These Christmas tree math games for preschool aged children are fun to make and play.
Christmas tree math games for preschool
We’re starting our Christmas tree math activities by making a set of trees using potato printing. A simple triangle shape is easy (for adults) to cut into the potato, and makes a perfect little Christmas tree.
Print onto a piece of card so your trees will stand up by themselves when you come to play the counting games. Make as many trees as you want to count to: five, ten, whatever suits your child. You could even use Christmas scented paint.
Then your child can use a cotton bud or their finger to add some decorations to the tree. You can use glitter glue or coloured paint.
Count your decorations carefully, adding one, two, three, four and five to each tree.
Then cut out your trees, including an extra section of card at the base of each tree which you can fold backwards to make a stand.
You can add in some math vocabulary as your arrange your trees.
Which tree has the most decorations? Which tree has the fewest?
Can your child line up their trees in number order?
Then make some number cards to match to your trees. I like using a tube of glitter glue for this because it’s easy to squeeze and control as you can write out your numbers. It also holds its bumpy shape when dried, so you’ve created set of number cards that your child can run their finger over, to feel the shape of the digit. And, you know…. it’s sparkly!
Now you can see if you can match your digit cards with your trees.
And try out some simple addition sums too.
Touching each raised bauble is great to reinforce one-to-one correspondence and careful counting, as your child can feel each decoration as they say the numbers out loud. It’s helpful to include as many senses as possible for learners, so here your child can see the numbers, feel them with their fingers, and say their names out loud.
It’s helpful to your child to incorporate numbers in all kinds of play, so, once you’ve finished playing your math games, you could move the trees into a small world – like this winter wonderland – so they are still seeing numbers as part of their imaginary play.
Download your complete Candy Cane Unit
A super fun and festive unit of learning! This kit gives you everything you need to teach an engaging program of activities all based around candy canes. With ideas for math, literacy, science, play, sensory, arts and crafts your children will love learning all through the holiday season.
:: over 60 pages of lessons, activities, and printables
:: a complete unit of candy cane themed math, science, literacy, arts and crafts, sensory, and play
:: materials lists and bonus printables make it so easy!
:: everything planned for you, so you can enjoy it as much as your children do
:: fun and festive, and packed with engaging learning
:: created with children aged 4 to 8 in mind
Click here to get your copy of the complete Candy Cane Unit.
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