A Simple DIY Counting Sticks Busy Bag for Preschoolers

This DIY Counting Sticks Busy Bag activity was contributed by Nadia of Teach Me Mommy.

Counting is one of those skills children can learn unintentionally while playing various games, doing everyday activities, having conversations with adults; the list goes on and on. But that does not mean we cannot teach them about numbers and mathematical concepts. What we can do, is to make the learning fun!

A Counting Sticks Busy Bag for Your Preschooler!

I made a DIY counting sticks busy bag for my 4-year-old, and she had such fun playing and learning, that I intend to make more to use in my classroom too.  Here’s how I make them…

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DIY Counting Sticks Busy Bag

You’ll only need a few materials to make your own Counting Sticks Busy Bag: jumbo craft sticks, sticky-back velcro dots, number sticks, and a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag to store it all in!

Simply add the velcro dots to the sticks, as shown in the photo above.

Then, have your child help count the dots on each stick and place corresponding number stickers on the opposite ends of the dots.

Now, let your child practice counting while adding a pom-pom to each velcro dot. Help identify the number stickers.

Throw your Counting Sticks in a plastic baggie and take your new Busy Bag along on long car rides or for a long wait at the doctor’s office. Easy, quick learning fun!

Make Your Own Counting Sticks Busy Bag:

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DIY Counting Sticks Busy Bag

Make this simple DIY Counting Sticks Busy Bag for your preschooler to learn numbers and practice counting skills!

Course: Learning Activity

Keyword: Counting, Kids Activity, Learning, Math, Numbers, Preschool

Makes: 5 Counting Sticks

Materials

• 5 jumbo craft sticks
• 15 self-adhesive hook and loop dots
• 5 number stickers numbers 1 through 5
• 15 pom-poms
• 1 gallon food storage bag

Instructions

• Add 1 hook and loop dot to the end of one stick. Add 2 hook and loop dots to the end of a second stick. Add 3 to the end of a third stick. Continue, adding one more to each new stick until you have 5 sticks.
• Have your child help add a number sticker, corresponding with the number of hook and loop dots, onto the other end of each stick.
• Store all Counting Sticks and pom-poms in a gallon-size food storage bag.

Ways to Play & Learn:

• Count pom-poms while sticking one on each hook and loop dot.
• Arrange sticks in number order.
• Make patterns on a stick using different color pom-poms.
• Use sticks for simple math addition: Place 2 sticks next to one another, then add pom-poms and count to see what the two number sticks add up to.
• Practice listening skills and number identification: Call out a number for the child to find its corresponding Counting Stick.
• Close your eyes and feel the dots on the sticks to identify each stick's number.

More Busy Bag Activities for Preschoolers:

• Over 100 Awesome Busy Bags for Toddlers and Preschoolers!
• A DIY Busy Bag for Learning the Days of the Week
• A SUPER Upper and Lower-Case Letters Matching Game

Have you ever made a busy bag for your preschooler?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

This post has affiliate links. See my disclosure for more information.