Use these treasures to tell addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division stories. For older children, you can organize the treasures by one characteristic and lay them end to end. Compare and contrast the different amounts of that type of treasure. There are 4 more medium screws than long ones. Make a simple graph showing how many of each type of screw there are.
Children can also graph data on shapes and sizes.
What you'll need Small cardboard boxes, aluminum cans, and cardboard tubes from toilet paper or paper towels What to do Explain to your child that when we recycle materials, we need to flatten them. Ask your child to imagine what shapes will be created when you flatten the boxes or cans. Some people crush cans, which is not the same as flattening. When you take apart a cylinder, you have two circles for the ends and the flat cylinder makes a rectangle. Cut a cardboard tube lengthwise.