Welcome to the first post in our “Exploring Numbers through the Senses” series! To kick off our first post, we are sharing how we learned about numbers with our sense of SOUND. This was a tricky sense to explore numbers with, but it was definitely one of m son’s favorite!
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Supplies
- Pony beads
- Gift favor tins
- Small sticker labels
I started by labeling the tins with the numbers 0-10. After they each had a number, we filled them with the correct number of pony beads.
Counting the beads and filling each tin was a great way to practice our number identification and one-to-one correspondence skills.
Once the tins were filled, we replaced the lids and started our game!
Game directions
First, we individually shook each tin to hear what the corresponding number of beads sounded like. This had my three year old grinning from ear to ear! We talked about which ones soundest the loudest and softest (he was thoroughly amused that “zero” made no noise!)
After we talked about loudest and softest, I connected the words “most” and “least” to the sound boxes. Did the lowest sound have the most amount of beads, or the least?
Ways to extend the activity: Have your older child organize the sound boxes from most beads to least beads just based on sound! Don’t let them look in the box until they think they’ve got them all sorted.
There were so many ways to explore these simple sound boxes! We shook the tins corresponding to the number of beads that were inside, we put them boxes in order from 0-10, then from 10-0, we made music with numbers, etc.
Another fun way explore the tins is to play a “more or less” sound game (shake two tins and use the sounds to determine which time has more and less beads in it).
How else would you use these number tins?
5 Senses Activities from The Early Childhood Education Team. #TeachECE
My Five Senses Book by Still Playing School
5 Senses Theme Activities for Preschool by The Preschool Toolbox Blog
Writing Letters in a Sugar Cookie Sensory Tray by Mom Inspired Life
Exploring the Alphabet with Your 5 Senses by Growing Book by Book
Winter Theme Alphabet Sensory Bin by The Educators’ Spin On It
My Christmas 5 Senses Book by Life Over C’s
Exploring the Senses Using Cardboard Tubes by Capri + 3
This is so clever! My son loves music, so I think he would just want to shake, shake shake!!
Thanks, Chelsea! It was fun and very musical! 🙂
LOVE this idea! Now I need to buy some little tins! 🙂
What a fun sensory/math game! Our kids would really enjoy this activity. Thank you.
Wow, I love this idea. So many great skills being covered in one activity. We will be doing this for sure. Thank you!
These number boxes are fantastic, my son loves them.
That’s wonderful! It’s an interesting challenge for them, isn’t it?