Materials
Cookie sheet
3-10 white pipe cleaners
A few dozen black beads in a small bowl
Magnetic numbers 1 through 9
Directions
Place the magnetic numbers on your cookie sheet in order. You may choose to only count to 3 (or 5 or 8, depending on how familiar your child is with number symbols and quantities.) Locate the magnetic number 1. Show your child 1 finger. Have him show you 1 finger. Ask him to pick up 1 bead. Let him thread it onto a pipe cleaner and lay it on the cookie sheet by the number 1 magnet. Repeat with 2 fingers. Locate the magnetic number 2. Pick out 2 beads from the dish and thread them on the next pipe cleaner. Challenge him to find number 3. Pick out 3 beads from the dish and thread them on another pipe cleaner. Continue the game until interest wanes. You can continue on another day!