Estimation

 This week we learned about estimating and more or less. The kids were excited to learn another big word. (Estimation kind of sounds like transportation but means something very different.) They all agreed that estimating was easy.

We compared containers of blocks and guessed how many were in each. Then we guessed if the container would hold more or less cars. We tried it with marshmallows in a bowl as well. The kids were amazed that the small bowl held 42 little marshmallows. 

I gave them each a toy car and asked how many they had. They all knew that was one. Easy! Then we practiced giving Bryn one more car until she had all five. Next we practiced one less as she returned the cars. The kids were thrilled when I told them they were doing math!

We did a worksheet to identify which group had more. Lily announced that it was easy because if you didn't know you could just count. These kids are good counters!

We also estimated how many marshmallow shapes we could find in one cup of Lucky Charms. The kids wrote their guess for each shape on their chart. (Writing numbers is a little tricky.) Next, they dumped their cereal on the table and sorted all their shapes. Then they counted and wrote the actual number next to their guess. Some came pretty close. Others were hoping for a lot more marshmallows. We discovered that there aren't very many moon shapes but there are lots of shooting stars.

And then we guessed how many of those yummy marshmallows would fit into our tummies!