C is for..

C is for cars!

Oh what fun today!  This odd-even number activity was a hit! 

I set up the stage by making a parking lot full of cars (to the left) with numbers 1-10 on them, gas pumps, and a ramp.  They drove a car out, used the pom poms to find out if that number was odd or even.  Then they went to the appropriate gas pump (glub, glub, glub) and then they sent them on their way down that ramp.  The little yellow slips of paper had the words odd and even and a set of dots with buddies on the even and a set of dots with buddies and one without a buddy on the odd.  I was certain to make the ramp go in the direction that the cars could go uninterrupted.  Loved hearing their descriptions of the cars and how far they went, etc.  Also, I loved that even though they couldn't always state the numeral name right off, they would sing the number formation verse that goes along with it!  Then at the end they drove the cars back into a parking space (1:1).  You could even have them put the cars in numerical order if you wanted.  I expect that I'll see a similar set up in blocks during the next few days.  Love how they take something and extend on it. 

Odd and Even

If you are an even number

You always have a pair

So if you look around

Your buddy will always be there.

But...

If you are an odd number

There's always a lonely one.

He looks around to find his buddy

But he's the only one.

Marg Wadsworth

We do odd and even at the calendar every day using the number of the date and craft sticks.  A child passes out the craft sticks to each child as they are counting and then we each count our set and find out if it is equal/more/less comparing each others and then we pair up the sticks to see if we have an "odd one out" or if they all have buddies.  They pick it up quickly!

Sensory: Shaving Cream

 

We read the book Things That Go by Richard Scarry, so we incorporated other vehicles besides cars today during sensory and art. 

Art: Painting With Vehicles

 This is always a fun, open-ended activity.  Can't see it with the end product but one child was actually making letters with the car tracks.  Cool!  Goes to prove that the process is more important than the end product.  Observe them while they work, you'll see alot!

Shape Matching

Pulled out a few of our highway shapes that we used a bit ago.  We worked together to put the shape labels on first, then they matched their shape car (www.childcareland.com) to the shape highway.  Also provided car counters so they could drive around the shape also.  Reminder, for those that may be interested, http://www.makinglearningfun.com/ also has highway letters and numbers as well.

Beginning Letter Sound Parking Lot

www.kidssoup.com

I loved hearing them "vroom" around and park in the right spot.  Now on these mats they had p, b, and d.  If you have a beginner---a child that hasn't explored these letters---consider making your own mat so these three letters are not together.  Better to introduce them all separately.  They fall in the category of "easily confused letters".  :-)  Also, this picture reminds me to remind you to go through the pictures first instead of assuming they know what each of the pictures are.  She was asking me what this picture was.  She thought it was a "van" but there wasn't a v on the mat.  It was actually a bus...but wasn't a school bus so she was confused. 

Number Matching Cards

www.childcareland.com (I'm pretty sure I got them there...I've had these for awhile)

When I made this set I laminated two sets each with the cars on one side and number on the other side.  That way they can match sets, either car set to car set or number to number or number to car set.  Today, I provided beads that they could put on each car.  This helps them remember which ones they counted already.

Anyway, that's some of what we did.  You can do so much with vehicles and the children really get into that type of thing!