Provide pairs of children with a number path game board. Children take turns rolling a number cube to determine how many counters to place on the game board. One child counts out the counters based on the number rolled and another child counts to make sure it’s the correct number. Children then place the counters on the game board: one per space. Children switch roles and continue until they get to the end of the path to get the animals home.
Primary Objective
- Counting out sets of up to 10 objects
- Counting objects with one-to-one correspondence
How to use
If most children can create and count sets of up to 10 objects using one-to-one correspondence, they might be ready for the Plus & Minus version of this activity.
Materials
- One 10-space number path game board for each pair of students
- One 20-space number path game board (optional)
- 20 counting chips (10 in one color and 10 in a second color)
- Two small bowls to hold the counting chips (one per player)
- One small checking plate
- One number cube with 1-3 dots
- Get the Animals Home activity step icons
- Counting wand (optional)
Steps of the activity
The activity steps icons below outline the steps of the activity. Print these icons as cards and share them to help children remember the steps. They’re also a helpful scaffold for children!
Find a sample script for teachers to use here.
Setup 1
Provide a game board, one checking plate, one number cube, and two sets of different colored counting chips, one color for each child.
Step 1
Teacher rolls the number cube and tells students how many are on it.
Step 2
Teachers counts out that many counters from their bowl of chips and puts them on the plate.
Step 3
Teacher asks the child, “Am I right?” Child checks.
Step 4
Teacher puts the counters from the plate onto the game board, one per space.
Step 5
Teacher says how many total counters they have on the game board now and child confirms.
Step 6
Teacher and child switch roles and play again.Instructions
Instructions for introducing the activity to the Whole Group .
| Activity Set-Up | |
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Gather the materials listed above. MAKE IT EASIER
MAKE IT HARDER
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| Warm-Up Activity (optional) | |
First, we’re going to try a fun counting game called Get the Animals Home that uses this counting wand! |
Show children the counting wand. |
When I point the wand at you like this, it means it’s your turn to start counting. You start at 1 and keep counting until I move the wand away like this. Keep counting as long as the wand is pointing to you. When I lift the wand away, stop counting and your turn is done. Then, I will move on and point to someone else. The next person will keep counting right from where we left off. |
Point to one child with the counting wand, read the first instruction, then stop pointing to the child. |
Let’s try it! |
Point to different children, one at a time, encouraging them to count as long as you are pointing to them. Encourage the next child to continue counting where the previous child left off. |
You start at 1 for us. |
Point the wand at the first child and keep pointing until the child has counted for a bit. |
Now you are going to start where (first child’s name) stopped. |
Move the wand to point to a second, randomly selected, child. Continue to move the wand from child to child until reaching 10 (or 20 if you are using the 20-space game board). |
| Introduce the Activity | |
We’re going to play a new game called Get the Animals Home! 10-space game board: OR 20-space game board: We’re going to fill in the boxes with our counters to help. Each space needs a (first color counter) and a (second color counter), so it’s okay to share spaces on a box. When we fill in all the boxes, the bear/bird will be home! |
Choose one child to demonstrate the activity with you. Give the child a set of counters in one color and you get a second set of counters in a different color (place counters in small bowls). |
| Model the Activity | |
We’re going to use these pictures to help us remember the steps. |
Show children the activity step icons. MAKE IT EASIER
MAKE IT HARDER
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First, I roll the cube and say how many are (or which number is) on the top of the cube. This will tell me how many counters I need to put on the board to help get bear/bird home!
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Point to the first activity step icon. MAKE IT EASIER
MAKE IT HARDER
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I rolled [number]. |
Roll the cube and say the number on it. |
Then, I count that many counters from my bowl and put them on my plate. I’m going to make sure I stop when I get to [# rolled on cube]. |
Point to the second activity step icon. Count out the correct number of counters from your bowl and place them on the checking plate. |
Next, I turn to my partner and ask, “Am I right?” My partner looks at the cube, then counts the chips on my plate and tells me if I am right. We work together to fix it if we need to. |
Point to the third activity step icon. Model how the partner will count to check the number of chips. |
Next, I put the chips from the plate onto the game board. I put one counter on each of the spaces on the board. |
Point to the fourth activity step icon. Place the counters on the game board. |
Then, I say how many counters I have now, how far along the path I am.
I have (# of counters you have placed) counters/spaces.
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Point to the fifth activity step icon. Model figuring out how many counters you have on the board. This may include counting from 1 or, once you’ve taken at least one turn, counting from where you left off in your previous turn. |
Now I ask my partner, “Am I right?” |
Again, point to the fifth activity step icon. Allow child to confirm whether you are right. |
Now we switch turns and my partner will roll, count, and put down their chips on the board! |
Point to the last activity step icon. Have the child also go through each of the steps in the activity. You may also model having a second turn for yourself to show children how to continue counting and placing chips. |
Explore The Executive Function And Math Skills In This Activity
- Counting levels
What to do next
Are some students ready for more challenge? Try the adaptations provided above. Want even more challenge? For children who are already comfortably counting sets of 10 or more objects with consistent one-to-one correspondence and are beginning to learn number combinations, introduce the Plus & Minus version. On another day, do the activity in Small Group .
If most children can create and count sets of up to 10 objects using one-to-one correspondence, they might be ready for the Plus & Minus version of this activity.
Materials
- One 10-space number path game board for each pair of students
- One 20-space number path game board (optional)
- 20 counting chips (10 in one color and 10 in a second color)
- One small checking plate
- Two small bowls to hold the counting chips (one per player)
- One number cube with 1-3 dots
- Get the Animals Home activity step icons
- Role cards
- Counting wand (optional)
Steps of the activity
The activity step icons below outline the steps of the activity. Print these icons as cards and share them to help children remember the steps. They’re also a helpful scaffold for children!
Find a sample script for teachers to use here.
Setup 1
Provide a game board, one checking plate, one number cube, and two sets of different colored counting chips, one color for each child.
Step 1
Child 1 rolls the number cube and tells how many are on it.
Step 2
Child 1 counts out that many counters from the bowl and puts them on the plate.
Step 3
Child 1 asks Child 2, “Am I right?” Child 2 checks.
Step 4
Child 1 puts the counters from the plate onto the game board, one per space.
Step 5
Child 1 says how many total counters they have on the game board now and Child 2 confirms.
Step 6
Children switch roles and play again, continuing until both children reach the end of the board.Instructions
Instructions for introducing the activity to the Small Group .
| Activity Set-Up | |
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Divide students into pairs and gather materials for each pair. See options below for choosing materials that will make the game easier or harder based on children’s counting skills. Don’t forget to include enough counting chips for each child based on the game board you choose. MAKE IT EASIER
MAKE IT HARDER
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| Introduce the Activity | |
10-space bear game board: OR 20-space bird game board:
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Give each pair of children one game board, one checking plate, and number cubes. Give each child a bowl with 10 or 20 counters, depending on the game board used. |
It’s time to help the animals find their way home! We’ll work together on the same game board and you’ll take turns rolling and checking. |
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You will have picture cards to help you remember how to play and to remind you whether you are the roller and counter or the checker. |
MAKE IT EASIER
MAKE IT HARDER
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| Model the Activity | |
[Child 1], you get the hand card first because you get to roll and count first.
Okay, roll the cube and tell us how many you rolled, and put that many on your plate. |
Place the hand role card in front of the child who is rolling and counting first.
Point to the first and second activity step icon. Child 1 rolls the cube, states the number rolled, and places that many counters on the plate. MATH IT HARDER
If children already have chips on the board, have them tell how many chips they had before rolling, what they rolled, and how many total chips they will have after rolling—all before manipulating chips. |
[Child 1], now you ask your partner, “Am I right?” |
Point to the third activity step icon. |
[Child 2], it’s your turn to check if your partner is right.
You get the check card first because you get to check first.
Do they have the right number of counters? |
Place the check role card in front of the child who is checking first. Point to the third activity step icon. After the child checks, ask them to confirm whether the correct number of counters were produced. |
If children did not produce the correct number of chips, say, Think-Pair-Share with each other to figure out how we could fix it to have the right number of chips. |
If the correct number was not counted onto the plate, encourage children to Think-Pair-Share and work together to fix it. It may be easier for children to remove the chips and start over than to fix the mistake by adding to or taking away from the chips already on the plate. MAKE IT EASIER
MAKE IT HARDER
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[Child 1], now you can put the counters on board. Put only one counter in each space! |
Point to the fourth activity step icon. Child 1 places counters on the game board. MAKE IT HARDER
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[Child 1], now you count how many counters you have on the board in all, and ask your partner, “Am I right?” |
Point to the fifth activity step icon. Child 1 counts the total number of chips they have (in their color) on the board. MAKE IT HARDER
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[Child 2], now you check them again. Are they right? |
Again, point to the fifth activity step icon. Encourage children to check each other, correcting as necessary. |
Now you switch! |
Point to the final activity step icon. Have children trade role cards so the first child now has the check card and the second child has the hand card. |
| Time to Play! | |
It’s time to switch roles and play again! If you were the roller and counter the first time, now you are the checker. If you were the checker the first time, now you get to be the roller and counter. |
Lead students through the activity with the activity step icons. |
After the next partner has placed their counters on the board, switch roles again and keep playing until you both reach the end and get the bear to its cave (or the bird to its nest)! |
Continue through the steps until both children reach the end of the game board.
If one child reaches the end well before the other child, the two can work together to fill in the remaining spaces, continuing to take turns. |
Explore The Executive Function And Math Skills In This Activity
What to do next
Do some students need more support or more challenge? Try the adaptations provided above for Small Group. Continue working in Small Groups with teacher support until students can comfortably play with minimal teacher guidance. Then have students practice the activity independently in Center. For children who are already comfortably counting sets of 10 or more objects with consistent one-to-one correspondence and are beginning to learn number combinations, introduce the Plus & Minus version of the activity.
Did some of your students play the Roll, Count, & Land version of this activity in a Small Group? If so, they should also play that version during Center time.
Materials
For each pair of students playing:
- One 10-space number path game board for each pair of students
- One 20-space number path game board (optional)
- 20 counting chips (10 in one color and 10 in a second color)
- One small checking plate
- Two small bowls to hold the counting chips (one per player)
- One number cube with 1-3 dots
- Get the Animals Home activity step icons
- Counting wand (optional)
- Hand and check role cards
Steps of the activity
The activity steps icons below outline the steps of the activity. Print these icons as cards and share them to help children remember the steps. They’re also a helpful scaffold for children!
Find a sample script for teachers to use here.
Step 1
Child 1 rolls the number cube and tells how many are on it.
Step 2
Child 1 counts out that many counters from the bowl and puts them on the plate.
Step 3
Child 1 asks Child 2, “Am I right?” Child 2 checks.
Step 4
Child 1 puts the counters from the plate onto the game board, one per space.
Step 5
Child 1 says how many total counters they have on the game board now and Child 2 confirms.
Step 6
Children switch roles and play again, continuing until both children reach the end of the board.Instructions
Instructions for introducing the activity to the Center.
| Review the Activity | |
Today, the Get the Animals Home game we’ve been playing together will be at [name] Center! |
Tell students that the activity will be in Centers to play on their own. We recommend playing the activity in Small Groups at least once before introducing it in Centers. MAKE IT EASIER
MAKE IT HARDER
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You will have picture cards to help you remember how to play and to remind you whether you are the roller and counter or the checker. |
Display the activity step icons and role cards. |
| Time to Play! | |
Let’s remind ourselves how to play the game! |
Review the steps of the activity while referencing the activity step icons and role cards. MAKE IT EASIER
MAKE IT HARDER
|
Explore The Executive Function And Math Skills In This Activity
What to do next
Keep playing this activity in Centers throughout the year. Students who played the Roll, Count, & Land version of this activity may switch to the Plus & Minus version once they’ve been introduced to it in Small Group, can comfortably count sets of 10 or more objects with consistent one-to-one correspondence, and are beginning to learn number combinations. Do some students need more support or more challenge? Try the adaptations provided above.