DIY Counting Activity - Simple & Educational

I wanted to create a fun counting activity for my son today. I realized I could use one of his favorite snacks, Fruit Loops, as part of the activity. Since my son is only two, I figured using a cupcake tray with six spaces would be a great start for number recognition and counting practice. A cupcake tray is also great for holding multiple Fruit Loop counters. I took cupcake liners and placed a number sticker within each liner. I did not want to use a marker so he could reuse and eat the Fruit Loops. The result was an exciting, and tasty, math learning activity for my son.

Here he is in action:

There are so many other options to use as counters besides Fruit Loops:
-Marbles
-Small rocks
-Pom poms
-Beads
-Cotton balls
-Cheerios
-Jelly Beans
-Grapes
-Goldfish crackers
-Linking cubes
-Pretzels
-Paper clips
-Blueberries
-Play-doh balls
-Jingle Bells

My son still puts everything in his mouth so I figured edible counters would be best for him right now. I was right! During the activity, he did snack on the Fruit Loops which made it even more enjoyable as it kept him actively engaged.

This activity was so simple to create with items I already had in my kitchen. I love the fact that I can teach my son important learning concepts at home without having to spend extra money.

-Deborah