Count the Stars
What you need
- ten paper stars cut from yellow paper, each about the size of your palm
- five sheets of paper with 1 to 5 dots drawn on them in crayon
How to do it
- Tell your child the stars have fallen out of the sky and are hiding round the room.
- Find the stars together, counting out loud as each one is found.
- Lay out the dot sheets and put one star on each dot, starting with the sheet with one dot.
- Count the stars on each sheet, then count all of them together.
Why it matters
Finding the stars gets them moving, and putting one star on each dot is counting they can see and touch.
What they're learning
- Counting
- One star for each dot ties each counting word to one thing.
- Matching
- Seeing that three stars fill three dots is the start of knowing what a number means.
- Searching
- Hunting round the room keeps them moving and looking carefully.
What to look for
Notice them touching each star as they count, one number for each.
A tip
Hide the first stars in plain sight so the game gets going fast, and count with them instead of correcting.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: use three dot sheets with 1, 2 and 3 dots
Harder: write the number beside the dots and ask them to read it before they count
