Too Many Elephants in this House - Activity Time

Fill a cookie tray with Elephants

What you need:

• An elephant cookie cutter (preferable, however any animal cutter can be used)

• A cookie tray

• Cookie dough (or you could use play dough)

  ●— Cut elephant shapes from cookie dough.
  ● Predict the maximum number of elephants the tray will be able to hold.
  —● Trial placing the cookie shapes in different arrangements on the tray.
  ● Talk about the way the way arrangement of elephants can impact how many elephants can fit on the tray. E.g. Which arrangement holds the smallest number of elephants? Which arrangement holds the largest number of elephants? What is the maximum number of elephants the cookie tray can hold? How many elephants would be too many for the tray?
  ● Bake the cookies.
  ● Discuss the concept of subtraction as the cookies are eaten. E.g. How many elephants are left now that one has been eaten?