Play Egg Carton Shake!

Education Category: General, Math
Ages: 4-8, 8-12, 12-16

You could throw away that empty egg cardboard or make use of it to make a
fun game that will reinforce a child's understanding of numbers and
more. This is a quick and easy game that introduces the numbers;
one, two, and three and improves reaction time and critical
thinking skills. Your child will have a great time making funny animal noises
and learn a lot without even realizing.

What You Need:

       Empty 12-compartment egg carton
       Button
       Small pictures of a dog, cat, and bird

What to Do:

    1.  Write the numbers: 1, 2 and 3 three times each in each section of the egg cardboard. You should now
         have nine sections of the cardboard marked.
    2.  Paste a picture of a dog in one of the remaining sections, a cat in another, and a bird in the last.
    3.  Invite your child to place a button in the egg cardboard, close the lid, and shake it.
    4.  Then ask your child to open the lid and see where the button has landed. If it is on a numbered section,
        the child name the number. If it is on one of the animals, let her immitate the animal’s
        sound (the cat meows, the dog barks, and the bird tweets).

Once your child is ready to learn new numerals and number concepts, vary this game by including
numbers one through five or more, and different animals that make distinct sounds such as cows,
horses, and chicks.
 

Adapted with permission from 'Count On Math: Activities for Small Hands and Lively Minds.'
Copyright 997 by Pam Schiller and Lynne Peterson. Used with permission of Gryphon House, Inc., Maryland.
All Rights Reserved. Downloaded from Education.com