I love this Paper Plate Number Match Activity because it’s really a double whammy. Not only does it help your kids to develop fine motor skills, but it’s also one of the easiest preschool math activities.
You can use this math play idea to work on counting, number recognition and numeral – number matching. Customize it to fit your class and your learning objectives.
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Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers
There are so many benefits to developing fine motor skills in young children. Not only does it get them reading for writing, but also helps them to perform tasks that make them more independent (like zipping their own jackets).
Here are some more of my most popular fine motor play ideas for toddlers and preschoolers.
- DIY Ball Drop Box
- Egg Carton Color Sort
- Paper plate color match activity
- Fridge door pom pom drop
- Easy Fine Motor Work Station
- …
For more ideas, check out these other 60 Amazing Fine Motor Activities for Kids.
Materials Needed
- A paper plate
- 10 wooden clothespins
- A sharpie or pen
How to Make a Paper Plate Number Match Activity
Step 1. Take your paper plate and divide it into 10 sections.
I used a light blue sharpie to make the sections on the plate. You can use what you have on hand at the time.
I also traced around one of my paper cups to make the circle in the middle of the plate. This is completely optional. I just liked to do it so that I could write the name of the activity in the center and because I prefer the way it looks.
2. Write the numbers from 1 – 10 in each of the sections
3. Draw the same number of dots below each of the numerals.
The great thing about this activity is that you can adjust it depending on what you’re focusing on. Do you only want to practice counting, or recognizing numerals? Or do you want to match the two?
It all depends on how old the kids in your class are and what skill you want to develop.
4. Take ten clothespins and write the numbers 1 – 10 on each of them. Turn them over and place the same number of dots on the other side of the clothespin.
When working with wooden clothespins I like to use a regular pen instead of a sharpie. I find that the ink from the sharpies tends to bleed into the wood. It’s not actually an issue affecting how the activity works. It’s just a personal preference, because I don’t like the way it looks.
How to Play
Learning through play is the most effective way to teach young children. Hands-on math activities for preschool will keep your kids engaged and on the right track before they head off to big school.
This activity is so easy to play. That the kids won’t even realize how much they’re learning while they have fun.
- Pick up a clothespin at random. Look at the numeral or how many dots are on it.
- Identify the number on the clothespin.
- Look for the matching number on the paper plate.
- Clip the clothespin onto the section of the paper plate with the matching number.
Are you going to make this Paper Plate Number Match Activity for your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.
