This apple tree roll and cover math game is a great way to help preschoolers practice number recognition, subitizing, and counting. It even provides fine motor practice at the same time.
One of our most popular posts has been this apple tree letter matching activity, so I decided it was time to do a math version. This math game would be a great addition to your preschool apple theme lesson plans. It helps children learn to identify numbers and gives them the opportunity to practice subitizing numbers. Younger children may choose to count the dots on the dice which is also a good way for them to practice counting.
Supplies Needed:
- White paper
- Crayons
- Red dot stickers (affiliate)
- Dice
- Pencil/pen
Setting Up the Apple Theme Math Game
This is very easy to set up. It only took me about 2 minutes!
1. Draw a tree on the paper with crayons. If you are doing this with a class of students who could copy the sheet or make one for each child.
2. Write numbers 1-6 all over the tree with a pencil or pen.
Playing the Apple Tree Math Game
At first I modeled how to play the game for Evan. I rolled the dice and identified the number the dice landed on. Then I found one instance of that number on the tree and pretended to stick a dot sticker over that number.
Then I invited Evan to try it out himself. He rolled the dice, identified the number, found it on the tree and added a sticker to the tree.
These steps repeated until every number on the tree was covered with a dot sticker. Make sure that your child only covers one number each time they roll the dice even though there are several instances of each number on the tree.
Check out my Ten Apples Up on Top counting activity for even more apple themed fun and learning!