101 Number Activities

54
COUNTING APPLE SEEDS
Materials
Apples
Plain paper
Marker
Pencil
Apples
Sharp knife
Activity
Purchase three different kinds of apples. On a sheet of plain paper, write “How Many Seeds?” across the
top. Write each child’s name underneath. Hold up one of the apples. Ask the children to guess the number
of seeds that are inside the apple while you sing the following song. Help the children write their guesses
beside their names on the paper. Cut open the apple, remove the seeds, and let the children help you
count them. How close were their estimates to the actual number of seeds? Was the actual number of
seeds more or less than their guesses? Try the same experiment with a different kind of apple.
Sung to: “Frere Jacques”
Here’s an apple,
Here’s an apple
With seeds inside,
With seeds inside.
Will you guess with me
How many seeds we’ll see?
How many seeds?
How many seeds?
Gayle Bittinger
© School Specialty Publishing

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© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing
1-57029-488-7 101 Number Activities
48
55
THERMOMETER READINGS
Science
Materials
Outdoor thermometer
Heavy cardboard
Sharp knife
White ribbon
Red permanent marker
Black marker
Activity
Find a large outdoor thermometer with large, easy-to-read numbers. Hang the thermometer outside in a
place where the children can see it from inside your room. Talk about what the numbers on the
thermometer mean. Show them how to read the thermometer. Explain that the bigger the number, the
warmer it is outside; the smaller the number, the colder it is outside.
Then make a play thermometer for the children. Cut a 3 x 9-inch rectangle out of heavy cardboard. Use a
sharp knife to cut a small slit at the top and the bottom of the rectangle. Cut a 20-inch length of white
ribbon. Color half of the ribbon with a red permanent marker. Thread the ribbon through the slits in the
cardboard and tie it in the back. Mark the front of the cardboard with the degrees found on your real
thermometer. As the temperature changes during the day, have the children change their play
thermometer by moving the red part of the ribbon up or down.
Variation: Make two play thermometers. Adjust the temperature on one of the thermometers. Ask
one of the children to make the other thermometer the same temperature. Or set a different
temperature on each play thermometer. Ask the children to tell you which temperature is higher and
which is lower.
© School Specialty Publishing

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© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing
1-57029-488-7 101 Number Activities
49
Science