Here’s a super easy, quick, and fun way to help teach your little ones number sense. I saw this idea several years ago and made this Egg Match game for Drew. This particular game is probably about 5 years old and still in great shape. I loaned it to a friend recently and completely forgot about it, but when she returned it I instantly passed it on to the twins. They LOVED it! Seriously, loved it.
Here’s how it can help teaching numbers with your kiddos:
1. Basic counting – you can count all day long, backwards, too. You point to each egg as you count, you can hold their hands as they point and you say the numbers aloud together, they can point to them alone and say them aloud.
2. Number recognition – With all the eggs still in the carton, randomly call out a number and have them find it and point. If they get it right, they can hold the egg. If not, show them the correct one and leave it in – better luck next round. Take several eggs out of the carton and hide them behind your back. Have them tell you which eggs are missing. The numbers are written on the bottom of each egg slot so they can look at it if they need to, or they can count all the eggs before the missing one and tell you what comes next.
3. Number Order – Dump all the eggs out, help them or have them match the number on the egg to the one in the carton to put the numbers in order properly. Always count them all together again after each game is finished. You could also put one egg in its slot and ask, “What comes before this number? What comes after? Which number is in the middle?” These are all skills that the kiddos will need to build their math proficiency.
If the game is overused and begins to get dull, try hiding the eggs around the house. Have them hunt for their numbers and then put them in the carton in the correct spot as they find them. 🙂
I’m sure there are so many more ways to use this game, if you have more I’d love to hear them! Enjoy and I bet you’re egg-stra happy to have a use for those plastic eggs! (Yes, I know, I’m so terribly sorry for that joke…I only regret it a little bit.).
Happy Thursday!
~Melissa
