Counting Jars Activity + FREEBIE

I have another super easy and fun counting activity for you! Not only is this super easy to prep, can be differentiated but I’m also including a Counting Jars freebie for you!

These counting jars are a win. You can customize them to fit YOUR students, which we all know how important that is. Plus, you can customize the jars to match any theme you are working with, too, then change the theme as necessary! I love that this can be independent practice or partner work. This is a counting activity that can be set out in math stations that students can rotate through or even set out for early finisher work.

Supplies

So what do you need? Let’s go over the supplies I use to create these jars.

• Container:
  I use flip top plastic jars, they can be found at the dollar store, but you can use anything.
• Label Stickers or Permanent Marker
• Manipulatives For Inside Jars
• Pencil
• Clipboards (Optional)
• Free Recording Sheet Printable
  

Prepping This Activity

As I mentioned above, I use plastic jars with flip top lids. I find these at the dollar store. You can use anything that you want, though. Jars make the most sense, but even zip lock bags would work.

The freebie that goes along with this activity is a counting jars recording sheet. This is a worksheet that each student can record their findings at each jar. The worksheet is broken down into boxes, one for each jar. Inside the box is a small circle, a jar and a line. The circle is where the student can draw or write the jar label. The jar is for drawing how many objects are in the jar. The line is for students to write the numeral of how many objects are in the jar.

You’ll want to label each jar differently. This is how students will identify that jar, and what they will write or draw in the circle on the recording sheet. I prefer not to use numbers as the identifier, because little learners may think that that is how many objects are in the jar. I choose to use shapes or letters instead. You could also use different stickers. Make sure it is something simple that your little learners can copy on their recording sheet.

Next, place objects in the jars. The options are practically endless of what you could use inside the jars. You can make the objects correspond with the theme of the week/month easily as well. Some ideas are:

• Mini Erasers
• Pom Poms
• Beads
• Candy (Skittles, Conversation Hearts, Red Hots, Smarties, Etc)
• Beans
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Cereal
• Jingle Bells
• Counting Bears

Once you have filled the jars, space them out in stations or however you decide to present the activity and they are ready to go. Students can use clipboards to carry around, if they are on the go.

Using In The Classroom

No matter how you choose to use these in your classroom, your students are going to have fun! After you have prepped the jars, students will start with one jar at a time. On the recording sheet you will see that there are boxes for each jar, for 6 jars total. Each box contains a circle, a jar and a line. The circle is where students will draw or write your jar label, shape letter, etc. The jar is where they will draw the number of objects in said jar. Then the line underneath is where they can write the numeral. When they finish that jar, they can move on to the next.

Differentiating

The FREE Recording sheet resource also offers a differentiating option. For those students who are ready for a step up from counting, there is also an addition recording sheet. This sheet has 8 boxes, for 8 different jars, and those can be added together in the blank addition sentences at the bottom of the page.

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