Father’s Day Math Puzzles for Preschoolers
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June is here, and with it comes Father’s Day, giving you the perfect opportunity to plan a bit of Father’s Day-inspired fun and learning activities for your classroom or your home, and this free Father’s Day Math Puzzles activity will encourage your preschoolers to practice their counting, number recognition, counting sets, and one-to-one correspondence.
I included 8 different puzzles with real pictures and different numeral series. You can download the complete pack at the end of the post.
Father’s Day Math Puzzles
You can use these Father’s Day Math Puzzles as math or manipulatives centers, or as a small-group activity, take-home game, or quiet-area option.
If your preschoolers are familiar with different number series, they will probably be able to work independently. However, new students or children who have difficulty counting or recognizing numbers may need your guidance.
To offer your preschoolers different choices and variations, I will suggest creating different centers using the different free activities. If you don’t use many at a time, use one of three each week. That way you can keep your children motivated and engaged.
You can even combine them with the free activities I also created using one of my favorite books, Following Papa’s SONG, which has three different packs: one for Literacy, one for Math, and one for Science. They are all FREE.
How to Prepare the Math Puzzles
To prepare these puzzles, you will need a printer, white cardstock, scissors, a laminator machine, laminator pouches, a basket, and Ziploc bags.
Print each page using white cardstock. Then cut out each strip and laminate it to protect it and make it last longer.
Also, if you have advanced students and want to make the activity a little more challenging, you can cut out the numbers instead of cutting the strips with the numbers included, but keep that set separate from the other one. You don’t want to frustrate your students. Remember, activities have to be fun to motivate your preschoolers, not discourage them.
At the end of June, you can put your puzzles in small Ziploc bags and store them in a box for the following year, so you can have them ready for many Father’s Days in the future.
How to Use the Puzzles
I recommend using these activities individually. That way, you can monitor and take notes on what type of seriation each of your preschoolers knows, build on it, and support those who don’t recognize all of them.
These Math puzzles are great for strengthening children’s number recognition, seriation knowledge, concentration, and set-creation skills.
Extension Activities:
You can also use these Math puzzles in other ways to give your preschoolers options. Some of the activities that I can think of are:
- Provide copies of the pages and have your preschoolers cut out the strips and glue them on a piece of construction or regular paper.
- Have the children trace or copy the numbers.
- Match each number with magnet numbers or the same amount of objects.
- Draw the pictures.
Math Story Books
As usual, I will always suggest that you never forget books. They are magical instruments for your children’s inspiration and learning.
Books can help you deliver information and knowledge, but they can also introduce or support a theme and deliver the message you want.
Most importantly, reading books gives children opportunities to expand their imagination and vocabulary, and it is also an enjoyable activity every child loves. So, take advantage of them. Here are some examples to help you get started.
- Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews. This unique counting book will help children develop their visual learning skills, explore creativity, and practice counting numbers, all in one deceptively simple and fun picture book.
- Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh. This book is a celebration of shapes, color, and innovation, where three clever mice make shapes and even find a funny way to trick a sneaky cat
- Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh. This book celebrates shapes, color, and innovation, where three clever mice make shapes and even find a funny way to trick a sneaky cat.
- Ten Apples Up On Top! by Theo LeSieg. This sturdy board book teaches all about numbers. Kids will learn to count to ten — and want to start all over again!
- Little Skill Seekers: Early Math by Scholastic. This book helps children build a strong foundation in number sense by practicing counting, solving problems, comparing quantities, and more.
- Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr. One hundred and one numbers climb the apple tree in this bright, rollicking, joyous book, which is a companion to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.
Pin It For Later
If you are in a rush and don’t have time to read the post and download the printable but want to save it for later, pin this to your Father’s Day board on Pinterest.
You can do all kinds of activities with this theme. I want to share some ideas from my Father’s Day Celebration for Preschoolers post, including some free printables. Since the 4th of July is also coming, take a look at the FREE activities I created for that theme too.
And don’t forget your free Father’s Day Math puzzles. Just click the link below to get your printables.
I hope you enjoy these activities and printables, and that June is memorable, fun, and educational for you and your kiddos.
Be happy, safe, and creative. I wish you well.
Love,
P.S. If you would like an article on how to make something specific, please let me know, and I will do my best to write it for you. My goal is to help you in any way I can, and I don’t like anything better than posting something you might find useful.
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