Watermelon Counting Mats for Preschoolers
Affiliate Disclosure: “This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost, if you make a purchase using those links.”
These super cute Watermelon Counting Mats are the perfect hands-on activity for Summer! They are also fun, engaging, and effective for your preschoolers to learn numbers and practice their counting!
You can get this FREE activity at the end of this post.
Benefits of the Watermelon Counting Mats
This activity will allow preschoolers to practice their:
- Number recognition (identifying the number on the mat before counting).
- Number words (writing and/or copying the words).
- Counting abilities (counting the watermelon seeds).
- Number formation and fine motor development (tracing and writing number words).
- Hand-eye coordination and control (placing the manipulatives in the squares).
- Concentration skills (focusing on the different tasks).
- One-to-one correspondence (counting the manipulatives to be added).
- Language development (counting out loud a number sequence).
Setting Up the Watermelon Counting Mats
To get this low-prep activity, you will need the following materials:
- Watermelon Counting Mats (found at the bottom of this post).
- White cardstock or dry-erase pockets.
- Dry-erase markers.
- Real watermelon seeds or small manipulatives such as mini erasers, buttons, small balls of playdough, and bingo chips.
Print each page using white cardstock. Laminate the cards or place them in dry-erase pockets so they are available for years to come. When you are done using the activity, store it on sheet protectors placed in a binder to keep the mats safe.
I always recommend printing out multiple copies and placing them in different centers. That way, you will encourage more preschoolers to use them when they rotate through the different centers.
How to Use The Watermelon Counting Mats
These Watermelon Counting Mats can be used in many ways, such as:
- Small group activity
- Math center option
- Writing center
- Take-home game
- Quiet area option
Before you place the mats in the different centers, it is recommended to introduce them to your preschoolers first. Circle time might be the perfect time to do this. Placing them in centers is pointless if they don’t know how to use them first.
A good way to do this is to introduce the mats to the children and talk about each number and its different characteristics. Talk about small and large numbers, such as number 2 has fewer pictures than number 5 because it is smaller.
Explain that they must point to and count each seed on the counting mats, then place the same number of real watermelon seeds or other small manipulatives on the counting squares. Finally, they must trace the number word and copy it next to it using a dry–erase marker.
If you want to use these mats as a one-use activity, the children must use pencils, markers, or crayons. Then copy the words using magnetic, foam, or wooden letters.
This printable comes with 11 mats with the numbers 0 to 10.
Watermelon Storybooks
This activity gives you the perfect opportunity to read storybooks related to watermelons, which is also a very appropriate type of storybook for the summer. Remember that reading to your preschoolers allows them to engage with the theme, expand their vocabulary, and work on their pre-reading and pre-writing skills, among other benefits.
Below are some fun books you can use. You can find them at your local library, used bookstore, or on Amazon. Clicking each picture will take you directly to Amazon through my affiliate links, saving you time looking for them.
- The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli. With perfect comic pacing, the author introduces us to a funny crocodile with one big fear: swallowing a watermelon seed, using bold color and a beautiful sense of design.
- Runski Punski and the Watermelon Shoes by K. R. Yates. This is a funny story about a girl and her friends who were chasing each other around her backyard, wearing watermelons as shoes.
- Mouse’s First Summer by Lauren Thompson. This story features two mice celebrating summer with a picnic in the park, having fun, and enjoying some juicy watermelon.
Pin It for Later
If you are in a rush and don’t have time to read the post or download the printable, but want to save it for later, pin it to your Math and Summer Pinterest boards so you can have it available when you need it.
I hope you and your preschoolers enjoy this Watermelon Counting Mats printable, and that it helps them learn or review their numbers and expand their counting abilities!
Don’t forget to grab your FREE printable by clicking on the link below.
Are you looking for more Summer ideas and activities to do at home or in the classroom? If so, check out some below.
Be happy, safe, and creative. I wish you well.
Love,
P.D. Please let me know if these mats worked for you or if you think I should add or replace anything. My goal is to help you in any way I can, and I don’t like anything better than to post something that you might find useful. Also, if you have different ideas and want to share them, I would love to post them as well.
