Action Addition: A Movement-Based Math Lesson Plan for Preschoolers

Get your preschooler moving and learning with our 'Action Addition' lesson plan! This fun, kinesthetic math activity is perfect for teaching early numeracy and the basics of addition to active learners. Designed for ages 3-5, this plan uses whole-body movements, games, and hands-on objects to help children understand how to combine groups and solve simple addition problems with sums up to 10. Ideal for teachers, parents, and homeschoolers.

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Lesson Plan: Action Addition Adventure!

Materials Needed:

  • A large, open space for movement (indoors or outdoors)
  • Number cards (two sets of cards 1-5, or a single die)
  • Counting objects like large blocks, beanbags, or toy animals (at least 10)
  • Two hula hoops, or circles drawn with chalk/marked with masking tape
  • Optional: A small whiteboard and marker to write down the number sentences

Lesson Details

Subject: Math (Early Numeracy - Addition)

Student: Myles (Age 4)

Time Allotment: 20-25 minutes

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, Myles will be able to:

  • Physically model addition by combining two groups of movements or objects.
  • Solve simple addition problems with sums up to 10.
  • Begin to use addition vocabulary, such as "plus," "equals," and "altogether."

2. Introduction & Warm-Up: "Number Jumps" (5 minutes)

The goal of this warm-up is to get Myles moving and thinking about numbers.

  1. Say, "Myles, let's get our bodies ready for math! I'm going to call out a number, and you show me that many giant jumps!"
  2. Call out numbers between 1 and 5 in random order (e.g., "Three!"). Jump with him to model and share the energy.
  3. Do this for a few rounds, changing the action each time. Try "bunny hops," "spins," or "stomps." This reinforces one-to-one counting while being active.

3. Guided Activity: "Hula Hoop Sums" (7 minutes)

This activity introduces the concept of combining two separate groups in a concrete, visual way.

  1. Place the two hula hoops on the floor side-by-side.
  2. Say, "These are our special counting circles. Let's put some toys in them!"
  3. Place 2 blocks in the first hoop and 3 blocks in the second hoop. Point to the first hoop and ask, "How many blocks are in this circle?" (He should count "Two!").
  4. Point to the second hoop. "And how many are in this circle?" (He should count "Three!").
  5. Now, build excitement! "Great! Let's find out how many we have altogether! We can do this by moving all the blocks into just ONE circle. Let's move them!"
  6. Physically move all the blocks from both hoops into one. Count them together as you move them: "One, two, three, four, five!"
  7. State the math sentence clearly: "Wow! Two blocks plus three blocks equals five blocks altogether!" You can write 2 + 3 = 5 on the whiteboard if you are using one.
  8. Clear the hoops and repeat with another combination, like 4 + 1. Let Myles place the objects in the hoops this time.

4. Main Activity: "Action Addition!" (8 minutes)

This is where Myles uses his whole body to solve math problems. It directly channels his energy into learning.

  1. Say, "Okay, Myles, now we are going to BE the math problem! Are you ready?"
  2. Draw two number cards (e.g., a 3 and a 4) or roll a die twice.
  3. Announce the problem: "Our first number is three! Let's do three frog jumps!" Do them together: "One, two, three!"
  4. Announce the second part: "Our next number is four! We need to ADD four marching steps!" Do them together: "One, two, three, four!"
  5. Ask the key question: "Fantastic! How many moves did we do altogether? Let's count all our frog jumps and marches!" Count each movement from the beginning: "One, two, three... four, five, six, seven!"
  6. Conclude with the full sentence: "You did it! Three jumps plus four marches equals seven moves!"
  7. Repeat with new numbers and let Myles choose the actions (e.g., "Should we do silly wiggles or bear crawls?"). This gives him ownership and keeps engagement high.

5. Assessment & Wrap-Up: "Story Problem Challenge" (3 minutes)

This is a quick, informal check for understanding.

  1. Give Myles a simple, active story problem: "A monkey swung on a branch 2 times. Then, he swung 2 more times! How many times did the monkey swing altogether?"
  2. Encourage him to act it out (swinging his arms) and solve it.
  3. Observe if he can perform the actions for each number and then count the total to find the answer. Gently guide him if he gets stuck.
  4. Praise his effort enthusiastically: "You are an amazing math mover! You used your whole body to solve addition problems today!"

6. Differentiation & Support

  • To simplify: If sums to 10 are too challenging, focus only on sums to 5. Use your fingers alongside the actions to provide another visual cue.
  • To extend: Ask Myles to create his own Action Addition problem for you to solve. You can also introduce a "zero" card, explaining that zero means "no moves."