Plant a Number Line

• paper towel roll

• popsicle sticks or pipe cleaners

• cupcake liners or construction paper

• markers

• tape

• scissors

• 2 dice (VERSION 2 of the game)

1. Write the numbers 1 - 10 (or higher if your child is working with larger numbers) on the cupcake liners or cut out flower shapes from construction paper instead.

2. Tape the flowers onto the popsicle sticks or pipe cleaners.

3. Make holes in the paper towel roll for the sticks to fit.

4. Write the numbers that match your flowers under the holes.

VERSION 1 - number recognition

• Have the flowers face down on the table - take turns choosing a flower and placing it in the correct slot in the paper towel roll.

VERSION 2 - dice addition

• Roll the dice and add them together to then place the flower that represents the sum in the paper towel roll.

VERSION 3 - algebraic math stories

• Have a toy bee or butterfly (you can draw one) who lands on a flower and poses questions. For example:

  • Place the bee on number 2 flower and say "Now the bee flies to one more flower, where is he now? (2+1=?)

  • Ask your child how many flowers the bee must fly past to get to number 5 (2+?=5)

  • Have your child make up their own math stories that you act out.