SMMARTideas

SMMART MATH: HIDDEN TREATS

This activity can be adapted to many ages and use many different math skills.

Fill little containers with one kind of treat (toasted “o” cereal pieces, mini marshmellows, tiny crackers…). You can fill Easter eggs, Tupperware containers, rinsed out yogurt containers, or whatever else you can think of.

Hide the filled Easter eggs around a room. Encourage your child to find one hidden egg. Empty the contents into your hand and lay out the cereal pieces in a line. Help your child count the pieces and then let her eat them. Let your child find the next egg and continue counting.

You can also place several types of treats inside of the egg. Let your child sort the treats that are similar.

Now, here are a couple of ways to adapt this activity to an older child, using one or multiple types of treats in one egg:

*Have your child find two eggs at a time. Lay the pieces out in two lines on a table. Count the number of cereal pieces in each line and add the two numbers together, or subtract the two amounts. (eg. 3 + 4 = 7 OR 4 – 3 = 1)

*You can let your child find all of the eggs and lay the cereal pieces out in separate lines. Count up the pieces in each egg, write down the number on a piece of paper and let your child add up several numbers at a time. (eg. 3 + 4 + 2 = 9)

*You can let your child find two eggs and count up the number of cereal pieces in each egg. Your child can write down the numbers on a piece of paper and multiply or divide the numbers. (eg. 3 X 11 = 33 OR 12/ 3 = 4 OR 4/ 3 = 1.33)

Happy Hunting! (and counting)

Lisa