Toddler Math: Trick or Treat Candy Sort

Children love to help! Here is an easy way to let your toddler help fill Halloween Trick or Treat bags while reinforcing counting at the same time.

Halloween Treat Bags

Candies

Baskets, trays or baking pans

Post It Notes

Bucket or basket to place filled treat bags

1. Line up baskets in a row and label each with a post it note using numbers (1,2,3,etc.) or even letters (A,B,C).
2. Sort candy into baskets. Pour each bag into a different basket or have your child do the sorting. You can sort by
   

   TYPES: lollipops, chocolates, hard candies
   SIZE: large and small

3. Explain the order to fill the bags.

4. Open the treat bag and hand it to your child. Count and point to basket as your child puts the treat inside.

5. Place filled treat bags into a Halloween Basket or Tub.

Point to the candies and count to help build one to one correspondence.

When they put too much candy in one bag or too few...use it as a great learning opportunity. Count how many there are and see if your child can tell you if there are too many or too few.

Count the number of bags you made and keep a record of how many you needed for future reference

Numbers and Number Sense

Counting

Recognize (Read) Numbers

Practice recognition of numbers using the post it notes to label order of baskets.

Represent (How many is three?)

Setting a certain number of candy per bag helps learn what that number means.

Quantity (More, Less, Equal)

Guiding your child as they fill the bags will help reinforce meaning of quantity. Use descriptive language and sentences like, "Put one more in the bag." "We want all the bags to have the same amount so that they are equal."

The reason counting activities are very important is because it helps to develop the three aspects of numbers.

1. Counting in a sequence out loud: 1,2,3, etc.
2. Understanding how much is 3 and being able to show or give three items.
3. Recognizing and writing numbers.

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