101 Number Activities

51
WEIGHING PUMPKINS
Materials
Pumpkins
Scale
Ball-point pen
Activity
Collect three or four pumpkins of varying sizes. Let the children pick up and hold the pumpkins. Have them
estimate which pumpkin is the heaviest and which one is the lightest. Then set out a scale. Help the
children weigh each pumpkin and write the weight on its side with a ball-point pen. Have the children
compare their estimations with the actual weights. Did they correctly guess which pumpkin was the
heaviest and which pumpkin was the lightest? Repeat with a different set of pumpkins.
52
HOW BIG IS NATURE?
Materials
Measuring tools
Activity
Collect a variety of measuring tools such as a yardstick, a retractable tape measure, a collapsible
carpenter’s measure, fabric measuring tapes, and several rulers. Let the children take the tools outside to
measure things like sticks, tree trunks, leaves, and flower stems. Point out the numbered inches on the
measuring tools. Ask them to tell you how many inches long each item is. Let them experiment with the
measuring tools to figure out which ones work better than others to measure certain things. Then ask
them what they measured and which tools worked best.
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© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing
1-57029-488-7 101 Number Activities
46
53
BIRTHDAY GRAPH
Science
Materials
Posterboard
Markers
Construction paper
Scissors
Glue
Activity
Set out a sheet of posterboard so that it faces horizontally.
Write the words “Our Birthdays” across the top. Draw a line
across the bottom and make twelve hash marks. Write the
months of the year from January to December beneath the
hash marks (see illustration). Cut small candle shapes out of
construction paper. Show the graph to the children. Explain
that when the graph is finished, it will show how many of 
the children’s birthdays are in each month of the year.
To complete the graph, ask all the children with January birthdays to raise their hands. Together, count the
number of hands raised, then glue that many candle shapes above “January.” Repeat with the other
months. When the graph is complete, ask the children questions about it. Which month has the most
birthdays? The least? How many birthdays are there in April? Are there any months without birthdays?
© School Specialty Publishing

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© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing
1-57029-488-7 101 Number Activities
47
Science