Moose Muffins Math Game

This month the Virtual Book Club for Kids Author is Laura Numeroff. Last time she was the author of the month we enjoyed creating our own sibling book based on What Brothers Do Best.

Although she has a wide range of books she has written, she's best known for her "If You Give . . ." books.  One of our favorites is If You Give a Moose a Muffin. Last week Big Brother and I enjoyed reading the book and creating an extended math game.

As I've mentioned in a few other posts the last few months, recently Big Brother has been really interested in math and all things number related. 

For this activity I cut muffin shapes out of cream colored construction paper. On each muffin I drew either 1 to 12 dots. I made three muffins for each number and placed the muffins into a small basket.

I also took two muffin tins and using dot stickers I labeled each cup from 1 to 12. We also added a dice to our game items.  

To play each player had one tin in front of them. The first player rolls the dice and takes that many muffins out of the basket. (For example if Player 1 rolls a 3 they take 3 muffins.) Players then count the dots on their muffins and match the number of dots to the correct tin cups. Any muffins that were a repeat of another number go back into the basket. 

Once Player One has matched all their muffins Player Two takes their turn. Player Two repeats the same steps and turns alternate. 

Originally we started playing that each muffin cup could only hold one muffin, so if a player got a repeat number they had to put it back and wait for their next turn. 

Because Big Brother was quickly able to play the game, we also added in the step that two cards could be placed into a tin if when added together they equaled the number on the tin.  (Example below: a two muffin and a three muffin together equal 5.) 

Big Brother also had to practice saying the two numbers together and what they equaled out loud. 

The first player to have all their muffin tin cups filled wins the game. In the end, we each won a game and decided to call it a match.  

A fun math twist on a great piece of children's literature. 

This post may also have been shared at some of these terrific link parties.