Penguins make everything more fun. Am I right?!
And that includes math for little ones. These penguin theme ten frame cards are the perfect activity for working on counting, number recognition, and 1:1 correspondence with toddlers and preschoolers.
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Prepping Your Penguin Theme Ten Frames
This printable pack comes with 10 ten frames, covering numbers 1-10. For the manipulative, there is a page of “fish” counters. You can print off as many as you need.
These ten frame counting cards are available for free to all my email subscribers. You can opt-in at the bottom of this post, and your printable will be sent straight to your inbox. From there, you can download and print.
After you’ve printed off your activity, I recommend laminating for durability and longevity. You can also print on cardstock for extra resilience.
This way, you’ll be able to use your ten frames amongst multiple years with multiple students.
After you’ve laminated all the pages, go ahead and cut out your ten frame cards and circular fish counters.
Now you should be all set!
Using Your Penguin Theme Ten Frames
I recommend starting with only 3-4 cards at a time. That way, you can keep the lesson short and engaging, while also preventing overwhelm in children who are just getting the hang of counting.
Once you have your cards laid out, allow your student to choose one and then ask him/her, “How many fish did these penguins eat?”
Give them time to recognize the number on the given card. Once the correct number is identified, have the student place that number of fish in the ten frame, working on 1:1 correspondence as each counter is placed into a given slot. Children can count aloud if needed.
Add an additional element with a die. Once the die is rolled and the number landed on is recognized, have your student pick out the corresponding ten frame to complete.
Enjoy This Activity?
Let us know what your students thought and be sure to share this post with other teachers and homeschool parents.
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