DIY Pumpkin Manipulatives & Activities

Okay, here is a simple project you can do yourself to make fun, colorful pumpkin manipulatives! (DO NOT EAT!!)

• What you need:
• Brach’s Candy Pumpkins
• Spray Paint (my favorite is Rustoleum Double Cover, usually at Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowes)

*If you buy them AFTER Halloween they are typically half off, depending on where you go.

Buy a couple or a few bags of candy pumpkins, depending on how many you want to make. I used the basic colors of spray paint – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Pink, and Black (I may need to make more in white, brown and grey colors).

I set out some newsprint (or butcher paper) in the garage, and be sure to open the doors/windows. Then you paint!

It really is such a simple project. I even painted the orange ones, just to make sure the kids didn’t ever try to sneak a little nibble, since these will be played with a lot and years old (YUCK!!)

Another option if you don't want to paint the pumpkins is to grab a sharpie. You can draw shapes, write numbers or letters, or dots on the bottom of the pumpkins. If you make 2 sets of each you can play memory and other matching games. EASY!!

Then play with them! Here are some ideas...

1. Sort by color 

2. Arrange them in rows

3. Use for any "find and cover" activities

4. Make letters or shape outlines using the pumpkins

5. Put in a sensory bin

6. Draw out of a bag or bin and graph it

7. Sing & act out “5 little pumpkins”

8. Pumpkin Counting

9. Line up in order of the alphabet

10. Line up, least to greatest & vice versa

11. Spell simple CVC words

12. Play memory match (with shapes or letters/numbers on the bottom)

13. Pick a number pumpkin and count that many colored pumpkins

          14.  Match numbers or letters

There are so many ways you can use these pumpkin manipulatives! 

Share in a comment how you have used them, or even how you plan to use them! Let me know if you make these or tag me on Instagram @preschoolalphabet.

*More Pumpkin preschool ideas can be found here

--Kiley

Numbers

I still need to get a new 2012 calendar. It’s actually starting to drive me nuts … and I’m getting several post-it notes with dates and times that I need to write down.

Last week we did our Numbers Day.

It really is fun to start out with a new calendar and have the kids write a number in each box each day, but because mom was not prepared for that one, we did our other activities and had a lot of fun. I’ve realized that preschool doesn’t have to be perfect, my kids just love the time that I spend sitting down with them working on a project or playing together.

 

• My Numbers Book … print here.
  1. You can see the difference between my 4-year-old (left) and my 2-year-old (right) Either way, they were learning, writing, stickering and enjoying it!
  2. Print, cut in half and staple the “My Numbers Book” here.
  3. Trace the numbers.
  4. Count the butterflies and put a sticker on each. We have a drawer that I keep stocked with stickers. I pulled it out and they chose which stickers they wanted on each page.
  5. We did all 10 pages, but it was a lot. If it’s too much, don’t push it and do the rest tomorrow.
  6. Read your finished book together!
     1. NOTE: my 4-year-old loves being able to “read” a book by himself. So it was fun for him to read his stickers … “two smiley faces … three spiders … four dogs”

• “Get the Wiggles Out” Counting Game … I’ve posted this idea before but this is the first time we’ve actually played it and my kids loved it. Seriously, loved it. We played at least three times.
  1. On several slips of paper, write down an action. Some that we used:
     • Clap
     • Jumping Jacks
     • Rocket Jumps (crouch down, count down from 5, jump up as high as you can!)
     • Run around the table
     • Shake your bootie
  2. Fold up the action cards and place in a cup.
  3. Roll a dice and count the dots.
  4. Then draw an action card and do it that many times, counting as you go. So if we rolled a 4 and chose “JUMP!” we would jump really high 4 times.

 

• Cars Monopoly … ok, so I’m not trying to advertise but this has been a great game. We got it for my 4-year-old for Christmas because my kids love Monopoly but I (h-a-t-e) it. They know that’s the one game I won’t play with them. I will gladly play Cars Monopoly with them
  1. You spin Lightning McQueen along the racetrack to “roll the dice” … whatever number he stops on, you move that many spaces.
  2. The money is $1 bills. That’s it.
  3. The properties cost $1-$5. That’s it. Love it. Same with rent.
  4. Pass Go, Collect … $2. Love it.
  5. You put a tire on the property you own. If you own both, rent goes up $1. So simple.
  6. When the money runs out, the game is over. It lasts about 20 minutes.
  7. I LOVE IT.
  8. And the counting practice is perfect for these little guys.

The rest of the day, I just made it a point to count and point out numbers. We counted our snacks and noticed the numbers on the clock and counted how many books were in our stack to read for quiet time. Lots of numbers!

Roll & Remove Game

My kids loved this game. Half the reason is because they got to eat candy as they played! But seriously, it kept my 6-year-old, 3-year-old and 2-year-old entertained until the game was finished. I love it.

1. Print out these cute, free game boards from The Princess and the Tot.
2. Cut in half and glue onto colored paper.
3. Laminate. I need a laminator. I used two long strips of clear packing tape to “laminate” our boards. I knew with little tasty fingers eating candy corn we’d need a little something to keep the games dry.
4. Place one candy corn in each box. Or, if you’re my kids, also put an extra candy down below, so that if you’ve already rolled the number once, you still get a bonus treat
5. Roll 2 dice (or a 12-sided dice here!)
6. Eat the candy corn from the number you rolled.

I love it because my kids were taking turns, counting the dots, finding the matching number on their board and having fun. You could use this any time of the year. I made up a generic, year-round version too …

Just click it to download and print!

Mouse Count

I’m determined to do more activities based on books. I love it when we can pair a children’s book with fun activities. They become some of my kids favorite books! I love the mouse books by Ellen Stoll Walsh. They are simple and teach the concepts in such a fun, playful way. Use for M = mouse, S = snake or N = numbers!

• Read “Mouse Count” by Ellen Stoll Walsh. Available here!

• Snake Sock Puppet & Marshmallow Mice … Use these to count as you re-tell the story!
  1. Make the “Easiest (I promise!) No-Sew Snake Sock Puppet” … see the tutorial below.
  2. Gather 10 large marshmallows (not the huge, ginormous campfire kind they have now, unless you want really large mice!)
     • NOTE: If you want real-looking mice, I found these small, felt ones here (a dozen). Cute!
  3. Draw a simple mouse face (ears, eyes, nose, whiskers) on each marshmallow.
     • NOTE! Use food-safe markers or be careful not to eat the mice afterwards!
     • ok, so this was actually kind of a pain and I didn’t do it. I just left the marshmallows blank
  4. Optional: Write numbers 1-10 on each mouse if you want your preschooler to practice number recognition too. Otherwise you can just practice counting.
  5. Also need a clear, glass jar.
  6. In the story, the snake catches the mice and puts them, one at a time, into his jar. He counts each one he puts in.
  7. To Play: Put on your snake sock puppet. As you read the story, have your snake also pick up the marshmallow mice, one at a time, and put them in the jar … counting each one as you go! If you numbered the mice, the snake will have to search for the right one before he puts it in the jar. In the end, they escape! And you can play the game again

	You’ll need: 1 long striped sock 2 small safety pins 2 googly eyes glue (I used super glue)
	1. Put the sock on your hand with the heel on your knuckles. Push the sock toe inside to form a mouth.
	2. Reach inside and pin the left side of the toe to the left side of the sock. *See?! You pin it all the way through… 3. Repeat with the right side. This keeps the snake’s mouth nice & secure.
	4. Glue on the googly eyes. I love how they instantly have some personality You’re ready! Easy, right?!

• Snake & Mouse Race … I wasn’t planning on this activity, but my kids thought it up and it was fun!
  1. Scatter the marshmallow mice at one end of the room.
  2. Place the empty jar at the other end of the room.
  3. Have the kids wear their snake sock puppet and start by the jar.
  4. Run to the mice and “gobble one up” then run back and put it in the jar.
  5. Take turns catching the mice until the jar is full!

• Narration and Art … I love these! They always end up so cute.
  1. Read “Mouse Count” (unless you just read it for the activities above)
  2. Ask your preschooler to tell you the story.
  3. Type the story they tell you & try to get it word for word.
  4. Print out their story and let them illustrate it. Or have them glue one of their ripped paper mice (below) on the page for their cut paper collage!
  5. NOTE: I’m going to keep these in a binder with the other “Narration & Art” stories we do.

 

• Ripped Paper Mice … recreate the mice from the story.
  1. Point out the illustrations in the book. They are created with paper … a cut paper collage.
  2. Let your preschooler tear paper into shapes. I tried to talk my 3-year-old into brown or grey, but he chose green, his favorite color
  3. While they tear, cut out 2 arms, 2 feet, 2 ears and a tail.
  4. Let your preschooler glue these on to make a mouse.
  5. Add googly eyes!

Snack Idea: 10 mini marshmallows + 10 cheese cubes (count them!)

Numbers

N week usually falls right around the New Year if you start preschool Labor Day week in September.

• Get a new calendar for the New Year! Each day, starting January 1st, help your preschooler write the number in the calendar square. So January 1, write a big number 1 in the square. The next day, write a big number 2 for January 2nd. The nice thing is that the kids can look at the number already printed on the calendar and copy it if they need to.

  

• Print out this Numbers Book from www.funlessonplans.com.
  1. Cut apart on the solid lines and staple together. I wanted our books to be blank, so I actually printed mine without the butterflies by covering that area with a small paper when they printed.
  2. Let the kids trace the numbers.
  3. Use stickers or glue small items you have around the house to each number page. Let dry.
  4. Let the kids count the objects and read the book.

NOTE: 10 pages is a lot in one day. Another option is to do 1 or 2 pages each day during the week.

Numbers

• Use your finger to write numbers in chocolate pudding

 

• Print this number train from First School. Trace the numbers, color the train, cut it out and assemble a looo-o-ong number train!
• Start a number strip. Add one number every day.
• Get the Wiggles Out Game … ok, that’s just the name I made up for this one.
  1. On slips of paper, write several movements (jump, clap, bounce, rocket blast, run to the door, push-ups)
  2. Put the slips in a cup or hat. Have the kids choose one slip of paper.
  3. Roll a die & count the dots.
  4. Do the movement activity that many times (jump 4 times! run to the door 2 times!)
• Number Pie … I’ve noticed that it’s usually more fun making an activity. This is one that you could make yourself ahead of time – OR – let the kids help. They may learn more by making it

1. Draw lines on a white paper plate to divide it into 8 pieces.
2. Use stickers, dot markers, or glue small objects into each sections … 1 sticker in the first section, 2 stickers in the second, 3 in the third … all the way around to 8.
3. Collect 8 clothespins. Write numbers 1-8 on each clothespin. If your kids are pretty young, you can write the number and add dots to count.
4. Match and clip the numbered clothespins to the piece of pie with the same number of stickers.

Snack Idea: … PIE! Count how many bites it takes to eat a piece

Dice Race Game (Numbers)

  

My 6-year-old started playing this Dice Game he learned in kindergarten (middle picture). Of course, my 3-year-old wanted to play too. He can’t write his numbers yet, so I made a quick game board for him too. This game is great for practicing number writing, counting and matching!

How to play:

1. Roll the dice. Technically die, right? Dice sounds better to me
2. Match the dots on the dice to the dots at the bottom of your paper
3. Trace one number & roll again.
4. The goal is to see which number is rolled the most and makes it to the top of the page first.
5. Play with 1 player (cut the page in half) or take turns rolling the dice with 2 players (play with the whole game board.)

You can draw your own quick chart (like the first picture) or download and print this one below that I made up with numbers to trace.

How to download:

1. Click on the image below
2. Click on “download” (at the bottom)
3. Click on “save” or “open”