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Estimation jars are an easy way to get kids thinking about quantity, volume, length, and comparing and contrasting numbers. I like to use one all year long and change the items depending on the season, like with the fall estimation jar ideas in the list below.
The goal of estimation is to improve accuracy so the skill can be used in the real world. And, learning and improving estimation skills requires lots of practice. It requires looking at different amounts of objects, varying containers with the same item in them, and comparing known quantities to unknown quantities, among other skills. All of which takes time and means that it is important to practice and think about estimation often.
This fall I wanted to share with you the list of items I made for myself of fall estimation jar ideas. And, some of the activities we’re doing in our homeschool. I keep a list handy and use it to replace what’s in the jar throughout our school year. Grab a new idea and start estimating!
Apple Estimation Jar
We use a huge Ball jar for estimation. And, we started our fall estimating with a jar full of apples this year. I left the apples in the jar for one week, so my kids had time to look at and think about their estimates for a few days.
The giant jar is great because it allows me to add larger items to the jar for estimation activities. And, my kids think the big jar is just more fun. I use a mix of small and large items for two reasons. My kids are far apart in age, so I want to make sure I’m including items that my youngest will be successful with. And, I think it’s still a good idea to use bigger items even with older kids. Because it gives them and you an easy way to gauge how well they’re understanding estimation concepts.
There were 12 apples in the jar in total and my son, who is 11 guessed 15 and my daughter, who is 6 guessed 18. I was surprised that she was so close and I’m curious to see if her guess was just a lucky one with this jar or if she’s really beginning to understand estimation concepts.
Extending Estimation Activities
I’m including estimation activities from my Fall Estimation Jar Center this year as well, to be more purposeful in learning these skills. We’re writing down our thinking in estimation books using appropriate vocabulary and recording answers and discussing them together with the estimation prompt cards.
Another fun way to include estimation in your homeschool is to add it to an activity like Measuring the Mayflower. Last fall, we took our kids outside to actually measure out the length of the Mayflower. It was an awesome math activity and easily lends itself to estimation practice. Before you tell your kids how long the Mayflower was, have them guess. They may have no idea and that’s ok. You can start by measuring the length of something like your car. Once they know how long that is they can make more reasonable guesses about how long a ship could be.
Fall Estimation jar Ideas
- Acorns
- Pine Cones
- Candy Corns
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Apples
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Candles
- Cranberries
- Corn Kernels
- Corn on the Cob
- Indian Corn
- Potatoes
- Turnips
- Gourds
- Yams
- Sweet Potatoes
- Reese’s Pieces
- Pumpkin Cheerios
- Apple Jacks cereal
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
- Dried Apple Slices
- Fake Leaves
- Feathers
- Orange Beads
- Plastic Spiders
- Marshmallows
- Lollipops
- Mini-Candy Bars
- Twizzlers
- Popcorn
- A mix of orange, red, brown, and yellow Legos
- Caramels
- Nuts
- Mini-Footballs
- Fall Flowers
- Farm Animal Toys
I will keep this list updated and add to it as I have ideas or we try new things. If you’re looking for more ideas check out this list of 101 Estimation Jar Ideas.
What kinds of things do you put in your fall estimation jars? Let me know in the comments.
Heidi
