Spark excitement for math with this delightful jar guessing game. Littles will learn about size, shape, and estimating while having fun.
Benefits of Playing a Guessing Game with Your Preschooler
Teaching Estimation
Estimation is a skill that needs practice (like most things). So, when we teach preschoolers how to estimate, they have more time to practice the skill.
But, estimation goes beyond thinking about the quantity of items in a jar.
Estimation requires spatial awareness and thinking about how much room things take up (more on that later).
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Adults use estimation for all sorts of things like:
*When you are baking and only the one cup measuring cup can be found. You estimate how much is half of the cup.
*How long will a round-trip adventure to the grocery store take.
*The amount of money available to spend and how much is being spent in the store.
*Determining how long a task (like cleaning a particular room or making dinner) will take.
Reinforcing Counting
What preschooler couldn’t use some reinforcement when it comes to counting?
Part of the guessing game is counting the items after making the guess. Constantly counting items over and over makes your little one better at counting.
Plus, your preschooler can look at the jar and count the items they see to help them make their guess.
Learning about Object Size and Shape
This math game is the perfect time to discuss how much space the items in the jar take up. Because the items are larger and take up more room, there can’t be as many in the jar.
If you can, try using two of the same size and shape jars. Fill each with large items (like toy cars or plastic animals), and have your little one count how many items fit in each jar.
Count out the same amount of chocolate chips as the items (cars, animals, etc.) that filled the jars above. Put the chocolate chips into the same jar that the toys were in.
The preschooler can see that five chocolate chips occupy much less space than five toy cars.
Let your little one try this spatial awareness activity with different items (but keep the amount the same).
Materials Needed to Play Jar Guessing Game
*clear jar
*items to put in the jar
How To Play This Preschool Math Game
1. Decide what item category will be used to fill the jar. The bigger the item, the easier it will be.
This is perfect for the first few rounds while your little one gets the hang of the guessing game.
Big pom poms, toy cars, plastic animals, linking blocks, or orange slices work well.
2. Place the items in the jar. Try to make it so all the items can be viewed from outside the jar and that none are hiding in the middle under other items.
Again, this is to make it easier for your preschooler while they are learning how to play the guessing game.
3. Encourage your little one to look at the jar and guess how many items are there.
You may want to discuss how large the items are and that not many can fit into the jar.
4. After your little one has guessed, let them dump out the items and count how many are in the jar.
5. Play the guessing game again with different items (or a different amount).
P.S. Let your little one take a turn to fill the jar!
Easy Preschool Math Game
Never has there been an easier math game to set up. You can use what you already have around the house and repeatedly play this guessing game.