NUMBER EIGHT NECKLACES
You will need some cereal (the round kind with a hole in the middle), some yarn and some scotch tape for this activity.
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Place some dry cereal in a bowl and set out some 14” pieces of yarn. |
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Wrap one end of each piece of yarn with a small piece of tape. This will act as a needle. |
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Have children take a handful of the cereal and lace eight pieces onto the string. |
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Tie the yarn necklace around each child’s neck and tie the ends together. (You may want to reinforce the knot by wrapping tape around it.) |
Variations: Have children lace on large beads or straw sections to make #8 Necklaces.
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EIGHT LEGGED CLAY SPIDERS
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Prepare a batch of play dough and color it with a small amount of black tempera paint powder. |
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Cut black chenille stems in half. |
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Give each of your children a piece of the black dough to roll into a ball to form the body of a spider. |
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Have each child count out eight chenille pieces and push four into each side. |
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Allow the play dough to dry over night. |
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Let the children examine the spiders. |
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Show them pictures of spiders. |
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Ask them to count the legs on their spiders and the spiders in the pictures. How many legs does each spider have? |
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THUMB PRINT SPIDERS
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Prepare a paint pad (fold a paper towel and place it on top of a small plate.) |
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Pour a small amount of black paint onto the pad. |
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Let your children take turns placing their thumbs in the paint and pressing them onto a piece of paper. |
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When the prints dry, give your children small tip black pens and have them draw four small black legs on each side of their prints to create black spiders. |
Variations: Have children use black (washable) ink pads instead of paint pads. Or have children use black paint dobbers to create black circles on their papers.
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CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
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Precut four inch circles from tan construction paper. |
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Set out brown ink pads and some new, unsharpened pencils. |
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Show your children how to use the pencils erasers as an ink stamp to make small brown circle prints on the circle (cookie) cutouts. |
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Have children print eight chocolate chips on each cookie they make. |
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EIGHT LEGGED OCTOPUS
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Cut some white paper plates in half. |
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Cut out 1” x 8” tissue strips, either blue or gray. |
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Set out paper strips, paper plates and some glue. |
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Have each child take one plate half and eight strips of tissue paper. |
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Have children turn their plate half over and spread glue across the bottom of the straight edge. |
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Then have them, carefully place the eight strips on the glue and then trailing off the edge of the plate. |
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Then, have children turn their plates over and using marking pens draw two large octopus eyes and a mouth on the paper plate face.
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EIGHT BALLOONS
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Set out sheets of paper and some paint dobbers. |
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Have children take a sheet of paper and choose a dobber. |
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Have children place eight paint circles on their papers. |
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Then set out some thin tipped marking pens and have children draw a string hanging down from each circle (balloon). |
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DECORATING THE NUMBER EIGHT
You will need some dried brown or black beans for this project.|
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Cut out large number eight shapes for your children from heavy paper. |
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Give each child an eight cutout and some glue. |
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Set out some dried beans and have your children glue eight beans on their cutouts. |
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Then set out some small tipped black marking pens and have your children make four small legs on each side of their beans, turning the beans into eight small spiders. |
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EIGHT SPOKES
You will need eight children for this movement activity.
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Have eight children stand in a circle facing each other. |
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Then have them turn to the side, facing the back of the person in front of them. |
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Next, have them place their right arms into the center of the circle to make eight spokes of a wheel. |
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Have children walk slowly around the circle, like a wheel with eight spokes turning. |
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GIANT SPIDERS
Here is another movement game involving the number eight.
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This time you will need four children. |
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Have them sit on the floor back to back forming a tight circle. |
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While children hold their arms down flat, they spread out their legs. |
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The children together form a giant spider with eight legs.
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PIZZA PUZZLE
Here is a fun problem solving game.
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Cut a large circle out of red poster board. |
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Cut the circle into eight slices. |
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Decorate each slice by gluing on short yellow yarn pieces for grated cheese. |
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Set out the eight slices and have your children take turns putting them together to make a whole cheese pizza. |
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NUMBER WHEEL
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Take a large while paper plate and divide it evenly into eight sections using a black marking pen. |
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Write a numeral 1-8 in each section. |
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Then take eight snap clothes pins and write a numeral 1-8 on each pin. |
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Have your children match each clothes pin with the corresponding number on the number wheel. |
Variation: Depending on the age of your children, you may want to write the number words on the wheel to be matched to the numeral on each pin.
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CIRCLE EIGHTS
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Set out two pieces of yarn, approximately 12” long. |
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Let your children take turns creating the number eight on the floor (or table) by making two circles one on top of the other. |
Variation: Older children can make eight’s using just one piece of yarn. |
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CLASS STOP SIGN
Make an eight sided stop sign for your children to use in your classroom for different games.
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Cut out a large octagon shape from a piece of red poster board. |
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Using a large black pen write the word “STOP” in the middle of the octagon. |
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Tape a large craft stick or paint stick to the back of the sign for a handle. |
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Let your children take the sign outdoors to play traffic cop, or use it inside when you play “musical chairs” or “Freeze”. |
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You could even use the sign when you want to get your children’s attention and wish for them to stop what they are doing and listen to you. |
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Hang the sign on your wall and ask your children to count the number of sides that your stop sign has.
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FELT BOARD COUNTING GAME
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Make a large felt octopus with eight legs for your felt board. |
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Then make ten small felt boots. |
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Recite the following rhyme to your children and let one child come up and dress the octopus with the correct number of boots, counting as she does.
| “How many boots must the octopus buy to keep his feet nice and dry?” |
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EIGHT LITTLE KERNELS
Here is a fun counting rhyme for your children to act out.
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Form a circle with your children. |
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Choose eight children to jump into the middle as you recite the following rhyme.
| Eight little kernels jumped into the pot. |
(Eight children jump in circle) |
| They danced around when it got hot. |
(Jump up and down on one foot) |
| They got so hot, they blew their tops. |
(Crouch down and jump up) |
| And the puffed up kernels jumped out of the pot! |
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| One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! |
(Children jump one at a time back into the circle) |
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PLAY DOUGH EIGHTS
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Set out mounds of play dough for your children. |
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Show them how to roll small pieces into long ropes. |
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Show children how to make the number eight by making two circles, one on top of the other. |
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Or – set out pieces of paper with the number eight printed on it. Have children lay the play dough over the written eight. |
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WRITING EIGHT RHYME
Teach your children the following rhyme to help them remember how to write the number eight.
We make an S but do not wait.
Back up we go to the starting gate.
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EIGHT PLANETS
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When teaching the number eight, it is a great time to also teach young children about our Solar System and the eight planets that orbit around the sun. |
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Show your children a large picture of the solar system, or bring in a mobile of the planets rotating around the sun. |
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Discuss and name the eight planets starting with the closest to the sun.
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Mercury |
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Venus |
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Earth |
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Mars |
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Jupiter |
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Saturn |
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Uranus |
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Neptune |
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Discuss likes and differences between the planets. |
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Encourage your children to count the planets. |
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PLANET MATCHUPS
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Make a set of sixteen cards. |
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Draw pictures of the planets on the cards. Two cards per planet. |
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Have your children individually match up the sets of planets. |
Variation: Have two children use the cards to play a game of concentration.
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COMPANION PROJECTS
While introducing the number eight to your children, you may also want to plan a unit on
SPIDERS or one on OCTOPUS |
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SNACK IDEAS
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