How many bean bags?

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Suggested content:

Represent and explain multiplication as the combining of equal groups

Form arrays of equal rows and equal columns
Determine and distinguish between the number of rows/columns and the number in each row/column when describing collections of objects

Coloured drawing of students playing 'How many bean bags'.

Equipment

Marker cones
30 bean bags

Activity set-up

Mark an area.
Place collection of bean bags in a central point.
Form pairs.

How to play

Players work in pairs. One player from each pair runs to a central point to collect one bean bag at a time and throw it back to their partner at the base. Partner repeats. The aim is to collect the greatest number of bean bags and arrange into an array.

Teams collect as many bean bags as possible in the allotted time, e.g. 60 seconds.
When all the balls have been removed from the centre, the coach calls ‘STOP!’
Players arrange their bean bags into an array.
The team who can create an array win.

Variations

Determine the number of bean bags to be collected before playing, eg. 20.
Play using division - share the balls into equal groups.

Forming groups