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We’re getting really excited about springtime over here!
Last week we made some butterfly finger puppets. And, this week I made a butterfly counting jar activity that is perfect for spring!
We’ve been discovering all the ways we can use it in our homeschool. And, ways you can use it with your kiddos too because it’s free:)
Butterfly Counting 1-10
The first and most obvious way to use this activity is to count butterflies and place them in the jar. It is a perfect activity for the youngest mathematicians who are still polishing their basic counting skills.
Your kiddo picks a number from 1-10 and places it in the box on the counting mat. Then, they count out that many butterflies, adding them to the jar as they go. Easy, peasy, and fun!:)
This would be a fantastic center to go with a preschool letter B theme too.
Butterfly Counting 11-20
The download includes number tiles from 1-20. But, the jar only “holds” about ten butterflies well. So, to use all twenty tiles, and to count higher than ten, you’ll need to print out two jar mats.
You can overlap the mats and use one number tile on the first mat to count from 11-20. Or, just place one number tile above both mats. Which leads right into how we are using these mats to practice addition.
Addition
These mats are perfect for addition practice. Start with a number tile on each jar mat. Then, your child places the correct amount of butterflies in each jar. Next, they add the total number of butterflies in both jars and place that number tile at the top. In the case below, 5+3=8.
This also works in reverse where children can decompose numbers. In that instance, start with a number tile at the top of both jars and children would be asked to break the number apart into the two jars.
You could even make this a challenge for your child to see how many ways they can make each number. For instance, if they started with eight they could come up with 8+0, 7+1, 6+2, 4+4, and so on.
Place Value
As we were using this activity I realized that it was a good way to show my daughter the concept of place value.
To do this, place any number tile over ten above both mats. Then, place a 10 tile on the first mat and the appropriate number on the second mat.
In the picture below, we were making fourteen. We filled the first jar with ten butterflies and then had to put the “extra” in the other jar or the ones place.
Butterfly Counting Jar Activity
This free butterfly counting jar activity includes:
- A butterfly counting jar mat
- 1-set of 20 butterfly counters
- 1- set of number tiles from 1-20
Grab your FREE PRINTABLES HERE in my shop!
Have fun counting butterflies! And, if you’re looking for simple seasonal writing center ideas, try my new spring vocabulary word cards.
Heidi
