THE NUMBER 9

 

NINE ART
NINE SQUARES
Cut out 2” squares from multiple colors of construction paper.
Let your children each choose nine squares (whatever colors or combinations of colors they choose)
Then give each child a 6” square piece of heavy white paper.
Set out some glue with some glue brushes and have your children spread glue across their white square.
Then have them arrange their colored squares into a design and place them on their white paper in three rows of three squares.
These can be enjoyed as “colorful squares” or you can tape them altogether to make a large checkered quilt to hang on the wall.
 
NINE NOODLE NECKLACES
Buy or make some colored macaroni pieces.
Give your children 14” pieces of string with tape wrapped around one end (for a needle).
Have children count out nine piece of macaroni, then string them onto their necklace.
Variation:  If you don’t have colored macaroni, you can have children string colored circular cereal.
 
NINE TOOTHPICK PICTURES
Set out some wooden toothpicks and have your children each choose nine.
Then, give then a piece of construction paper and some glue.
Have children spread glue on their papers and then using the toothpicks, create one or two objects on their papers.  Such as, houses, rockets, triangular trees, tens, etc.
Extension:  You might want to just let children experiment with the toothpicks first before you bring out the glue.
 
NUTTY NINES
Cut out large nine shapes from heavy paper.
Let your children glue nine small nuts onto their nine shape.
 
NINE NICKLES
Glue nine nickels onto a 6-inch cardboard square.  (If you wish prepare more than one cardboard square with nickels.
Set out plain white paper and unwrapped crayons.
Let your children take turns placing a sheet of paper over the cardboard.
Then have them rub over the paper with an unwrapped crayon.
Have them count the nickel rubbings on their papers to make sure they got all nine nickels.
Let them make as many set of nine nickels as they wish.
 
NINE GAMES
 
NINE CLOTHESPINS
Play the popular party game with your children using nine clothespins and a coffee can.
Set out a coffee can and nine clothespins.
Have children take turns dropping the nine pins into the can.
Variation: Using non-snap clothespins, have your children take turns placing all nine of the pins around the edge of the can.
 
CLOTHESLINE FUN
Tie a clothesline between two chairs.
Clip nine clothespins to the clothesline.
Collect a variety of fabric squares, socks, mittens and other clothing items.
Ask your children to clop nine red items to the clothesline.
Then have them remove those items and hang up nine socks.
Repeat with other groups of nine.
 
NINE NICKLES
Cut out small round circles from heavy silver or gray paper.
Set out a pile of paper nickels (more than ten).
Have your children take turns counting out nine nickels and place them in a small bowl.
 
NINE PINS
Set up a bowling game, using nine empty pop bottles.
Let your children take turns rolling an 8” ball towards the bottles.
Let them have two or three turns to knock down the nine pins.
 
NINE SQUARE LOTTO
Make a simple lotto game for your children to play.
Make a large nine square lotto board. (6” X 6”)  2” squares.
Next, cut out 2, 2” squares of nine different colors.
Place and paste one of each color square on the board.
Set the other colored squares on the table.
Let your children take turns matching the nine colored squares to the matching colored squares on the board.
When not in use, store the extra colored squares in a zipper baggie.
   

NINE LANGUAGE
 
NINE CHARACTER PLAY
Choose nine students to play the parts of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Three Pigs and The Three Bears.
Have the children make up a play about the characters all coming to a party.
Let your other students help you set up for the party, by setting out nine plates, nine cup and 9 napkins.

NINE NAUGHTY CATS
Have your children act out the rhyme about the nine naughty cats.
 
WRITING NINE
 
WAX STICK NINES
Give each of your children three wax sticks.
Show them how to bend their sticks into the shape of the number nine.
Variation: You can also have your children do rubbings over a wax stick nine.
 
CHALK

Set out sheets of colorful paper and some colored chalk.
Have your children draw nines all over their papers with the chalk.
Variation:  Give your children sidewalk chalk and let them each make nine 9’s on the sidewalk or patio outside.
 
NIGHT TIME NINES
Give each of your children a sheet of finger painting paper with a spoonful of black finger paint on it.
Have the children use their hands to spread the black finger paint all over their papers to make night sky pictures.
Then have them write 9”s all over their night skies.
 
A LOOP AND A LINE
When teaching your children how to write the number 9, teach them the simple writing rhyme below.
“A loop and a line – that makes nine.”
 
NINE SNACKS
 
NINE CHOCOLATE CHIPS
Give your children a paper plate with a plain sugar cookie, a spoonful of frosting, a plastic table knife, and nine chocolate chips on it.
Have your children spread the frosting on their cookies.
Then count as they add nine chocolate chips.
Let children enjoy their cookies at snack time, counting again as they bite off each chip.
 
NINE BAGS
Measure out nine pretzels, crackers, grapes or whatever into baggies.
Have your children count out their treats before they eat their snack.
 

NINE MUSIC
 

BLACK SHEEP

Black sheep, black sheep, have your any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, nine bags full.
Three for my master, three for the Dane.
Three for the little boy who lives down the lane.
                                         Adapted Traditional

 
NINE LITTLE BUTTERFLIES

Tune:  “Ten Little Indians”

One little, two little, three little butterflies.
Four little, five little, six little butterflies
Seven little, eight little, nine little butterflies
Flying all around.
                                         Jean Warren