A ton of research has been devoted to showing how movement can encourage learning in young children. Active games like this one ignite all the fun centers in my children’s brains. Learning happens right along with the fun! These types of activities from Mother Goose Time are a huge part of why the kids and I both enjoy homeschooling.
Boot Toss
Supplies
- connecting cubes (these come in handy for all kinds of math fun!)*
- boots or boxes decorated to look like boots (our boots are Crocs)
*ours were provided by Mother Goose Time
Set Up
- Arrange the boots on the floor.
- We used a linear (more challenging arrangement) and a half circle (less challenging arrangement). To quote my kids: “You mean we get to throw the cubes twice!”
Independent Play
- Encourage children to grab a handful of connecting cubes and explore tossing them into the boots.
- Experiment with connecting the cubes before tossing them into the boot.
- Count how many cubes made it into the boots.
- For younger children, encourage them to walk next to the boots and drop the cubes inside.
Observe
- Did the child explore trying different ways to get the cubes into the boots?
- Did he/she problem solve independently or did she ask for help?
Mama Notes
- We have mud boots because we live in muddy Eastern TN! If you don’t have boots, there are lots of suitable alternatives. We have used pots and pans, boxes, oatmeal containers, etc.
- The connecting cubes are an awesome resource that we use all the time for counting, addition, subtraction, place value, etc. I highly recommend grabbing some!
- We started with the boots arranged in a line, but my preschooler was concerned that he wasn’t getting enough cubes in the boot. With some reassurance and permission to move the boots into another formation (circling around him) he was thrilled.
- My older son (pre-k) enjoyed tossing the cubes into the boots in a line. He also wanted to try putting the cubes into the boots arranged in a half circle. This worked great, because in the second formation he got more in and had the chance to count higher!
Encouraging Number Recognition
So, we got to practice recording numbers less than five.
We have been working on learning to recognize written numbers with my preschooler. My pre-kindergartner is starting to write some of his numbers. I encouraged both of them to practice this activity by creating a score sheet with both of them.
Preschooler – Number Recognition Practice
My preschooler identified the color of each boot and found the corresponding crayon. I drew boots on a sheet of paper in each color. He threw the cubes and then counted how many went into each boot. He also sorted by color and counted how many of each color cube when into boots. I recorded these scores for him, repeating the number aloud. We also got the chance to practice understanding “zero”.
Pre-kindergartner – Number Recognition and Writing
My pre-K kid was very happy to draw his own score sheet. He counted the cubes and wrote the numbers. Since he chose to throw cubes into the circle formation of boots he was able to practice writing 8, 9, and 10.
The kids really enjoy this game and ask to play. Yesterday, they played this game on their own with some help from their big sister, she’s six. It’s a joy to see them playing and learning and having fun!
Join Us
If you are interested in reading more about our experience with Mother Goose Time, check out our curriculum page!
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Happy Learning!
As a blog ambassador for Mother Goose Time, I am happy to share preschool curriculum ideas, activities, and crafts with my readers. Mother Goose Time provides our family the opportunity to use their curriculum free of charge in exchange for honest and authentic stories based on our personal experience.
