Creative Family Fun

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Preschool Activities

One Fish Two Fish Number Match

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I haven’t met too many kids who don’t like Dr. Seuss books. My girls definitely love them.

It’s hard to choose a favorite, but One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish is definitely on the top of the list.

It’s very nonsensical, but great for new readers.

The book is also so much fun for a read aloud, and would work great paired up with a fun math activity, like this One Fish Two Fish Number Match Game.

This One Fish Two Fish number match activity is a fun way to practice numbers and counting. It's a fun math game for preschool and kindergarten.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

This game is simple to prep and it’s fun math practice for your preschoolers and kindergartners.

Grab your copy of the book and let’s get started making our One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish number match activity!

This One Fish Two Fish number match activity is a fun way to practice numbers and counting. It's a fun math game for preschool and kindergarten.

Supplies Needed:

Red Construction Paper
Blue Construction Paper
Scissors
Black Marker

This One Fish Two Fish number match activity is a fun way to practice numbers and counting. It's a fun math game for preschool and kindergarten.

How to make your One Fish Two Fish number match game:

You will need 10 red fish and 10 blue fish. You should be able to get at least 10 fish from each piece of construction paper.

To make it more simple, create a simple template for yourself. Cut out one fish and trace it to make the rest of your fish.

Once you have your fish cut out, write the numbers 1 through 10 on your red fish. Use dots to represent each of the numbers on your blue fish.

This One Fish Two Fish number match activity is a fun way to practice numbers and counting. It's a fun math game for preschool and kindergarten.

Ways to play:

Mix up your blue fish, then mix up your red fish. Have your child match each number fish to its corresponding dot fish.

Play a memory game. Flip over each of the fish. Take turns choosing fish. Turn over one blue fish and one red fish. Do they match? If not, try again.

Use the number fish to count small manipulatives (such as mini erasers, coins, or pieces of cereal). Choose a number fish, then count out the correct number of item.

Count the dots on the blue fish and say the number out loud.

Can you think of other ways to play this One Fish Two Fish number match activity?

This One Fish Two Fish number match activity is a fun way to practice numbers and counting. It's a fun math game for preschool and kindergarten.

This game also works well as a simple busy bag. Slip your fish in a basket or bag and it’s ready to play anytime your child needs some number practice.

One Fish Two Fish Number Match is easy to prep and fun to play. It’s a great way to practice number and will probably inspire many readings of the book.

This One Fish Two Fish number match activity is a fun way to practice numbers and counting. It's a fun math game for preschool and kindergarten.

If you liked this post, you may also like one of these math games:

Skip Counting with the Cat in the Hat

Wacky Mixed-Up Hundred Chart

Making 10 with Green Eggs and Ham

Apple Counting Rocks

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish Size Sorting Activity at Inspiration Laboratories

Fun hands-on math resources

When we practice math at home, we love to play games. These games are so much fun and a great hands-on activity. Plus, it’s a great way to combine a family activity with learning. Check out some of these awesome math games below:

Are you looking for more kids activities?

Join our fun Facebook community, Creative Family Fun for Busy Families, for daily activities that are great for kids and families. We’ll chat, share, and have fun. It’s a safe and private place to share ideas for family and kids activities.

I’d love for you to join me! Just click the link below, request to join, and answer the questions (they’re easy, I promise). Come join the fun! Join the Creative Family Fun for Busy Families community here.

Leaf Shape Collage for Toddlers and Preschoolers

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Is it feeling like fall where you are?

Fall is a great time to explore leaves. Add this leaf shape collage for toddlers and preschoolers to your autumn leaf theme.

It’s perfect for working on fine motor skills and learning shapes.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Leaf Shape Collage for Toddlers and Preschoolers

This leaf activity can easily be modified to different ages and abilities.

For toddlers, you’ll want to prep everything ahead of time. They’ll be simply adding shapes to their contact paper leaves.

You can allow preschoolers to complete more of the steps on their own. Let them trace the leaves or cut out the paper shapes.

Materials Needed for the Leaf Shape Collage

Contact paper (find this near the shelf liners in the kitchen department)

Leaves (can use real, artificial, or printed on paper)

White paper (for tracing leaves)

Writing utensil (for tracing leaves)

Colored paper (can be printer paper, construction paper, scrapbook paper, recycled paper, etc.)

Scissors

Masking tape or painter’s tape

How to Make a Leaf Shape Collage

Start by tracing your leaves onto white paper.

Cut out the leaves and trace them onto contact paper.

I chose to trace them onto paper first because the paper is easier to work with than the leaves.

If you are tracing multiples of the same leaf onto contact paper, it will make it easier to use a paper template.

Cut the leaf shape out of your contact paper. Remove the backing and lay the sticky side up.

Use masking tape or painter’s tape to keep the contact paper leaf from moving around.

Next, cut small shapes from your colored paper.

You can use small paper punches or hole punches. Under supervision, this is a job for an older preschooler. Teach them how to use the punch safely and correctly.

Talk to your children about the paper shapes they see. Can they name the shapes? Now is a great time to introduce any shape names they are not familiar with.

What shape does he want to use first?

My toddler is currently in love with the color yellow, so he wanted a lot of yellow shapes on his sticky leaf.

He enjoyed placing each shape onto the contact paper.

Picking up those tiny shapes is awesome fine motor practice.

Once the leaves are finished, add another layer of contact paper sticky side down.

Then, cut out your leaf shapes.

While my toddler was busy adding more and more circles to his leaf shape collage, my 4 year old worked on punching stars and created two leaves. The bottom two leaves in the picture above were created by her.

My toddler was super proud of what he created, too.

If you had fun with this activity, you can find more fun and simple crafts for toddlers here. Have fun together!

More Leaf Themed Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Leaf Name Sticky Wall – work on name recognition with a contact paper sticky wall

Go Leaf Collecting – make a bag to collect your nature finds

Learn your ABCs with this fun Leaf Hunt Alphabet Game.

Make some Leaf Man Art – take your leaf collection and create some art

Make pretty autumn leaves and learn shapes with this fun fine motor craft for toddlers and preschoolers, a simple Leaf Shape Collage.

Outdoor ABC Game on the Driveway

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With a preschooler, sometimes you just need to get them moving.

So, I decided to sneak a little learning in with our moving and created a simple outdoor abc game.

This Driveway ABC Game is easy. It’s fun. And, it’s a great way to review the alphabet.

Grab your sidewalk chalk, go outside, and have some fun learning the alphabet with this fun outdoor abc game you can play on your driveway.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Supplies Needed:

Sidewalk chalk

Large dice (can be played with small dice if that’s all you have)

Large stretch of concrete. You can use a driveway or a sidewalk.

Set-up and play your outdoor ABC game

I drew a long, winding path on our driveway and divided it up into sections.

I then wrote one letter in each section.

When it was time to play, my preschooler threw our giant die and moved that many spaces.

When she stopped, she had to say each letter she stepped on out loud.

The concept was easy and she had a blast. We played it again and again. Not only was she reviewing her letter, but she was running all over the place chasing the die.

When I drew our game, I wrote the letters in alphabetical order ending at “k”.  I didn’t make a very long game board. Feel free to mix up the letters and add additional letters if you want to make a more challenging game.

Other variations of this outdoor alphabet game:

Use lower case letters instead of upper case

Use the letters in your child’s name for an easy name recognition game

Write the entire alphabet or only the ones that are challenging to your child

Use sight words instead of letters for kids who are already alphabet experts

Grab your sidewalk chalk, go outside, and have some fun learning your ABCs with this fun outdoor alphabet game you can play on your driveway.

Our outdoor abc game got rained away after only playing it once, but I know we’ll do this again. After all, it’s so much fun to learn while playing a gross motor game!

Grab your sidewalk chalk, go outside, and have some fun learning your ABCs with this fun outdoor alphabet game you can play on your driveway.

You may also like one of these fun outdoor learning ideas:

Outdoor Shape Activity: Driveway Shape Maze

Go Outside: Shape Hopscotch

Go Outside: Counting Walk

Garden Flower Ten Frame at Rainy Day Mum

My recommended alphabet resources

It’s so much fun to learn your ABC’s with a game. If you don’t want to head outside, here are some fun game you might want to try.

Do you want to do more activities with your kids?

Join our fun Facebook community, Creative Family Fun for Busy Families, for daily activities that are great for kids and families. We’ll chat, share, and have fun. It’s a safe and private place to share ideas for family and kids activities.

I’d love for you to join me! Just click the link below, request to join, and answer the questions (they’re easy, I promise). Come join the fun! Join the Creative Family Fun for Busy Families community here.

Let’s Go On a Listening Walk

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If you want to add a peaceful element to your next walk with your kids, go on a listening walk.

Take the time to enjoy the peace and quiet or even the hustle and bustle of your neighborhood with this fun walk idea for families.

Listen carefully… what do you hear?

Use your ears to go on a fun listening scavenger hunt while you walk around your neighborhood with this fun walk idea for families, a listening walk.

 

You can take an informal walk where the goal is to see just how many things you can hear.

Do you hear a cricket chirping? A car horn? Tweeting birds?

Emphasize quiet where the only time someone talks is when they want to share what they hear.

This is such a nice way to wind down together as a family at the end of a busy day. Or, it’s a fun morning activity to get the day started.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Use your ears to go on a fun listening scavenger hunt while you walk around your neighborhood with this fun walk idea for families, a listening walk.

You can also bring along a list of items to create a listening scavenger hunt.We keep a stack of lists on a small clipboard that’s easy to grab and take along outside. You can print out our list here or you can make your own lists.

Here are some ideas you can add to you listening walk list:

A dog barking
Cars driving by
An airplane flying overhead
Geese honking
People talking
Children giggling
The wind whispering
Buzzing bees
Crows cawing
A car door slamming

Use your ears to go on a fun listening scavenger hunt while you walk around your neighborhood with this fun walk idea for families.

When making your list, think about the sounds you often hear in your neighborhood. If you live in the country, add a lot of nature sounds. A city walk could include vehicle noises, people, or construction noises.

Print your list here. Prints in landscape format.

Listen and learn about your neighborhood! What sorts of noises would you hear on a walk around your town?

Use your ears to go on a fun listening scavenger hunt while you walk around your neighborhood with this fun walk idea for families, a listening walk.

You may also enjoy one of these outdoor family fun ideas:

Go Outside! Cards

Go Outside: Counting Walk

10 Ways to Make a Walk More Fun

My Five Senses Walk at Great Family Reads

Originally published 8/5/2013, updated March, 2018.

Phases of the Moon Mobile

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I’ve always found that the moon is the perfect introduction to the night sky for kids. It’s easy to observe; you don’t need any special equipment to see it. Plus, there are so many kid-friendly resources to help you learn about it.

Today’s project is all about the phases of the moon. We took a little learning and turned it into a kids craft project so you can have the moon in your room both day and night.

This phases of the moon mobile is easy and takes only a few supplies, which you may already at home.

Combine science and art to make this simple phases of the moon mobile out of paper plates. It's a fun way to learn about the moon.

Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.

Learn about the phases of the moon

Every night the moon looks different. Over the course of a lunar month (approximately 30 days) the moon goes through several phases, from new, to crescent, to quarter, to gibbous, to full. It changes because the moon rotates around the earth.

You can get a detailed but kid-friendly explanation here from NASA.

To get excited about the moon and to do a little hands-on learning, we’re going to create a simple illustration of the moon phases.

Combine science and art to make this simple phases of the moon mobile out of paper plates. It's a fun way to learn about the moon.

Supplies Needed

2 paper plates
Scissors
Multiple colors of blue paint
Sponge
Hole punch
Yarn
Coat hanger

Combine science and art to make this simple phases of the moon mobile out of paper plates. It's a fun way to learn about the moon.

How to make a Phases of the Moon Mobile

For this moon mobile, we made three moon phases. We made a full moon, a quarter moon, and a crescent moon. You can make as many phases as you would like.

For the full moon, leave one paper plate whole. Cut the other paper plate in half. Use one of the halves for your quarter moon and cut the other half in the shape of a crescent moon.

Combine science and art to make this simple phases of the moon mobile out of paper plates. It's a fun way to learn about the moon.

Using your blue paints, sponge paint your three different moons. We only had two different shades of blue so that’s what we used. Use as many shades of blue as you would like, or add in grey and white for a different color scheme. If you only have one shade of blue, use white paint to lighten some of it.

I cut up a sponge into small squares to use for painting. The small squares of sponge are perfect for little hands to use.

Combine science and art to make this simple phases of the moon mobile out of paper plates. It's a fun way to learn about the moon.

After your moons have dried, punch a hole in the top of each. Tie a piece of yarn through your hole and again to your coat hanger.

I varied the length of my yarn so our moon phases would hang at different levels.

Once you’re done, hang your phases of the moon mobile up in your room and wow everyone with your new knowledge of the moon.

Combine science and art to make this simple phases of the moon mobile out of paper plates. It's a fun way to learn about the moon.

To learn more about the phases of the moon

Watch this beautiful video on YouTube. Set to the soundtrack of Beethoven’s Sonata No 14, an animated moon works its ways through all of its phases.

Stop by Kids Activities Blog for another fun project you and your kids can do to chart the moon and learn about the different phases.

MoonConnection.com has a moon phase calendar you can use for reference. You can switch between the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere to get the correct moon calendar for your location.