Pick up this week's Activity Sheets.

May 1 - May 11, 2002

Creativity basket tips for the week:  

Small snacks that are fun to count:  crackers (especially oyster crackers), cheese cubes, cereal pieces.

Colorful paper to make flowers.
Print & play stop & go to explore the octagon!

In this week's Butterfly School Activity Sheets, enjoy cheerful counting games in our garden setting.   If you are looking for extra activities to take on the go, visit & print our flower alphabet series,  alphabet sheets, check them out this week!  

From my kitchen table to yours . . . tips for counting.

 Here are a five simple things to count, followed by five fun things that require just a little preparation! 

1.  count numbers 1 - 10 on our coordinated sheet

2.  count fingers, toes, knees and elbows

3. count the number of drawers or doors in your kitchen (tape a number on each, or use a post-it type of note)

4. count spoons, cans, paper napkins

5.  books, teddy bears, blocks

Five more . . . (but you might need a store) . . .

1.  count letters in alphabet soup (buy it, or buy alphabet pasta & add it to your own delicious soup)

2.  count alphabet magnets on your refrigerator (you can make your own by printing & cutting up our alphabet sheet on a special store-bought sheet of thin magnet paper that works in a computer printer -- try office supply stores)

3.  cut squares of construction paper and count them (also triangles, hearts, stars, etc.)

4.  count seconds on a clock that shows the "seconds" hand . . . count all the way to 60!

5.  count steps when you climb (carefully) up or down a safe staircase

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For more great ideas, check out the activities at our parent site www.shininghours.com.  

Next week, we'll help caterpillars rest & take good care of themselves to get over a cold! 

You are ready for the Activity Sheets now; you can print them from here (Get Sheets), or go back to the Butterfly School home page.

From Butterfly Central,

-- Jessica Steigerwald

Count along with us!

Teacher Tips
from Corinne Steigerwald

 Count on us for more number fun!  Introducing the names of numbers is important.  Think of counting as the perfect lesson to help the number "names" stick! 

Teachers refer to a concept called "numberness" -- it is an interesting way to think about your child's first appreciation of math.   

Every number has a symbol -- the way we write it "2" -- this is also it's "name."  But, it really helps a child appreciate the meaning of the number if we repeatedly show them the quantity each number represents.  The best way?  Count tangible things and, make it a game!

If you let a child hold small items as you count them out into her hand, she can feel the difference between "1" button, "2" buttons "3" buttons and so on.  This sensation will help your child fully experience each number's individual meaning.

Play counting games every day.  It really doesn't matter what you count.  You can count things that are the same, pasta pieces, spoons or shoes, and you'll also be teaching about classification.

Questions for Corinne: corinne@shininghours.com

Coordinated resources:

Check our posters section!

Print an alphabet:  lowercase

Print an alphabet:  uppercase

Print a counting sheet:  1-10