Inside: A fun and easy ice cream colour and counting activity for toddlers and preschoolers!
Toddlers and preschoolers will be delighted with this good old fine motor activity with a cool ice cream twist! What’s even cooler is that children get to learn color matching and counting at the same time.
Check out the following variations using this same learning toy. Make this ONCE and use it for learning different important concepts.
TIP: Set up the two activities on different days. This brings new life to the same learning toy and the children will be excited in trying the activities. You can prolong its use further by creating new color pattern cards.
Related: Here's an Ice Cream Themed Learning shelf full of activities that are sure to excite your little one!
Jump to:
Ice Cream Activity 1: Color Matching
Add ‘scoops of ice cream’ by pegging the clothespins according to the colors of the dots on the color pattern cards.
Can you see the two levels of learning here?
Toddlers have to first match the colors and add the ‘scoops of ice cream’ in the correct sequence.
This is also a great activity to introduce simple ABCABC patterns to preschoolers. Create pattern cards like this one where the colors of the circles are in the ABCABC pattern. Extend the activity by asking them to predict the next color.
Related: If your toddler is just starting to learn colors, try this Dot the Flowers Color Matching Activity, or this Duplo Color Matching Activity for Toddlers.
Ice Cream Activity 2: Counting
Set up the same learning toy with a die. Children toss the die and peg on the corresponding number of ice cream scoops on the cone. As you play with your child, point at the scoops and count out loud to practice one-to-one correspondence counting.
Related: Your child will love this fun flower color matching and counting activity!
Let’s make this toy in 4 easy steps
Materials
- 12 wooden clothespins
- Dot paint markers/ Children’s markers in 6 different colors
- Construction papers in 6 different colors that match the colors of the markers
- Brown marker pen
- White paper for making the color pattern cards
- A piece of long cardboard (at least 10 inches long)
Steps
- Cut 12 circles from the construction papers. I cut 2 circles in each of the following color: Green, purple, yellow, orange, pink and blue. Tip: Use a circle puncher to get perfect circles every time.
- Attach these 12 circles onto the clothespins. Tip: I like using glue dots for this purpose. They do not leave sticky stains when I remove the circles after we are done with the activity.
- Draw an ice cream cone at the bottom of the cardboard strip using brown marker.
- Create the ice cream scoop pattern cards by first drawing the cone at the bottom and then stamping dots of different colors on top of the ice cream cones.
Your ice cream colors and counting toy is ready!
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More Ice Cream Themed Activities
Looking for more activities for your little ice cream lover? We've got you!
Try this Pom Pom Ice Cream Sensory Bag, Bottle Cap Ice Cream Counting Board or this Sticky Note Ice Cream Math Activity that is super easy and fast to set up!
Don’t forget to pin this ice cream colors and counting activity for later!
Breelynd says
Hi! Where did you find the construction paper that almost exactly matches these dot markers?? Thanks!
Fynn says
oh I found them from a local bookstore!
Jerrie-Lynn says
Use a smaller paper hole punch on the paper that you're using for the ice cream circles. Now You have a perfect match, save time hunting the markers, and saved money.