Handfuls
Math Concepts
Counting, Comparing, Estimating
Materials
Collection of small items
Players
1 or more children
Set up
Have one or more collections of small items, items small enough to fit in a child’s hand. This can be played with one or more children.
Play
Show the children a container with a large collection of small items. Ask the children to estimate how many items they can grab with one hand. Mark their estimates on a number line.
For example, suppose you have a container of pistachios. The estimates might be 15, 16, 18, 20, 24, and 31. Put that on a number with the estimates marked as X’s as follows:
Have a child grab a handful of items from the container, count the number of items out loud together, and then mark that number on the number line with an O. For our example, the number of pistachios was 22.
Goal
Make an estimate as close as possible to the actual number.
Discussion and Tips
If they are ready, use an inequality sign to write down the comparison of an estimate with the actual answer.
When you change to a new item, ask them to predict if the number is going to get bigger or smaller.
Try using ten frames or number lines to count the number of items children can grab.
Variations
Types: Vary the types of items used. Especially have a variety of sizes for the different collections. How do smaller or larger items affect how many students can take in a handful?
Hands: For a greater challenge, let children use two hands.