Busy Delivery Trucks

1. 1

   Gather small pom-poms in several colors as pretend gems, a few toy customers, colored pencils, and paper.

2. 2

   Draw two small rectangles at the top of the paper as loading stations and one large rectangle below as the truck. Connect each station to the truck with a line for a track.

3. 3

   Explain that your child will fill each customer’s order, load the gems, and count the total.

4. 4

   Use a toy to place an order. For example, write a red 2 at one station and a yellow 3 at the other, then say, “I’d like two red gems and three yellow gems.”

5. 5

   Invite your child to place the requested color and quantity at each station, then move the gems one by one into the truck.

6. 6

   Count the full load together: “Two red gems plus three yellow gems makes five gems altogether.”

What to notice

• Counts each color of gems and then counts the combined total Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Answers “How many are there altogether?” Attending and Understanding

Tips

• If you do not have small pom-poms, use other objects as cargo, such as building bricks, small toy pieces, or bottle caps.
• After the toy customer receives the order, count the gems together. If the amount is wrong, add a pretend return and reload the truck.

Developmental benefits

• Cognitive: Loading two groups of cargo into the truck one piece at a time and then counting the total helps your child connect addition with putting quantities together.
• Language: Listening to the customers’ requests and responding with words and actions gives your child practice using spoken information during pretend play.