Using found objects for learning and sensory play adds a special touch that really sparks a child’s interest. We spent a week at the beach earlier this summer. While we were there the girls collected some treasures from the seashore. They found a ton of seashells and, yes, some crab claws too. Kids love looking at them and playing with them, so why not add in a little learning along the way? If you have your own collection of beach treasures, print out our beach theme counting mats, and use them to practice counting and beginning addition.
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Preschoolers can practice counting and one-to-one correspondence by adding the correct number of seashells to each mat.
Once kids are able to do this you can extend the learning by focusing on additional number sense skills like more and less. For example, you might tell kids to put “more” shells on the mat than the number shown, or you might ask them to put “less” shells on the mat.
As kids begin to understand more and less, you can take it even further by focusing on “one more” or “one less” than the number on the mat.
As kids are ready for beginning addition and subtraction you can also use the beach theme counting mats in a variety of ways.
First you can decompose the number on the mat and have kids show a certain amount of shells on the seashore and a number of shells in the ocean. Here we are showing how five can be decomposed into three shells on the seashore and two shells in the ocean.
You can also use these mats to make up and model addition and subtraction story problems with kids. Using the example away you could start with five seashells on the shore. Then say that the waves came in and took two away. How many are left? (three)
How else would you use these beach theme counting mats with your kids?
Click Here to Get Your Free Seashell Counting Printable
More Counting Mats
Box of Chocolates Counting Mats
GET A FULL WEEK OF BEACH THEME LEARNING AND PLAY
Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provided different versions for home preschool families and classroom teachers so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.
This set includes active hands-on learning ideas and the following printables:
1) Beach 5 Senses Recording Sheet
2) Initial Sound Clip Cards
3) Seashell and Bucket Rhyming Game (-en, -at, -et, and -ug word families)
4) Seashore Counting Mats for Numbers 1-15
5) At the Beach Emergent Reader (2 Versions)
6) 1-35 Beach Theme Calendar and Number Cards
7) Beach Pattern and Counting Seashell Cards
8) Sand Castle Shape Matching Game
9) Uppercase and Lowercase Alphabet Matching Flip Flop Cards
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Home Preschool Beach Theme Lesson Plans
Preschool Classroom Beach Theme Lesson Plans
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Find more inspiration in our ocean theme.
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