Preschool STEM Activity: Math Challenge

STEM with the creative addition of art is essential for our young learners. The FREE STEM E-Course, challenges parents, teachers, and care-givers to include more science, technology, engineering, art, and math into every day. Join in today, with our playdough math-smash challenge!

Preschool Math Activity | Learn to count, simple addition, 3 dimensional shapes, hands-on math activities for preschoolers

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This activity has been re-printed with permission from STEAM: Preschool Activities for STEM Enrichment

Preschool STEM Activity MATH SMASH

Learning Objective

Count and add numbers 1-5

Materials Needed

Play Dough

Directions for Activity

1. Allow time for material exploration. Encourage squishing, pinching, and rolling. Demonstrate how to roll a snake and spheres with play dough.

2. Make the numbers one through five with the play dough snakes.

3. Have the child roll the number of spheres needed to match the written number.

4. Count the spheres and let her smash them to make play dough pancakes as they count.

Playdough math-smash game for preschoolers

Activity Extensions

Need a challenge? Bring addition into the activity and make a + and = sign out of your play dough snakes. Have the child pick two numbers and put them between the signs. Encourage her to roll enough spheres to match the number. Then, let her smash and count the numbers. Count how many are there all-together.