Number games for young children learning to count:
Fill Your Plates
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Materials needed:  10-20 paper plates
                       felt pens
                       math manipulatives (we used toy cars)
    Write numerals 1 to 20 on the plates.
    Let the children fill the plates with the right amount of manipulatives.
Store
~~~~~
    Materials needed:  about 20 empty product boxes, cans, etc.
                       price tags
                       100 pennies (or whatever amount you have)
    Put a price tag on each box (numbers 1 to 20 only) and arrange
    them on a shelf.
    Give the children a set, equal amount each (50 cents sounds good)
    and let them "purchase" the items they choose.  They have to
    count the pennies out, one at a time. 
Number Walk
~~~~~~~~~~~
    Materials needed:  5 paper bags (or more if you have more children)
                       felt pen
    Before walking, decide what will go into each bag.  You will be looking
    for sets.  For instance, 6 fallen leaves, 3 flowers, 7 pebbles, or
    1 pinecone.  Label the bags.
    When you get back, put the bags on the table and count the contents
    to make sure you have the right amount.
Tool Table
~~~~~~~~~~
    Materials needed:  1 table and whatever else you have in the house.
    Designate a table for the tool display, and have everyone search
    the house for mathematical tools. (ie: clocks, calendars, calculators,
    rulers, measuring cups, etc.)  You might want to set up some ground-
    rules first, such as "If it is plugged in, leave it there!" :)
Halves
~~~~~~
    Materials needed:  whatever you can find to cut in half
                       scissors
                       large bag
 
    Into a bag put items that have been cut in half, such as a paper plate,
    an old sock, a napkin, an empty shampoo bottle, etc.  Let the children
    pull them out and put them in sets together.  
Halves Again
~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Materials needed:  paper
                       straws
                       napkins
                       scissors
                       glue
    Give the children a straw, a napkin, and a construction paper circle.
    Let them cut them in half and glue them onto a piece of paper.
Shape Identification
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Materials needed:  paper
                       pen
                       glue
                       reinforcements
                       popsicle sticks
                       paperclips
                       jar lids
                       toothpicks
                       etc.
    Trace the reinforcements, popsicle sticks, paper clips, jar lids and 
    toothpicks (or whatever else you can find) onto the paper.  If you 
    have more than one child you may want to photocopy this paper.
    Have the children identify the shapes and glue the items onto them.
    Variation:  You may want to make sets and/or have the children count
    the number of each item, when they are done.
Station to Station
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Materials needed:  cube math manipulatives (or whatever suits you)
                       3 sets of 9 index cards; each set marked 1 through 9
                       bottom half of an egg carton, or anything else
                       you might want to use to indicate a train
                       Paper to indicate the stations and to write results on
    At three different places around the room create a "train station".
    Each station will have a set of all one color cubes; each station
    a different color.  Each station also has one set of nine cards,
    turned down.
    The child goes to station #1 (could be creatively named, for instance,
    T.V. Station :) and calls out "All Aboard" and turns over a card.
    Whatever number is on the card, the child takes that many of the cubes
    to the next station and leaves them there.  He repeats the process, 
    going to all three stations at least once.  If he likes the game and 
    wants to continue, he can go around the circle more than once, until 
    the colors are thouroughly mixed.
    Then choose one station and draw a graph of the three colors, indicating
    how many cubes of each color are at that station.  Compare what was
    originally there at the start of the game.  If he likes that, you can
    go do the same at the other two stations.
Repititions
~~~~~~~~~~~
    Materials: musical instruments if you have them
               
    The first person does something twice.  Everyone else does it twice.
    Example: claps hands, stomps right foot, slaps his shoulder,
    hits a drum, or blows on a recorder, etc. (Creativity encouraged
    so long as it isn't so silly that other people won't want to do it.)
    He then does something three times, and on up, until the others can't
    respond, or he runs out of numbers.  Then someone else takes a turn.
Stacks
~~~~~~
    Use the math manipulative cubes to make stacks.
    First count how many you can stack without it toppling over.
    Then make pattern stacks and count how many patterns are there
    before it topples over.  Then try another pattern. etc.
Colorful Rocks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Materials needed:  spray paints (various colors)
                       a collection of small rocks 
    Ahead of time, paint the rocks a variety of colors.
    
    Let the children use the rocks to make pattern-row borders
    around plants in the garden.  Count how many rocks they
    use for each pattern.
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