Wait, is it already the holiday season? You bet. And this Christmas Activity with Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle makes a terrific Kindergarten math game.
We know some Kindergarteners can count to 100, but do they know how to visualize the number 100? This request is a daunting task for a young mind to do. Luckily, hands-on learning activities like this can help!
When children touch the objects they count, they are more engaged and have an increased chance of retaining what they are doing. Turn the book Little Blue Truck into a great, interactive math game to help your kids count higher numbers. Take it away, Little Blue!
RELATED: Want even more ideas to celebrate? Let this list of 40+ Christmas activities plan your December.
Supplies
- Green Pom Poms – these will be your ‘Christmas trees.’ You place them into the truck before counting away!
- Little Blue Truck – use the truck to load up the pom poms. You don’t have to use a blue one, but it helps bring Little Blue Truck alive.
- Little Blue Truck Book – you can’t have a book activity without the book!
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How to Play this Christmas activity with Little Blue Truck
Step 1. Set up a hundred’s chart
This is a chart that goes up to 100 – perfect for Kindergarten! Your kids will use the chart to help count how many ‘Christmas trees’ (we’re using pom poms) will fit in Little Blue Truck. You can make your chart or use the 100 chart I found online.
Step 2. Grab some pom poms and a blue plastic truck
I chose green pom poms to represent Christmas trees, but you can use whatever colors you have! You also need a real-life version of Little Blue to place the pom poms inside. I’ve linked all the supplies you’ll need in the next section (don’t you worry!).
Step 3. Read the book Little Blue Truck
Little Blue Truck must load and deliver his Christmas trees to his friends in the book. The story begins with the question, ‘How many trees can fit in Blue’s truck?’ This question leads us to our hundreds chart – hook, line, and sinker!
Step 4. Ask your Kindergartners: ‘How many Christmas trees will fit in Little Blue’s truck?’
Together, begin the investigation by placing green pom poms in the truck. Once it’s complete, put the pom poms on the hundreds chart.
Step 5. Count as you go
Encourage your little one to look at the number on the chart to see how many pom poms there are!
Why is This Christmas Activity Important?
- Encourages Prediction – Kindergartners can predict how many pom poms will fit on the truck without tumbling over.
- Enhances Collaboration – We are asking our Kindergartners to collaborate with others.
- Improves Counting Skills – Your Kindergartener is practicing counting to 100.
- Promotes Inquiry-based Learning – We are encouraging our children with inquiry-based learning for them to form mathematical conclusions.
By Kindergarten, the Common Core will ask children to count to 100 using ones and tens. See the Kindergarten standard here. This Christmas activity with Little Blue Truck is a great place to start.
RELATED: Practice addition with this domino track.
Hands-on Math Activities Improve Learning
Little Blue Truck’s Christmas is a great way to start a conversation around numbers. Have your children learn through this activity to help improve counting skills and collaboration, encourage prediction, and form mathematical conclusions. Yep! With this activity, your kids can get a leg up on all these skills.
Let’s use this hundred chart to get Kindergarteners to learn through movement. When will you try this hands-on Christmas activity for Kindergarten?
Check Out These Math Activities
- Apple Dot to Dot – Preschool Math Activity
- Counting Surprise for Preschool Math
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Frequently Asked Questions
Counting and understanding number sense go hand in hand. Practice counting putting goldfish into a snack bowl or how many steps it takes to get to the car. We also want to add counting manipulatives (such as these counting bears) to touch objects as we count them. This will help you practice counting and understand what groups of numbers look like.
Let your child listen to you, counting and touching objects as you count them. This will model number sense and one-to-one correspondence. Here are 50 math activities for kids to get started!
Depends! Think about your child’s stage rather than how old your child is. The best way to help your child improve is to hear you counting out loud.
Equipment
- none
Materials
- Green pom poms
- Little blue truck
- Little Blue Truck's Christmas board book
Instructions
- Make a hundred's chart.
- Add green pom poms to the 100 chart.
- Read the book, Little Blue Truck's Christmas.
- Together, begin the investigation by placing green pom poms in the truck. Once it’s full, put the pom poms on the hundreds chart.Count as you go.
Notes
- Encourages Prediction – Kindergartners can predict how many pom poms will fit on the truck without tumbling over.
- Enhances Collaboration – We are asking our Kindergartners to collaborate with others.
- Improves Counting Skills – Your Kindergartener is practicing counting to 100.
- Promotes Inquiry-based Learning – We are encouraging our children with inquiry-based learning for them to form mathematical conclusions.
Such great activities! This has been so much fun!
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