Counting Claws

A Preschool Math Game

Folks this game involves play dough. It was an automatic win for both of my boys!

As an added bonus, the kids got a ton of practice counting to 20.

 

To play you’re going to need:

• number cards*
• gem counters*
• play dough
• tweezers
• beads
• scissors

**These items were included in our monthly themed box from Mother Goose Time!

Set Up

• Cut out the Number Cards and place them dot side up on the table.
• Press the gems into 2-3 separate mounds of play dough.

Mashing the gems into the play dough is half the fun!

 

Independent Play

• Encourage children to use their “claws” (tweezers) to remove the gems from the play dough.
• Choose a Number Card and place that many gems near it.
• Continue until all the cards are used.

Optional: Use only Number Cards 1-10 to simplify the game.

 

 

Observe

• Did the child count the dots first then place the items near the card?
• Did he use the tweezers to pick out the items with ease?

 

Our Experience

 

The kids were all about putting the gems into the play dough.

The gems were somewhat challenging to get out using the tweezers. The kids mostly used the tweezers to get the dough away from the gems, almost like an excavation. There was a lot of laughter.

 

 

The kids also quickly figured out that it was more fun to remove gems that were buried in 3D sculptures. So, each time we added gems back into the dough for another round, the play dough creations got a tad more outlandish.

The boys also figured out that they could squish the dough and make the gems pop out. That made them incredibly happy. We did another five to six rounds of counting, so they could “squish” the gems out of the play dough. This was some of their best and most active counting!

Finally, the math gave way to art and the boys created structures out of the play dough, gems, and my eldest even included the tweezers.

 

Sometimes you get the unexpected when you ask a preschooler to smile…LOL

Overall, this simple game was a win!

 

Join Us

I hope you’ll try this activity with your kids.

If you are interested in reading more about our experience with Mother Goose Time, check out our curriculum page!

If you love seeing Mother Goose Time in action be sure to follow us on Instagram!

 

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.