Math can be fun with this Christmas activity
This activity is a great way to make learning how to count more engaging and fun. The final result is visually appealing and can even be used as decoration throughout the Christmas season.
Materials like felt and pom poms are great for preschool activities because they have an interesting texture and different colors. So you will not only be teaching them how to count, but also doing some sensory play. This makes the activity more fun for the kiddos (and also for you)
This activity is a perfect example of the cognition domain, as you will be teaching kids how to determine quantity. They will be counting the pompoms and also matching the amount of pompoms to the correspondent tree.
If you are using this for older students, you can bring this activity up a level by including some simple math operations. Instead of using only one number on each tree, you can use addition and subtraction and ask the kiddos to glue the amount of pompoms that corresponds to the final results.
Materials
For each set of trees you will need:
1 piece of green felt
Stencils for numbers
Black felt pen
Scissors
Pompoms
Learning Outcomes
Domain
Cognition
Skills
Determining Quantity
Indicators:
Counting to determine quantity, matching numbers to sets of objects
Instructions
Step 1:
Use the scissors to cut the green felt in the shape of Christmas trees. You will need one tree for each different number, so if teaching from 0 to 9, you will need 10 trees in total.
Step 2:
Place the stencil on top of each tree and fill it in with a black marker.
Step 3:
To add a bit of depth, contour each tree with the black marker.
Step 4:
Now it is time to bring the children to play (and learn). In small groups, ask the children to glue the correct amount of pompoms on each tree.
Step 5:
Review the results with the children and make any corrections that are necessary. As a final step, help them to arrange the trees from 0 to 9.
Playful Questions
Where should we start?
What color are the pompoms?
Which tree has the highest number?
Which tree has the lowest number?
