The Connett Connection: Theme: Apple

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Apple Themed Preschool Math Counting Centers

I absolutely love doing themes to teach and work with skills. The apple theme is a great them for back to school time or for a fall theme. These apple centers are all hands on math centers for practicing counting to 10. They are great for preschoolers who are learning to count, or to just practice counting to 10. Most of these centers are hands on, meaning kids must interact with different pieces and parts in order to complete the center. Many have fine motor skills involved, such as playdough or clip it activities.

This is a great activity for students who need to practice counting to 10. Students need some sort of stacking manipulative (we used connection cubes) to build to the number on each apple.

These counting puzzles are great for students who are learning to put the numbers in order from least to greatest. There is a puzzle for counting up to 5 and a puzzle for counting up to 10.

This count and match mat can make a great file folder game, by placing the count and match mat on one side of the folder and the number cards on the other. Students will move the number cards on top of the basket that has the matching number of apples.

These counting clip cards will make a great fine motor math center or fine motor task box activity. Students will simply count the number of apples in each basket then use a clip to cover the correct number.

These tens frame counting cards have students add the correct number of manipulatives to the tens frames. Using the tens frame model can help students organize the objects they are counting so they do not loose track of where they are.

This is another set of tens frame cards for students to practice counting with. These cards fit perfectly inside task boxes for easy storage and set up.

Playdough mats are a great fine motor activity for students to pair with counting. You simply add red, yellow and green playdough to the center and students can roll the playdough into apple shapes to place in their basket. You can also use manipulatives if playdough is not an option.

These counting puzzles also make a great task box activity. Students will get exposure to number words with these puzzles. Students will count the apples then place the correct number to complete each puzzle.

Times to Use

As mention in under various pictures, many of these apple centers work well with task boxes. They can also be used in math centers, fine motor centers, as morning tubs or baskets, as quiet time activities, or as table top centers in smaller rooms.

Check out all the themes these centers come in here: Preschool Hands On Math Centers for Counting to 10

Apple Themed Preschool Match Centers for Counting to 10

MORE WAYS TO CONNECT

Hands on Activities and Crafts for Kids Facebook Group

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Friday, June 24, 2022

Apple 2D Shape Centers

At the beginning of the school year, an apple theme is sure to be used in almost every preschool classroom at some point. The 2D shape centers are sure to liven up your apple them and provide some great, hands on learning for 2D shapes.

Each apple shape center activity in this post can be found in this activity packet:

Apple 2D Shapes Activities

This is an adorable shape sorting activity where students will match each apple with the same shaped tree.

This is another sort where students simple sort the different apple shapes on each mat.

In this apple sorting activity, students place the shaped apples in the correct basket.

Enhance Your Sorting Activities

You can add to these sorting activities by creating a sensory bin out of the apple shape pieces. Simply add the apple shape cards into a sensory bin and have students pull out the shapes then match them to each mat.

This seek and find mat can be completed in two different ways. Students can trace the shape that matches their card or they can use mini erasers, bingo chips or other manipulatives to cover each shape. This activity can also be paired with a sensory bin where students draw the cards from the sensory bin before marking their page.

These cards allow students to match an apple shape with a standard shape. With these cards, students can simply match from a pile of cards, place memory match, or concentration. These cards can also be used in a sensory bin where students pull out the pair of matching cards.

These cards are half page posters or reference cards for each shape. These cards can be displayed in the room while teaching the shapes or used as reference cards in a math center or a writing center.

These playdough mats make a great fine motor center for students to practice building different shapes. This activity requires red, green and brown playdough for students to build each shape.

These shape clip cards are also a good fine motor center for students to practice matching shapes. Students will clip the shape that matching the apple shape on each card.

These clip cards make a perfect task box center activity for easy storage and distribution at center time.

These matching mats are great for little ones to practice identifying and matching shapes. Above we used bingo chips to mark each square shaped apple on this mat.