There are so many ways to incorporate learning math with science. Today’s guest post, written by Carla at Preschool Prowol Packets, is a fun preschool math activity about exploring volcanoes (and cause/effect) with messy play. She’s even kind enough to share a printable to supplement the activity, found at the end of the post! Without further ado, let’s explore counting volcanoes with Carla…
Thanks so much for having me over, Leann!
Preschoolers are so full of energy and ability to learn! Today I’m sharing how I use one of our favorite activities to reinforce two essential preschool skills: counting and color recognition. This activity also strengthens fine motor skills, provides sensory fun, and gives young children a chance to experience cause and effect.
Counting Volcanoes begins with making the play dough to build the volcanoes. You will need 3 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water, and food coloring close by. Let your child add the ingredients, counting each scoop of flour. If you’re working on higher numbers, use a 1/2 cup or 1/4 cup scoop. Knead the dough until it is workable. You may need to add more water if it is too dry.
Divide the dough into 3-4 sections and let your child choose colors for each section. Older children can mix two primary colors to see how they blend to make the secondary colors. Help your child knead the colors in. Play with the dough! Roll it, make shapes, and make animals! I have even more ideas for playing with your child with play dough here!
When you and your child are ready to move on, set a vase inside a pan and build the volcano around the vase.
When the volcano is complete, ask your child how many volcanoes he sees. Then pour about 3/4 cup vinegar and let your child squeeze a squirt of dish soap in to the vase. Pick out a color for the lava and add it to the vase. Let your child measure three teaspoons of baking soda onto a paper towel. On the count of three, dump the baking soda into the vase!
Your child will most likely want to touch the “lava,” and that is perfectly fine. My children always want to play in it, and that usually means adding a few more props:
Older children enjoy the play and can always follow up by researching questions like:
- What role do volcanoes play in New Zealand?
- What types of volcanoes are there?
- What volcanoes are in the United States (or in the country you live in)?
- Why do vinegar and baking soda make the volcano erupt?
- Where does lava come from?
If you want to reinforce numbers with your younger children, you can use these {FREE} volcano number cards! Simply print the page twice on cardstock (so the numbers don’t show through), cut out the volcano numbers, and use them to play memory. Younger preschoolers can play with fewer cards and older preschoolers can play with all twelve sets. As you play, be sure to say the numbers and point at them. This reinforces number recognition too! Click HERE for the {FREE} file!
Carla is a public school teacher turned homeschooling mom of three who also has a small in-home daycare. She blogs about preschool teaching, resources, ideas, and packs at Preschool Powol Packets. You can also find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Google +.
Thanks Carla for this great idea for preK math and for the great printable you’ve provided! And I especially love the extension questions for the older kids to explore!
Don’t forget to head over to her blog and check out some of her great posts, such as All About Me: 100 Writing Prompts {Free}, Summer Fun for Preschoolers: Water Activities, Fizzing Dinosaur Eggs. She also has a weekly “Teach Me Tuesday” linky that has lots of fun activities for kids!
Did you enjoy this great preschool math post about counting volcanoes? Let Carla know by leaving her a comment below!
The post Counting Volcanos: preschool math activities {with printable} appeared first on The Hands-On Homeschooler.