Egg Carton Math

Egg carton and pipe cleaners used for counting game

This activity promotes development and learning by encouraging children to explore math concepts, such as number recognition, one to one correspondence, and addition. Simple games like this one also support social-emotional growth, sustained attention, and reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Materials Needed:

  • Plastic eggs that open and close
  • Egg carton
  • Small items, such as buttons
  • Dry erase marker and eraser (or tissue)

Participants: This activity is intended for adult/child interaction.

Directions:

  1. Separate the eggs into halves. Write a number on half of the plastic eggs. Draw dots on the remaining halves to correspond with the numbers. For example, draw one dot for the number one, two dots for the number two. Choose smaller numbers for young children and larger numbers for older children.
  2. Ask your child to find the halves that match (dots and numbers), put them together, and place them in the egg carton.
  3. Use the egg cartons and eggs in other ways. Erase the numbers and dots and replace them with additional problems, for example, with the answer on one segment and the problem on the other. Or, write a number on the egg and ask your child to put that many buttons inside the egg.
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Bright Horizons
Bright Horizons
In 1986, our founders saw that child care was an enormous obstacle for working parents. On-site centers became one way we responded to help employees – and organizations -- work better. Today we offer child care, elder care, and help for education and careers -- tools used by more than 1,000 of the world’s top employers and that power many of the world's best brands
Egg carton and pipe cleaners used for counting game