Spring is finally here! And though our weather outside may not yet reflect it, warmer weather is on its way. With warmer weather brings planting seeds and tending to gardens. We created colorful patterns in our gardens…
Our gardens were made out of just a few materials that we had around the classroom. Our foam square “flowers” were leftover from our four seasons on the sticky table activity that we shared with you yesterday. You’ll also need paper, crayons, and glue for this activity…
By this time in the school year our children are very familiar with patterning. It seems as if we can turn just about any set of items into a pattern. During this activity, most of our children started out making a simple AB pattern, alternating one color then another…
Once the children finished their patterns, they called either Deborah or I over so they could share their creation with us. Deborah and I listened intently as the children recited their patterns to us. Some of our children are ready to move on to more difficult patterns such as ABB, AABB, or ABC patterns. We encourage those children that are ready to give us a more challenging pattern. For the children that didn’t quite have a true AB pattern, we worked with them to create one…
I’ve discovered that some children who make their own version of a pattern may truly have an understanding of how patterns work, but are simply bored with AB patterns. When I see this happening, I simply encourage the child to try a more difficult pattern. Sometimes the pattern they choose to create is also just a natural reflection of the child’s creativity…
After the children finished their patterns, they turned them into a flower garden. The green crayons were used to create the stems of the flowers…
The children then glued on their square “flowers.” Some chose to keep their patterns in place, while others decided to add all of the colors to their gardens…
This little guy mentioned that his garden was for his mommy and that it was all roses and one dandelion…
This fun, hands-on math activity has me thinking about patterning in my own flower garden. Now if only the weather would cooperate…
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Links to grow on:
Making apple patterns in preschool by Teach PreschoolÂ
Pattern towers for preschoolers by Frugal Fun for Boys
Pattern lesson by No Time for Flashcards