Make a Counting "Lift-the-Flap" Book

Create a counting book with your child to help her practice her numbers at home. She'll use her artistic skills to make visual representations of each number from 1 through 5. When her counting book is done, she'll be able to "lift the flap" to see if she identified each number correctly. In this activity, your child will learn to name the numbers from 1 through 5 and she'll also practice grouping certain numbers of objects together. And when she's done, she'll have made a fun and useful tool to help boost her math skills.

What You Need:

• 9” x 12” construction paper in assorted colors
• Markers
• Hole punch
• 4” x 7” card stock (5 sheets)
• Glue
• Number cards for 1–5
• Metal rings (or yarn) for assembling the book
• Small blocks or counters

Set-Up:

1. Draw a line down the middle of each sheet of 9” x 12” construction paper, positioned horizontally.
2. Punch holes in the left side of the paper.
3. Fold the 4” x 7” card stock along the short edge, making a 1⁄4” fold for gluing.

What to Do:

1. Show your child the number cards for 1–5. With each number, count out the appropriate number of blocks or counters with your child to help her get an idea of what that quantity looks like. Explain that she will be coloring sets of objects that match these numbers to make a lift-the-flap book for her to use at home.
2. Give your child a sheet of 9” x 12” construction paper, positioned horizontally with the holes punched on the left side. Ask her to choose a number card, name the number, and draw a set of that many objects on the right side of her paper. She can draw any kind of object she likes, as long as it is the correct amount to correspond with the number on the card. Make sure she keeps her drawings on the right side of the line.
3. Repeat this process until you and your child have gone through each number from 1 through 5. Use a separate sheet of 9" x 12" paper for each number.
4. When your child has finished all of her drawings, ask her to count the different objects on each page. Write the number (no larger than 4” x 7”) on the left side of the page and glue a sheet of card stock along the 1/4" fold you made earlier, positioning the card stock so that it covers the number to make a flap to lift. Allow to dry. Repeat this process for each number.
5. While those pages are drying, your child can make a cover sheet for her counting book and decorate it however she likes.
6. Assemble the pages in numerical order with her cover sheet and slip the rings through the holes. Now you've got a great tool for your child to use at home to help her practice her numbers!