Number 4 activities for preschoolers offer an exciting and educational way to introduce young learners to the world of numbers.
These activities focus specifically on the numeral “4” and are crafted to make early math concepts both accessible and enjoyable.
Number 4 Collage:
Materials needed: Construction paper, glue, scissors, magazines or newspapers, and markers.
Description: Encourage your preschoolers’ creativity and fine motor skills with a number 4 collage activity. Provide each child with a piece of construction paper and instruct them to cut out or tear out images from magazines or newspapers.
Four-Legged Friends:
Materials needed: Toy animals (such as plastic or stuffed animals).
Description: Engage your preschoolers in a hands-on, tactile activity that introduces the concept of “four.” Provide a variety of toy animals and ask the children to find and group those with four legs.
Number 4 Sensory Tray:
Materials needed: Large tray, sand or rice, number 4 card or template, small toys or objects.
Description: Create a sensory tray that focuses on the number 4. Fill a large tray with sand or rice, and bury small toys or objects within it. Place a large number 4 card or template in the center of the tray. Encourage your preschoolers to explore the sensory materials, using their hands or small shovels to uncover hidden objects. As they find each object, they can place it on or near the number 4 card.
Four Corners:
Materials needed: Large number cards (1, 2, 3, and 4) or colored markers.
Description: Transform a simple game of “Four Corners” into a numerical adventure. Designate each corner of the room or play area with a large number card or a colored marker representing numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. Assign one child as the caller, who will call out a number between 1 and 4. The other children must quickly move to the corresponding corner or color.
Four-Leaf Clover Hunt:
Materials needed: Green construction paper, scissors, markers, adhesive tape, or glue.
Description: Celebrate the number 4 with a festive four-leaf clover hunt. Prior to the activity, cut out multiple four-leaf clovers from green construction paper. On each clover, write the number 4 using markers. Hide the clovers around the play area or outdoor space.
Number 4 Hopscotch:
Materials needed: Sidewalk chalk.
Description: Transform a classic game of hopscotch into a number-focused activity. Use sidewalk chalk to draw a hopscotch grid with numbers 1 through 4 in each square.
Counting with Number 4 Snacks:
Materials needed: Snacks (such as crackers, grapes, or pretzel sticks).
Description: Turn snack time into a counting lesson with number 4 snacks. Provide the preschoolers with a variety of snack items and instruct them to count out four pieces of each snack. For example, they can count out four crackers, four grapes, or four pretzel sticks.
Number 4 Pattern Bracelets:
Materials needed: Pipe cleaners or string, colored beads.
Description: Engage preschoolers in a hands-on activity that combines number recognition with pattern building. Provide pipe cleaners or strings and a variety of colored beads. Instruct the children to create bracelets by stringing beads in a pattern that repeats every four beads.
Four-Color Art:
Materials needed: Paper, markers, or crayons.
Description: Explore the number 4 through art. Provide the preschoolers with a blank sheet of paper and instruct them to choose four colors from their markers or crayons.
Four-Sided Shape Hunt:
Materials needed: Flashcards or pictures of four-sided shapes (such as squares or rectangles), timer.
Description: Engage preschoolers in a shape-hunting adventure focusing on four-sided shapes. Show them flashcards or pictures of square or rectangle shapes and explain that these are called four-sided shapes. Set a timer and challenge the children to find as many four-sided shapes as they can within a specific time frame. They can search for shapes in their environment or use building blocks and manipulatives to create their own four-sided shapes.
Number 4 Playdough Mats:
Materials needed: Playdough, laminated number 4 mats (you can create or print them).
Description: Provide each child with a laminated number 4 mat and a small amount of playdough. Instruct the preschoolers to roll the play dough into ropes or balls and shape them to cover the number 4 on the mat.
Four-Step Movement Sequences:
Materials needed: Flashcards or pictures representing different movements (such as jumping, clapping, spinning, or hopping).
Description: Introduce the concept of sequencing and the number 4 through movement activities. Show the preschoolers flashcards or pictures representing different movements and explain that they will create four-step movement sequences.
Number 4 Tower Building:
Materials needed: Building blocks or construction materials.
Description: Encourage preschoolers to engage in a hands-on building activity that centers around the number 4. Provide them with building blocks or construction materials and challenge them to build towers using exactly four blocks.
Four-Finger Paintings:
Materials needed: Paint, paper, markers.
Description: Spark creativity and artistic expression while exploring the number 4 through finger painting. Provide each child with a sheet of paper and different colors of paint. Instruct them to dip four of their fingers into the paint and create unique paintings using only their four fingers. After the paintings dry, they can use markers to add number 4 decorations or write the number 4 on their artwork.
Four-Word Stories:
Materials needed: Picture cards or printed images, markers or crayons, and paper.
Description: Foster language development and storytelling skills while incorporating the number 4. Provide each child with picture cards or printed images representing different objects, animals, or characters. Instruct them to choose four cards and use them to create a story with four sentences.
Four-Part Puzzles:
Materials needed: Cardstock or construction paper, markers or crayons, scissors.
Description: Create DIY puzzles that focus on the number 4. Draw or print pictures that can be divided into four parts, such as animals, fruits, or vehicles. Cut out each picture along the lines to create four puzzle pieces.
Four-Word Rhymes:
Materials needed: Flashcards with pictures or words.
Description: Engage preschoolers in a rhyming activity that highlights the number 4. Show them flashcards with pictures or words and ask them to come up with four words that rhyme with each item. For example, if the flashcard shows a picture of a cat, they can come up with words like hat, mat, rat, and bat.
Four-Square Hop:
Materials needed: Sidewalk chalk or tape.
Description: Transform a four-square game into a number-focused hopping activity. Use sidewalk chalk or tape to create a large four-square grid on the ground. Label each square with a number from 1 to 4. Instruct the preschoolers to take turns hopping into each square while calling out the number they land on.
Four-Color Sorting:
Materials needed: Small objects or toys in four different colors.
Description: Encourage preschoolers to practice sorting skills while focusing on the number 4. Provide them with small objects or toys in four different colors. Instruct them to sort the objects into groups based on their colors, creating four color-coded sets.
Four-Beat Music Parade:
Materials needed: Musical instruments (such as drums, shakers, or bells).
Description: Create a musical parade that highlights the number 4. Give each preschooler a musical instrument and explain that they will march together in a four-beat rhythm. Demonstrate the four beats using claps or counting aloud, and encourage the children to follow along.
Four-Corner Number Hunt:
Materials needed: Number cards or large number cutouts, tape, or sticky putty.
Description: Set up a number hunt game that focuses on the number 4. Place large number cutouts or cards (1, 2, 3, and 4) in each corner of a room or play area. Call out a number, and the preschoolers must quickly move to the corresponding corner. Repeat the game with different numbers, emphasizing the number 4.
Four-Ingredient Recipe:
Materials needed: Recipe cards or printed recipes, ingredients for a simple recipe.
Description: Introduce the concept of recipes and measurements by creating a four-ingredient recipe together. Provide preschoolers with recipe cards or printed recipes that have four ingredients listed.
Four-Step Obstacle Course:
Materials needed: Cones, hoops, pillows, or other objects for creating an obstacle course.
Description: Design a four-step obstacle course to engage preschoolers in physical activity while reinforcing the number 4. Set up cones, hoops, pillows, or other objects to create a course with four distinct steps. Instruct the children to move through each step in a specific order, counting aloud as they go.
Four-Point Scavenger Hunt:
Materials needed: Flashcards or pictures representing four different objects or themes.
Description: Conduct a scavenger hunt where preschoolers search for objects related to four different themes or categories. Show them flashcards or pictures representing each theme and explain the task. They must find and collect four items that match each theme. For example, if the theme is “animals,” they can search for four animal toys or pictures.
Related:
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