Looking for a fun way for your child to practice counting?
Try a hands on apple counting busy bag!
There is so much to love about busy bags–they are educational, engaging, and fit into a little package that can be taken on the go!
This apple seed counting busy bag is perfect for preschool kids who are working on numbers, counting, and one-to-one correspondence. Once you put it together you can use it during quiet time, in a classroom center or while waiting at a restaurant or doctor’s appointment.
There’s no real rules for making busy bags and you can find tons of different ideas out there. Personally, I like simple ones best. They are easy to make and end up being able to be played with in many different ways which is helpful as kids start to learn new skills.
This apple seed busy bag actually reuses the clothespins from our paper plate pumpkin busy bag in fact I am storing both of these busy bags for my preschooler in the same gallon size bag! Don’t you just love when stuff like that comes together!
Apple Seed Counting Busy Bag
- red paper plate or a paper plate painted red
- clothespins
- green marker
- pom poms
How to Make the Apple Busy Bag
- Write the numbers your child is working on on the clothespins with a permanent marker.
- Grab a handful of pom poms. We chose green but any color would be fine.
- Let your child clip a number clothespin (stem) to the top of the plate (apple) and then have them count out the corresponding number of pom poms (seeds).
Learning with the Counting Busy Bag
There is a lot of number and fine motor skills packed into this apple seed counting busy bag!
Kids can practice number identification, one to one correspondence, and counting as they play with this busy bag. The hands on, tactile nature of the busy bag not only encourages kids to engage with the materials, it also helps develop fine motor skills. Squeezing clothespins, picking up pom poms and using both hands to work strengthens the finger and hand muscles kids need down the road for things like writing and cutting.
If your child isn’t quite ready to identify numbers you can turn it into an activity you do together. Say the number as you hand the clothespin to your child to clip on the apple. Count the pom poms together and talk about how that group of pom poms represents the number at the top.
Save on the number of clothespins you have to use by writing numbers on both the front and back of each clothespin. You can even get really fancy and use pom poms for the tens and small beads for the ones for higher numbers.
The sky really is the limit!
Check out the other creative preschool busy bags from this talented group of kid bloggers. From left to right:
LEGO Patterns Busy Box // Mama.Papa.Bubba.
Printable Animal Puzzles // Itsy Bitsy Fun
Free Letter Tracing Roads // Playdough to Plato
5 Easy Bottle Cap Busy Bags for Tiny Tots // Best Toys for Toddlers
Brown Bear Lacing Busy Bag // Preschool Inspirations
DIY Car Track Busy Bag // Adventures of Adam
Three Pretend Play Busy Bags // Lalymom
How to Make Busy Bags: Thrift Shop Finds // ALLterNATIVElearning
Apple Counting Busy Bag // Coffee Cups and Crayons
Counting Caterpillar Busy Bag // Powerful Mothering
But wait! There’s more! If you love playing and learning with busy bags as much as we do then you’ll LOVE our ebook!
The Busy Bag Book is jam-packed with busy bag activities kids can play with all by themselves while you do something else. You need this book!
Click here for more information —>> The Busy Bag Book
Love the simplicity of this busy bag! And it’s just right activity for fall season! 🙂
I would love if you would add this and any other Apple activity / craft to our Tots at Play linky. It’s ongoing linky with new theme each week and you can add any of your past post matching the theme, at any time. 🙂
Thanks so much Michaela!!!
What a fun way to practice numbers and develop fine motor skills at the same time. I love two for ones!! Can’t wait to try it with my kids. Sharing!
Thanks Malia!!!!
Great idea to write the numbers of both sides of the pegs to save on the number of pegs needed!