Learning through Play with Number Pops!

Let's learn through play with Learning Resources Smart Snacks Number Pops!

Popsicles

Fruity, juicy, tangy, and sweet

Try a taste of summer’s best treat!

Frosty, icy, colorful, and cool

Take a lick before you jump in the pool!

-Anji Audley

Popsicles are a favorite treat for children! Inject some fun into learning by using Learning Resources Smart Snacks Number Pops. This toy not only provides number recognition and counting practice, but can be used as a prop in pretend play or as art inspiration. Inspire learning through play with Number Pops.

Activity 1 Memory Flip

This activity will include counting, number recognition, memory, and fine motor skills.

Materials:

• Learning Resources Smart Snacks Number Pops

Procedure:

1. Remove the Number Pop shell (numeral/solid color/no stick) from the Number Pop (white/dots/stick), and lay the two separate pieces face down on the table or floor away from one another. Do this for each Number Pop.
2. Player 1 will turn one Number Pop shell over, and will then choose a Number Pop to turn over. If the two pieces match, then put them together and place in a match pile. If they do not match, flip back over in same position. Player 2 performs same steps.
3. Repeat until all pieces have been matched.

Activity 2 Special Delivery Ice Cream Truck

This activity will include counting, number recognition, movement, and pretend play.

Materials:

• Learning Resources Smart Snacks Number Pops
• Sidewalk Chalk
• Ride-on toy (tricycle, bike, scooter, etc) or wagon
• Basket or bag to carry Pops
• Ice cream truck sign (optional)

Procedure:

1. Draw houses around the edges of your driveway or along the sidewalk. Label each house with some representation of a number. Use numbers 1-10 (tally marks, traced hands with fingers held up, stick people, etc). For younger children, write the number or dot pattern for them to simply match to their Number Pops.
2. Have your child use a ride-on toy or wagon to pretend to be an ice cream truck delivery person. Your child will choose a Number Pop from their delivery bag.
3. Encourage your child to deliver the chosen Number Pop to the house that has the corresponding number.
4. To add more fun to this pretend play activity, invite friends or siblings to stand at the drawn houses and “pay” for the Pops. The price of the Pop could be equivalent to the number; this would be extra math practice for all participants. They could use real or play money.
5. You can also encourage your child to make a sign and/or decorations for their delivery vehicle.

Activity 3 Number of Ways

This activity will include counting, number recognition, creativity, and fine motor skills.

Materials:

• Learning Resources Smart Snacks Number Pops
• Paper (cardstock or thick paper would work best)
• Writing Utensils
• Stickers/other small decorations (gems, pompoms, toothpicks, dried pasta, dried beans, etc)
• Scissors
• Glue
• Popsicle sticks

Procedure:

1. Trace the top portion of the Number Pops onto paper.
2. Cut out the drawn popsicle tops.
3. Have your child choose a Number Pop from the Learning Resources set, and look at the number. Encourage your child to represent the number on the chosen Number Pop in an artistic way on the paper popsicle: arrange a corresponding number of decorative items in a creative display. Your child can draw something, use stickers, or glue objects to the paper popsicle. They can also glue a popsicle stick to the back.
4. Do this for each number (may want to spread out over a couple of days).
5. Use the created paper popsicles and match to the Number Pops from the Learning Resources set.

Activity 4 Pop Art

This activity will include creativity and fine motor skills.

Materials:

• Learning Resources Smart Snacks Number Pops
• Paper (cardstock or thick paper would work best)
• Writing Utensils
• Washable paint
• Decorative craft supplies: stickers/washi tape/ glitter/small decorations (gems, toothpicks, etc)
• Scissors
• Glue
• Popsicle sticks

Procedure:

1. Trace the top portion of the Number Pops onto paper.
2. Use paint, crayons, markers, glue, decorative objects (gems, glitter, etc), and any other desired art supplies to create art on the paper popsicles.
3. Cut out the Popsicles.
4. When finished with several, you can help your child glue popsicle sticks on the backs. You can then glue the finished popsicle art onto a larger piece of paper or canvas, hole punch and make an art mobile, or glue to magnets.

Activity 5 Pop Up and Exercise

This activity will include counting, number recognition, movement, and pretend play.

Materials:

• Learning Resources Smart Snacks Number Pops
• Print the Pop Up and Exercise key provided in link or use a blank paper and label with numbers 1-10. List one exercise next to each number: bear crawl, crab walk, snake slither, rabbit hop, horse gallop, cheetah sprint, frog jump, rhino stomp, lion stalk, duck waddle (or generate your own exercises) to make an exercise key.
  

  Procedure:

1. Separate the Number Pop shell from each Number Pop.
2. Place all Number Pop shells into a bowl or basket.
3. Lay out all Number Pops along the floor on one side of the room.
4. Have your child start on opposite side of the room from the Number Pops.
5. Your child will close their eyes and pick a Number Pop shell from the basket.
6. They will check the exercise key to see which exercise corresponds to the number on the Number Pop shell that they chose.
7. They will then do that exercise across the room to retrieve the matching Number Pop.
8. Repeat steps 5-8 until all numbers have been matched.

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Enrichment Activity:

Make Frozen Popsicles

There are many delicious frozen popsicle recipes floating around the web, or you can get creative and experiment to create your own!

My kids enjoy:

1 C vanilla yogurt

2 C pureed fruit (bananas and strawberries are favorites)

1-2 TBSP of Sugar

We mix all ingredients in our blender until smooth, pour mixture into popsicle molds, add popsicle sticks, and freeze.