building on prior knowledge.
Inside this post of 40 math activities for kids, you will find play-based, hands-on math activities for preschoolers. Kids learn by practicing counting, graphing, measuring, learning shapes, and sorting through play. These are the best math activities for toddlers and preschoolers.
