Early Math  /  Subitizing  /  Week 3: Lesson 8  /  Activity

Treasure Bubbles

 

Subitizing
Digital

Children help characters blow bubbles and then work in pairs to pop the bubbles that have either two, three, four, or five sets of objects in them.

Two preschool girls tap on-screen characters in the Gracie and Friends Treasure Bubbles iPad app. A screenshot from the app shows two on-screen characters blowing bubbles.

This is a two-player game!

Each player controls one character.

 

Materials


Materials used in Treasure Bubbles.
  • Treasure Bubbles digital game on the iPad

Preparation

  1. Make sure the iPads are adequately charged and Treasure Bubbles is installed.
 

Directions


  1. Start with one iPad. (Keep any additional iPads out of reach.)
  2. Introduce the game. Tell children they are going to play a game called Treasure Bubbles on an iPad. Tell them that everyone will get a chance to play. Explain that the object of the game is to pop the bubbles that contain a certain number of objects — for instance, all bubbles with four treasure items in them.
  3. Demonstrate how to play the game. Talk the children through the training level at the beginning of the game. In the animated tutorial, Gracie shows how to tap and hold on a friend so that he or she blows a bubble. Have two children demonstrate how to tap and hold on characters to release a bubble. Gracie then shows the children how to work together to hold the rope that will pop the bubbles. Have two children demonstrate this to the group and play the first level of the game (popping all the bubbles with one treasure in them). Then have two other children demonstrate how to play Level 2. This is the first time that they will see and try to avoid bubbles containing an incorrect number of objects. After the demo, point out that a red X appears if the children pop the wrong bubble.
  4. Distribute any additional iPads and invite the children to play the game. Pair children depending on their subitizing ability, comfort with the iPad, relationships with other children, willingness to share, and ease with helping others. Be available throughout game play. Allow children to play on their own or with a partner while you observe and engage children in conversations about the math. Choose moments to interact that do not interrupt game play, such as the start of a new level, or when a child is struggling and is open to assistance.
  5. Promote math talk and learning:
    • Have children call out the number of treasure items in the bubbles they pop.
    • To get children to communicate verbally and logically about the math task and their thinking, ask questions such as: Why did you do that? How do you know that this bubble has three items and that other one also has three? They look different. Why did you catch this bubble instead of that one?
  6. As the game advances, the levels become more difficult, the bubbles fall faster, and more treasures appear in the bubbles. Assist children having problems with the math. Reassure children that it’s okay if the game feels hard. It will get easier as they practice. Here are some typical problems children experience and some suggested solutions:
    • If a child is having trouble with either the math or the motor skills necessary to play the game, consider playing the game with the child, or play the game yourself while the child watches and points out which bubbles to collect. Also, consider having the child play Jungle Gym, which allows for slower, self-paced play.
    • If children do not recognize the number of objects in a bubble when they are in a new spatial arrangement, stop the game when bubbles appear and review them with the children. Talk about how they are the same (all of them have four diamonds) and how they are different (one set is arranged in a square, one has three diamonds in a row and one alone, one is in a diamond pattern).
    • If the upper levels, with new objects in novel arrangements, are too challenging, it may be that there are too many things to take into account during game play. Try partnering with the child and pointing out all the different spatial arrangements for a group of objects.
  7. Assist children as needed with the mechanics of game play, but keep the main focus on math talk.
    • If the children tire of holding their finger down on the screen to drag the friends around, suggest that they press lightly — there’s no need to push hard! Give children a break from playing if they get fatigued.
    • If a child has trouble keeping his or her finger on the friend to move it around, demonstrate how to move the friend yourself, or hold the child’s hand and finger until the child feels comfortable on his or her own.
    • If a child is overwhelmed by the bubble-popping task, have the child watch while you play. Engage the child by having him or her tell you what to do and how to play before you make any moves.
    • If the rope between the two players falls, show the children how to lift up their fingers from the iPad and then place them down again.
  8. Children learn from and teach each other — especially when they’re playing! Encourage simultaneous or collaborative play for struggling children. Invite more advanced children to explain how they knew which bubbles to pop.
  9. Overall, have fun and allow the children to have fun too. They’ll learn while playing!

Length of Play

10–15 min.

Group Size

Pairs

In the Schedule

Learning Centers


 
Vocabulary
  • a lot
  • many
  • more than
  • less than
  • same amount/number
  • more
  • number names
 
Learning Goals
  • Recognize sets of one to five objects without counting
  • Learn or reinforce number names and symbols
  • Understand that numbers can be represented by objects
  • Compare sets of one to five objects, and identify if the sets are the same or different
  • Understand that the number of objects in a set is not affected by their arrangement