Easter Egg Math

For a warm-up you can have your child place a jellybean in each egg carton cup. He can count them while he is putting them in or after he has put them all in, or both.

For the next activity have him fill plastic Easter egg with 1-10 jellybeans. While he is putting them in, have him count how many he is putting in and have him write that first number down on a blank sheet of paper. Then have him open the egg up, being careful not to drop the jellybeans out, and count how many jellybeans have fallen in one side of the cup. Have him write that number down as the second numeral of a subtraction problem. Then have him count how many have fallen on the other side of the egg and use that number as the answer numeral of the equation.

Then have him close the egg up again and shake them. When he opens the egg up this time have him count how many jellybeans have fallen in one side of the cup. Have him write that number down as the first numeral of an addition equation. Then have him count how many have fallen on the other side of the egg and use that number as the second numeral of the equation. Then have him count the total, and write down the answer the the equation.

Then have him close up the egg again, and see if a new equation comes up for this same number of jellybeans total. How many different equations can he come up with in the same egg?

This process is a fun way for children to learn "fact families," or what problems can be made from three numbers. He can then go on to another egg, with a new fact family to explore. This is also practice in conservation in number, or the concept that 3 + 4 is the same as 4 + 3.

Quentin also discovered that he could write the equation backwards, such as 7=4+3 or 1=0+1.
Confidence in the ability to manipulate numbers is an important foundation for future mathematical concepts.