Car Colour Tally
What you need
- a window that looks out on a road
- a sheet of paper with three big colour blobs down one side: red, blue and white
- a crayon
How to do it
- Sit together at a window that looks out on the road, with the paper and crayon.
- Every time a car goes past, your child says its colour and draws a line next to that colour blob.
- After a few minutes, count the lines next to each colour together.
- Which colour had the most? Ask them to guess which will win next time, and try again.
Why it matters
A line for every car is a way of keeping count that they make themselves, and comparing the rows of lines shows which colour came most.
What they're learning
- Lines for counting
- One mark for every car is counting they can see.
- Colour words
- Red car, white car, blue car, said as each one passes.
- Most and fewest
- Comparing the rows to find the winner.
What to look for
Notice them counting a row again to check.
A tip
A busy road gives lots of cars quickly and a quiet one keeps it calm. Stop while they still want more.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: pick one colour and draw a line for every car of that colour
Harder: add a fourth colour and count the lines in each row out loud
