The kids love creating with recyclables and since we use re-usable water bottles we rarely have bottles in our recycle bin so these were something new to play with.   They made these bunnies for my youngest to practice his math skills- both counting and addition.  We provide you with free, printable cards to use to feed your bunny both carrots and cabbages!  Add a pair of tweezers for a fine motor and hand/eye coordination workout! 

Materials

  • Templates- Counting carrots and cabbages counting cards and Addition Cards: carrot and cabbage math
  • Bunny Face template: bunny face2
  • Cardstock
  • Green pom poms
  • Green & orange chenille stems
  • Large white and/or brown/black pom pom
  • Scissors
  • Tray
  • 1 inch circle punch *Optional*
  • Page protector *Optional*
  • Tweezers or tong *Optional*
  • Dry Erase Marker *Optional* 
  • Craft or Utility knife *To be used by an adult only*

We always find these items useful too:

SmockCraftTray

Directions

  • Have an adult cut off the bottom of your water bottle with a craft knife. You may need to tape the edge to assure that there are no sharp spots for kids.  (We didn’t find this to be the case, but lay the tape over the edge on the midway point and then fold it over, covering the edge of the bottle)
  • Print out the bunny face and cut it out.  There is a face for a brown and a white bunny.
  • Punch the mouth out with 1 inch punch (my suggestion is to purchase this with a coupon from Michaels) or cut out the mouth.
  •  Thread the mouth onto the bottle (like you would a cap) or glue the rim of the bottom and place the bunny face over top.
  • Glue on a large pom pom for a tail if you like.
  • Turn your orange chenille stems (pipe cleaners) around the tip of your pencil, wrapping more loosely as you go to form your carrots.  Add a little bit of green up at the top if you like for the stem.  Make 20.  Put them in a container.
  • Put 20 green pom poms in a container to use for cabbages.
  • Print and cut out your counting and addition cards.  We used thick paper to do this.

Let’s Play! Counting Cards

  • Place your bunny into a tray.
  • Shuffle and place your cards upside down.
  • Draw a card.
  • Count how many items (carrots or cabbages) to match the card and feed your bunny that amount.  Count aloud to help you with the process, matching one item to your count to develop one-to-one correspondence.  Lift the bunny and repeat again.

Addition Cards 

  • There are two options for this.  You could cut the cards into strips, placing the bunny over the box at the end of the addition sentence or you could put the full page in a reusable page protector.
  • Add the designated amount of carrots and cabbages to the bunny.
  • Lift the bunny and count the total number of items.
  • If your child is ready, you can write the number with dry erase marker in the box if you used the page protectors.

Add another challenge by getting the items with tweezers! 

What other games could you make up?

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Feed the Bunny: Counting and Additions Games. With the provided printables children can feed the Easter bunny while practising their number sense and numeration skills. There are two options- one activity to count the carrots or cabbages (we show you how to make them) and another to add the groups together. The first activity allows children to practise their one to one correspondence skills and the second basic addition, by combining two groups. These hands-on games with clear visuals are great for children in Kindergarten and Grade 1 (and those in preschool looking for a challenge)! The theme ties into both spring and Easter and is easy to set up with a few materials!

Purpose

  • Reusing materials for a new purpose.
  • Practising counting and simple addition while using one to one correspondence.

Safety Notes

  • We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces while gluing etc.
  • Use scissors with care and direct, adult supervision.
  • A craft/ utility knife is only to be used by an adult and should be stored away immediately after use.
  • Small items such as pom poms can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.
  • If the edge of your bottle is sharp once cut, but sure to cover it with tape.
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