5 Christmas Math Ideas for Preschool

1.  Spatial awareness- Use cookie cutters to explore size and shape.  *Bonus* The child can count the number of "cookies" made in the dough!

2.  Shapes, size, and counting- Use different shaped Christmas boxes and tins to fill and dump with bows, cotton balls (snow balls), and jingle bells.  How many bows fit in the square box?  Will the biggest jingle bell fit in the biggest box?

3. Number recognition and sequencing- Cut "light bulbs" from craft foam and use a permanent marker to write numbers on each one.  Challenge the children to toss the "light bulbs" and then organize them back in the correct order.

4.  Sorting and matching- Find the matching ornaments and Christmas ducks.  Sort matching objects into groups.

5.  Find the number- Invite the child to look under ornaments on this Christmas tree to find the correct number.  Locate where smaller numbers are on the tree, and where larger numbers are on the tree.  Count up from one to twenty-four.

Most of all, have FUN!  Preschool math rocks, and is super easy to bring into your classroom!

The Apple Game! (Gross Motor Skills and Sorting)

We LOVE the Apple Game at Harmony's House!  We mix up our "apples" in a basket, then say, "On your marks, get set, GO!" at which point all the balls ("apples") get dumped!

Then quick as a wink, we all run to pick up the balls and toss them into either the red tub or the blue tub (I wish I had a green one!) according to color.  All around, you hear, "Red!  Green!  Red!" as the children name the colors that they find.  Occasionally you hear, "Oops!  Wrong one!"  Then we fish out the "apple" that doesn't match and toss it in the correct tub.

By far, this is the MOST fun way we have practiced sorting by color and even the toddlers love it and can accurately sort by colors.  Yay by for apples!