Jude had out grown the simple sorting game I made him, so I decided to create a more advanced version. Since sorting is an early math activity, I thought it only made sense to turn sorting feathers into counting feathers. And so, this simple counting game was born.
Want to make one?
You'll need:
Colored squares of felt or fabric
Feathers (or pom poms) of coordinating color
Numbers, cut out of felt (or purchased foam numbers)
A container (jar) to hold the feathers and numbers
To make the game:
Choose between three and six colors, depending on how difficult you would like your game to be. Gather/create that many numbers; for my game, I made the numbers 1-4. Add the numbers to the jar/container. Add one feather of one color, two of another, three of another, and so on. The number of feathers for each color can be changed frequently to keep the game challenging and interesting.
To play the game (as with the sorting game, I recommend demonstrating once all the way through first):
1. Lay out the colored squares and sort the feathers, matching them to the colored squares.
2. Once all the feathers are sorted, count the feathers on each square and place the corresponding number on top.
3. Check to see if everything has been matched up correctly.
4. Shout hooray and give yourself a big pat on the back for a job well done!
Here's to making math fun! Happy Counting!
