Love Bug Pinch Activity in an Altoid Tin
I know it's a bit early for springtime posts, but all of our snow is melted and it's warming up already (I think we might get a springtime burial in snow). I mainly wanted to make this printable activity for Valentine's Day. Since the spider game is so popular, I thought a ladybug one would be a good addition.
Just like the spider game, the lady bug game is contained in a tiny Altoid tin. The printable contains a custom cover for the tin. I usually leave the tin unpainted but you can look for tutorials online for how to spray paint or cover them. Laminate the cover or coat it with modge podge then hot glue it to the tin.
The printable comes with themed number squares, which can be used to help a child build number sense. Using either Good Luck Mini ladybugs or craft buttons, the child can show the value for each number. If you want to work on numbers 1-5, then you'll need 15 ladybugs in the tin. If you want to do 1-10 at the same time, you'll need 55 bugs.
Of course, the bugs can also be used for simple addition and subtraction games. A dice could be added to the tin to make random numbers for equations. The limit is really only on the kids imagination and skill set for how they use the ladybug counters for math.
Another great game for helping kids understand the factors of a number (for example 9+1=10 but 5+5=10) is an activity called "Dead or Alive Bugs." Decide what number you want to work on and put that many bugs in a cup or hold in your hands and shake like dice. Toss them out and count how many bugs are alive and how many are dead. Or keep track of who has the most alive bugs to see who's the winner after 5 or 10 rounds.
To work on fine motor skills, a pair of tweezers can be included in the tin. Although it's very challenging, the child can maneuver the tweezers under the bug and grab it. The bugs could all be laying on their backs and needing to be rescued and put upright or moved around to make the different number quantities.
Although the felt won't fit in the tin, I also recommend that you pack a piece of felt or fabric that can be used as a playing surface. The felt, which can be purchased at big box or craft stores, helps to define the child's work space and makes the activity pieces less slippery.
Let me know how you use the tin or which theme you'd like to see next in the comments below.
I love ladybugs! Check out all these adorable ladybug items!
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