Easy Puzzle Number Recognition Activity for Kids

I have a very large container of pom poms in my house. They sit beautifully on the shelf waiting to be used in various preschool crafts and projects. Today we used them in a fun number recognition activity that was simple to set up, and offered lots of preschool counting practice. This activity looked like an activity party with all those fun, colorful pom poms laying out!

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Setting this activity up is a breeze- first, remove all the numbers from the puzzle and set aside. Next, Grab a handful of pom poms and set them near the puzzle. Invite your kids over to talk about the activity. Preschoolers love working on novel invitations to learn like this, so they’re likely going to be excited as soon as they see what you have in store for them!

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Direct your kids to count and identify each number in the puzzle. Ask them other questions about numbers like “point to the number that shows how old you are,” or “point to the number that shows how many fingers I’m holding up.” This will give your kids a chance to make connections to the numbers, making the activity more meaningful for them.

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When you feel like your kids are ready, ask them to help you count the right umber of pom poms that represent each number. Their little fingers will enjoy the fine motor work of carefully placing the pom poms in each space! My four year old enjoyed making patterns with the pom poms colors as he went on with this activity. You can even choose to make the experience more seasonal by offering colors that reflect the current season or holidays! Including a pair of child-friendly tweezers like these would increase the fine-motor challenge as well. There are lots of ways to keep this activity fresh and engaging for your preschoolers!