A Fun Little Counting Game

I made this little counting game several months back, to help Little Bean learn to associate the the number of objects with the numeral. He has since learned all his numerals, 1 throuh 10 WITHOUT so much as touching this game more than a handful of times, but I think it's fun, and he did finally start playing with it this week, so I thought I'd post about it.

It's very simple to make, and in fact you can make this game with any number of topics--colors, upper and lower case letters, matching initial sounds, etc. All you need is construction paper, sturdy cardboard (I used a cereal box), stickers and clothespins. Cut the construction paper and cardboard in a nice round circle. I used a salad plate for my stencil. Divide the circle into 10 sections, using a marker. Decorate each section with a different amount of stickers. I chose to do mine in numerical order, just to make the game a little easier for Little Bean. I also tried to organize the stickers in rows for easy counting. Write a numeral on each clothespin and you are done.

To play, have the child count the stickers and attach the appropriate clothespin to the game board. The child is finished when all the clothespins are attached to the correct section on the game board. This is great for counting, number recognition AND fine motor skills. I love when an activity incorporates so many skills into one simple game!