Count the Critters

Little levels (ages 4 to 6)

1. Tap and count Tap each duck, ladybug and butterfly; every one gets a number.
2. How many? Count the critters, then tap the right number.
3. Feed the frog Feed the frog exactly three, five, then eight flies and say when it is enough.
4. One more, one less Make a row of snails one more or one less.
5. Which has more? Compare two groups; sometimes they are the same.

Big levels (ages 7 to 9)

1. Count by twos, fives and tens Pairs of shoes, hands of five fingers, boxes of ten eggs.
2. Estimate, then count Guess how many marbles, then count them in groups of ten.
3. Tens and ones Build 34, 52 and 17 from ten-sticks and one-cubes; ten ones trade for a ten.
4. Odd or even? Sort numbers by whether their dots pair up.
5. Countdown Tap from ten down to one, then from twenty down by twos, to launch the rocket.

The big ideas

• One number for each thing. Counting means touching or pointing at each thing once and saying one number for it. The last number you say is how many there are.

• Numbers tell you when to stop. If the frog wants five flies, you count the flies as you give them and stop at five. That is how counting is used in real life.

• Skip counting is counting in jumps. Two, four, six counts pairs; five, ten, fifteen counts hands; ten, twenty, thirty counts boxes of ten. It gives the same answer faster.

• Tens and ones. In 34, the 3 means three tens (thirty) and the 4 means four ones. Ten single ones are the same as one ten, which is why we trade them.

• An estimate is a smart guess. Before counting a big pile, guessing about how many trains the eye. Then counting in tens shows how close the guess was.

Try it at home

1. Count the stairs Count out loud going up the stairs, touching each step with a foot. Then count them coming down, backwards.
2. Snack counting Ask for exactly six grapes or four crackers. Count them onto the plate together and stop at the number.
3. Sock pairs Pair up clean socks and count them by twos. Then count fingers by fives with everyone's hands on the table.
4. Jar guess Fill a jar with buttons or dry beans, each guess how many, then count them into piles of ten to find out.

Ask after playing

• What number did the frog want, and how did you know when to stop?
• Which is faster: counting eggs one at a time or by boxes of ten? Why?
• In the number 52, what does the 5 mean?