This was a basic math activity I cooked up to introduce some simple graphing practice to my kids. Because we had never done any graphing work before, I wanted to keep this activity simple. I also wanted something colorful and fun that would grab their attention. Fortunately, this pom pom graphing activity fit the bill and was a hit with my kids.
Note: For more resources, printables and activities related to math, please see my math activities for kids page.
Using our table top easel, I created a grid using painter’s tape. At the bottom, I taped four different colored pom poms
(Looking for an easier way to make a grid? Check out my free graphing practice paper.)
In a paper bag, I had included four pom poms
She then went to the graph and identified which pom pom on the graph matched the one she had drawn. Then she filled in the grid above the blue pom pom.
Next it was QBoy’s turn, and he grabbed a yellow pom pom.
So then he filled in a space on the grid above the yellow pom pom.
The kids continued selecting pom poms and filling in the grid. In the meantime, having to write on a vertical surface provides great fine motor practice that is quite different from having to write on a horizontal surface.
Once one of the colors had “won” by getting drawn four times, we counted up how many times we had drawn each pom pom by counting in all the squares we had filled in on our grid. I let the kids use the marker as a pointer while we did the counting, which they thought was particularly fun.
We will continue to work on graphing practice over time, but for a first introduction I thought this went really well.
If you’d like to try some graphing practice with your kids, you may be interested in my free graphing practice paper.
More resources for teaching math
More math activities from Gift of Curiosity:
- Building a 3D rainbow measurement activity
- Advanced sorting with Venn diagrams
- Adding with chain links
- Matching and ordering by size
- Teaching combinations of 10
- Estimating an apple’s circumference
- Introduction to probability
- Math practice with numbered dice
- Put the numbers on the clothesline
- Road numbers
For more activities, resources, and printables for teaching math, see my Math Activities for Kids page and my Math Pinterest board.
Follow Katie @ Gift of Curiosity’s board Math on Pinterest.
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This is such a great introduction to graphs. Using painter’s tape is brilliant! Good teaching.
Excellent start! I love the painters tape too. May try this one!
Painter’s tape is great for so many things, isn’t it?!
I love fun ways of learning. This is a great idea.
Love it! Definitely trying with my preschool boys. thanks for the tip!
Looks like they had a great time with graphing! Thanks for sharing at Mom’s Library!
This is a really good idea – and because the board is vertical it will help develop the muscles in the wrist.
Thank you for sharing with Motivational Monday
Featured you on Mom’s Library this week!
Thanks for featuring our pom pom graphing activity!
Love it. You are so popular on Mom’s library today. I see several of us are featuring you! – including iGameMom. Come take a look!
I love how you introduced them to graphing–the pom poms are so fun! I’m so glad you shared this at Teach Me Tuesday on Preschool Powol Packets!
I never would have thought to use tape like that to make the lines, but it looks like the perfect way to keep all of the boxes separate. This is such a great way to introduce graphs!
What a fun graphing activity!! I love it! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!
What a great way to introduce graphing. Many older kids, including my son, have difficulty with this abstract concept.