Who doesn’t love the sweet and colorful joy of ice cream sprinkles? In this blog post, we have a delightful activity that will have your little ones practicing their counting skills while creating their very own ice cream cone masterpiece. The Counting Ice Cream Sprinkles activity combines creativity, fine motor skills, and numerical understanding in a hands-on and interactive way. So gather your materials, prepare for some sprinkle-filled fun, and watch as your child’s love for learning and ice cream collide in this deliciously educational adventure!
Learning through play is not only enjoyable but also highly effective, and the Counting Ice Cream Sprinkles activity provides the perfect opportunity for just that. By transforming a small cardboard box into an enticing ice cream cone and using colored q-tips for counting sprinkles, children are invited to count and place the sprinkles on their pretend treat. This activity promotes fine motor skills as they handle the q-tips, while the counting aspect introduces and reinforces numerical concepts in a playful manner. Plus, the creativity involved in decorating their own ice cream cone adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the learning experience.
WILL YOU TRY COUNTING ICE CREAM SPRINKLES WITH YOUR LITTLE ONE THIS SUMMER? Pin it for later!
Materials
- Small cardboard box (such as a shoebox)
- Pascal window markers
- Q-tip colored using dot markers
- Paper
- Scissors
- Packing Tape
Instructions for Counting Ice Cream Sprinkles Activity
- Prepare the materials: Gather a small cardboard box, markers in various colors, q-tips, dot markers, scissors and a small screw drivers to punch small holes for the q-tips to go into..
- Decorate the cardboard box: Use the markers to draw the shape of an ice cream cone. I used Pascal markers on the cardboard box to create the vibrant colours.
- Create the sprinkles: Colour the tips of the q-tips using dot markers. Set them aside to dry and then cut or break the q-tips in half.
- Use a pencil or a small screwdriver to create small holes all over the ice cream cone for where the q-tip sprinkles will go. If you are doing this activity with younger kids 2 or 3 years old create a max of 10holes. For older kids 5 to 6 years old, you can create up to 20 holes.
- Cut a piece of clear packing tape off and place it over the ice cream cone. This will be the wipeable window that you will be able to write the number on. Alternatively, you can use a dice or UNO cards or regular playing cards to direct your child which number of sprinkles they need to count. For the wipeable board or window, you can use the Pascal window markers and remove the numbers using a damp paper towel or cloth.
- Counting fun: write a number on the wipeable window. For older kids you can tell them a number and invite them to write it down on the wipeable window themselves. Then invite them to count and place that number of q-tip sprinkles.
- Use a damp cloth or paper towel to wipe the number and then write a new one and invite your child to count additional q-tip sprinkles and place them in or remove some until they have the correct number.
Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles that show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 airs in the summer of 2023! We were also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
WILL YOU TRY COUNTING ICE CREAM SPRINKLES WITH YOUR LITTLE ONE THIS SUMMER? Pin it for later!
