Add these campfire calendar numbers to your camping activities for preschoolers and kindergarten kids! You can use them with your traditional or linear classroom calendar.
Plus, the campfire number cards aren’t just for the calendar. You can incorporate them into your math lesson plans, small groups, and even your centers. The printable numbers are so versatile, you’ll be amazed at the early math skills you can use them for.
And you can pair the numbered campfires with a variety of themes. Camping, fire safety, and the outdoors are just some of the possibilities.
Related: Math Activities for Preschoolers
If you’re a regular Fun-A-Day reader, you know I enjoy making themed calendar numbers. They’re nothing fancy, but they can make math activities more engaging and interesting for the kids. Plus, they’re kind of fun!
You can request a copy of the numbers via the form near the bottom of this post (above the last image).
Campfire Calendar Numbers
Read below for prepping tips and some ideas for using the numbered cards with your students. As always, please keep in mind that you don’t have to do things the way I do. The campfire numbers are so versatile that I’m sure you’ll come up with even more ideas!
How to Prep the Campfire Number Cards
That’s really all you need to get the campfire calendar numbers ready for use. Of course, while you’re getting materials ready, here are a few things you might want to use with the number cards:
- Buttons
- Math manipulatives
- Tiny marshmallows
- Small sticks
- Craft sticks
Once you have all the materials you need, it’s time to prep! Just print the number cards, adjusting the size before you print if needed. Cut the individual numbers apart and laminate them all. Now you’re ready for the kids!
How to Use the Campfire Calendar Numbers
The first thing that springs to mind is right there in the name! Use the campfire printable as part of your traditional or linear classroom calendar. If you keep a calendar up just for reference, the camping-themed numbers bring a little bit of extra pizazz to the room.
If you incorporate a short calendar activity into your circle time plans, you can definitely make use of the number cards! Let the kids use a fun pointer as everyone counts how many days have already occurred in the month. Encourage the children to predict the next number.
Using the campfire calendar numbers as a reference, challenge the kids to write the day’s number in the air or on the floor or on their arms using just their fingers. You can even get a bit spiffy and pair the campfire numbers with another themed set of numbers. Then create some simple patterns on your calendar for even more math practice.
More Ways to Use the Camp Number Cards
As I mentioned above, you don’t have to just use the cards with your calendar! These are great for exploring SO MANY early math concepts with your students. Here are some possibilities:
- Challenge the children to put the campfire calendar numbers in order from 0 to 35. Or see if they can go in reverse numerical order!
- Pair the campfire printables with loose parts or manipulatives (or mini marshmallows!). Let the kids practice one-to-one correspondence by placing the appropriate number of items next to each card.
- Play a number matching game, like Memory, using 2 sets of the numbers.
- Use the campfires with another set of calendar numbers to practice patterns. Start with simple AB patterns and progress as your students grasp the concept more and more.
- Have the children work on number formation, using the campfire calendar numbers as a reference. They can do so in sensory writing trays, on white boards, or on chalkboards. You can even take them outside and let the children paint numbers using water and paintbrushes.
Okay, I’m going to stop there. There are so many more ways to use the numbered campfire printables, but I think this is a great place for you to start.
How will you use the campfire calendar numbers with your students? Don’t forget to request your own copy near the bottom of this post.
What are the Kids Learning?
As I’ve mentioned a few times, multiple skills can be taught and practiced using the number cards. Here are some of them:
- Number identification
- Patterns
- Numerical order
- Number formation
- Graphing and data analysis
- Addition
- Subtraction
- Measurement
- Skip counting
Not too bad for some simple campfire calendar numbers, right?!
Camping Lesson Plans
Let my sister site, Preschool Teacher 101, save you planning time with our fully-developed resources. We have hundreds of lesson plans, math games, literacy activities, dramatic play sets, and more. We even have The Pack, our membership for preschool and kindergarten teachers. Members get access to our materials at a steep discount.
Click on the image below for our camping lesson plans. A week’s worth of plans, book ideas, small group ideas, center activities, and related printables all around a camping theme:
You can also find us on Teachers Pay Teachers.
More Camping Activities for Kids
If the campfire calendar numbers work well in your classroom, here are some more ideas to check out:
Free Printable Campfire Calendar Numbers
The number cards are available to members of Fun-A-Day’s free email community. If that’s you, enter your information in the form below for the download links. If not, enter your information to join us. The campfire calendar numbers will then be sent to you as a welcome gift!
Please refer to my printing FAQ page if you run into any difficulty.
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