This Penguin Counting Game is the perfect addition to any winter theme, lots of fun for young children and great practice for counting, number sense, and one-to-one correspondence.
Hands-On Counting Game
If you haven’t used Insta-Snow in your classroom your students are in for a real treat. Just add water and you will have snow for weeks that never melts.
Counting Game Supplies
The list of supplies for this preschool counting activity is pretty short…
- One big bowl
- Water
- One foam die
- Insta-Snow
- Penguin Rubber Ducks
Check out this research-based, playful learning unit in our curriculum shop!
The Ultimate Pre-K Winter Lesson Plan Bundle
14 of my most popular winter theme resources, including math, literacy, and dramatic play! Make learning fun with these hands-on resources!
How to Play the Penguin Counting Game
Follow the directions on the back of the Insta-Snow and mix it in the bowl.
Next, place the bowl of snow in the middle of the table so it can be easily reached by all the students in your small group.
Then, place your penguins in a basket or container. Students will take turns rolling the die, counting the dots, and placing the corresponding number of penguins in the snow- or as my students like to say, “On the North Pole.”
If you teach your students a penguin chant and they can say it each time the die is rolled, here are some cute penguin chants.
I am going to have to save this for our next Penguin day! I haven’t tried insta snow yet – will have to look for some here since we didn’t get any snow this year!!
Oh Deb, you must try Insta-Snow, especially if you don’t have the real stuff. Of course, real snow is always better but we don’t get much of that down here 🙂
I just pinned this to Pinterest! Thanks Vanessa, for another great, simple math game kids will love! I would just make it an addition game with two dice for older kids. Fun!
Heidi Butkus
http://heidisongs.blogspot.com
Thanks Heidi! This is always a big hit with the kids, they beg for it well into the spring 🙂 So glad you can tweak it for use with more advanced children!
How many sets of 12 penguins did you purchase for this game?
Hi Kim, I only needed one set of penguins since the die only goes up to six and my kids aren’t ready for addition. If you have older kids I would buy one dozen and use two die because the most the sum could be is 12. Have fun!
This is such a cute activity! I love the idea of using Insta-Snow. My son would love counting penguins!
I have two daughters I really like these ideas for my pre-k daughter.These idea can really make learning fun.Thank you .It also helps my second grader to add and subtract.