I can’t help but look through each classroom I visit to see what kinds of materials make up each center.  Sometimes it feels like snooping as I try to ascertain whether or not the math center is also the science center or if there is a math center at all.  In some rooms, there are shelves near a table and there are materials on those shelves that may or not be math materials.  If I can’t tell, then there is a problem.

Math Centers should be rich with a variety of engaging, open-ended materials that children can explore on their own, with their friends or in groups.  They should be specifically presented and used for math investigation (even though they may clearly use them for other explorations as well.)

I really like to see a wide variety of developmentally appropriate games in the math center as well.  Ideally, a good math center will have:

Checkers and Chess

Bingo (all varieties)

Dominos (with pictures and pips)

Lotto

Chutes and Ladders ( a.k.a Snakes and Ladders)

Candyland

Snail’s Pace

Hi Ho Cherry-O

Connect 4

Shut the Box

Chinese Checkers

Guess Who?

Sorry

This list is far from complete, but it is a good start.  Many of these games are too sophisticated for younger children, but they will find ways to play with them, if allowed.  They will develop into them with experience, over time.  Remember, three-year olds need an older peer or adult to support them as they begin to develop interests in games with rules; so offer to play with them.  Encourage them to count the dice, move their pieces themselves, and match their cards, etc.  This is how they develop the skills necessary to play unassisted with their classmates.

What other games can we add to our list?

Do you have a Jenga set in your classroom?  If not, you should.  Jenga is a set of  small wooden blocks designed to be set up in a tower formation.  Players take turns removing one block at a time and placing it on the top of the tower until the tower becomes so unsteady that it falls over.  The box says, “6 yrs. +” but I think preschoolers could find a millions and one ways to play with a Jenga set.

Because of their size, small hands can use these as a tabletop manipulative.  Their open-ended design allows for creative play.  I found a set on Amazon for $8.99 but I imagine you can find these at garage sales and the like for a lot less.  Well-built wooden manipulatives can cost a fortune, so these are a really good option for a tabletop block set.  They also come in a few other sizes, so you can really create a “set” of tabletop blocks for your classroom.

The game of Jenga requires well-developed hand-eye coordination, balance, spatial awareness, fine muscle control, and enough social/emotional development to take turns.  These are just a few of the reasons that Jenga is a good choice for children as they are all working on these skills.  If you want to introduce the game and its rules, start your tower small.  Instead of stacking the whole set, create only 5 or 6 rows.  This makes the tower less heavy, and therefore easier to take the blocks out, and when it falls over it is not such a big deal.  It also takes a long time to stack the entire set, which with young children might mean 5 minutes of set-up for 30 seconds of play.

When I was on vacation recently, there was a GIANT Jenga game going on.  It was made out of big wooden blocks, much like the large wooden blocks in many preschool classrooms.  This got me thinking that you could create a Jenga-like game on the rug and have children take turns taking a block out from the bottom and placing it on top.  It doesn’t have to be in a tower; in fact, it would probably be better if it weren’t.  This would be a great way to introduce the game and its rules to the children and could be an interesting circle time game.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes.