Fall Candy Sequencing Practice

How cool is this math center idea from E.J. at Toddler Approved?! Not only will your kiddos enjoy working with candy (...one for the activity, one for me), the colorful manipulatives offer a festive way to provide your kiddos with counting, sorting, and sequencing/patterning fun!

Before the activity, collect several bags of candy corn - regular, pumpkins, and Indian corn. Empty the contents into a large container and collect three smaller containers, placing them all at the center. For their first order of business, have your kiddos sort the various candies into the smaller containers. E.J. provides two great activity templates at her blog - the first worksheet offers four completed patterns to which students must match the correct candies and the second displays four uncompleted sequences that students are invited to finish. Both worksheets offer a fifth line where students are invited to create their own patterns! If using these templates, students will need a specific number of each candy (9 pumpkins and 15 each of the regular/Indian corn) - have students strengthen counting skills by gathering the correct amount of each. [NOTE: If creating your own templates, be sure to determine how many of each candy students will need!]

Once students have successfully completed the exercise - and have had time to practice creating their own patterns - have them work together to dump the sorted candies back in the large container for the next group of students! Working with candy that can't be eaten can be quite trying so consider providing students with a small treat as they leave the center!

Visit Toddler Approved for the templates and a write-up of this and many other fun early childhood activities!