Children sort picture cards into numbered cups according to the number of objects on the cards.
Materials
- 5 paper or plastic cups
- 25 Treasure Bubble Match: Picture Cards (PDF)
- 5 Treasure Bubble Match: Number Cards (PDF)
- Cardstock or plain paper
- Scissors
- Tape
- Optional: timer
Preparation
- Print and cut out the number and picture cards.
- Tape a number card to the front of each cup.
- Place the cups in the correct number sequence (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) on a table.
- Remove the picture cards with mixed sets of objects if they are too challenging for your children. Shuffle the rest of the picture cards and place them facedown on the table in front of the cups.
Directions
You can play this game with or without the timer. If you choose to play without a timer, have children work quickly. If you choose to play with a timer, set it to 15 seconds for each round of play. You can increase or decrease the amount of time as needed. You may also want to show the children how to set the timer so they can do it themselves for additional rounds.
- Tell the children that the goal of this game is to work together to quickly place each picture card in the cup labeled with the matching number. For instance, a card with three diamonds would be placed in the cup labeled with three dots.
- After the children have played one round of the game, have them check to make sure the picture cards were placed in the correct cups. They can do this by comparing the number of objects on each picture card with the number of dots on the cup it was placed in. Ask, Do the number of objects on the cards match the number of dots taped to the cup?
- Remove the picture cards from the cup and shuffle and place them facedown on the table for another round. Encourage the children to work quickly and accurately in placing the cards in the cups.
Note: If children are having difficulty recognizing numbers or placing the picture cards in the correct cups, offer additional support by having them count the objects on the cards before placing them in cups. You may also want to use the picture or number cards like flash cards, and ask the children to identify the number of objects on each.