Pumpkin Grid Math Game

The Pumpkin Grid Math Game is a great way to introduce preschoolers to basic math concepts in a fun and hands-on way! This game can be played by one child to build an understanding of one-to-one correspondence or it can be played with two children or a child and an adult to work on counting skills.

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One of my homeschool goals for this year is to introduce Caden to basic math concepts in a playful, hands-on way. So when I learned about this basic math game from the book More Than Counting by Sally Moomaw and Brenda Hieronymus, I was excited to create our own grid game and took my inspiration from the season.

To create your own Pumpkin Grid Math Game is very simple. You just need a few supplies first:

• 2 sheets of brown felt
• dark brown yarn
• craft clue
• plastic pumpkin table scatter as counters
• Foam cube counter to make a 1-3 die

I decided to make this grid game using felt because it is more durable, but you can certainly make it easily with paper and markers. What I did to make it was measure a length of yarn along the length of the felt and cut three pieces for each grid board. I then measured a length of yarn along the width of the felt sheet and cut four pieces for each grid board. I then used the craft glue to secure the yarn to the felt sheet in a grid pattern. I just eye-balled my measurements and placement of the yarn, it doesn’t have to be perfect.

After the glue dried I set up one grid on a tray with a jar of pumpkin counters. I just wanted to give Caden a chance to free play with the items and work on one to one correspondence.

Later I brought out a second grid and a 1-3 die so we could play a little game and see who could fill their grid first! To make the 1-3 die, I used a foam cube counter and a permanent marker to add the dots 1-3. The book suggests a die with dots up to three instead of up to six since young children can usually quantify up to three but not higher. Moomaw also suggests a die with dots instead of numerals so they can use one-to-one correspondence to count how many pumpkins to place on the grid.

Caden and I enjoyed playing the Pumpkin Grid Math Game a few times. It really helped him learn one-to-one correspondence, master counting to three (which he was previously skipping the number two), and practice quantifying three objects (which he was able to do already). He also figured out how to “cheat” at a counting game by deliberately “rolling” the die to land on the number he needed to win!

I love these grid games because they are fun for young learners and easy to customize to fit in with a lesson plan theme or meet the interests of the child. I already have an idea for our next grid game! What theme would your child enjoy in a grid math game?

If you have older children working on more advanced math skills take a look at this DIY Pumpkin Place Value Game from Enchanted Homeschooling Mom.

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