Fun with Equal Groups: “Multiply the Picnic Baskets!”

Materials Needed

• Small toys, blocks, buttons, or snack pieces
• 4 small bowls, cups, or paper plates
• Paper and crayons
• Number cards from 1 to 5, optional
• A stuffed animal or toy friend, optional
• Large paper or a whiteboard

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the child will be able to:

• Make equal groups of objects.
• Count objects in each group.
• Tell how many objects there are altogether by counting each group.
• Use simple words such as group, same, more, and altogether.
• Show a simple multiplication idea through play, such as “2 groups of 3 makes 6.”

Success Criteria

“I can make groups that have the same number. I can count the groups. I can tell how many things there are altogether.”

Introduction: The Picnic Problem

Time: 5 minutes

Place a stuffed animal beside several toys or snack pieces.

Say:

“Our toy friends are having a picnic! Each friend needs the same number of treats. Can we share the treats fairly?”

Show two bowls and place one object in each bowl. Ask:

• “Do the bowls have the same number?”
• “What should we do if one bowl has more?”
• “Can you help me make the groups fair?”

Tell the child:

“Today we will make equal groups, count them, and find out how many we have altogether.”

Body: Learn and Practice

1. I Do: Teacher or Adult Demonstration

Time: 5 minutes

Place 3 bowls in a row. Put 2 objects in each bowl.

Think aloud:

“I have 3 groups. Each group has 2 blocks. I can count by ones: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. There are 6 blocks altogether.”

Point to each group as you say:

“2 and 2 and 2 makes 6.”

Explain in simple language:

“When we have the same number in groups, we can count all the groups to find the total.”

Do not require the child to use the word multiplication. If appropriate, say:

“Grown-ups call this multiplication. It means putting equal groups together.”

2. We Do: Build a Picnic

Time: 10 minutes

Work together to make equal groups.

1. Choose 2, 3, or 4 bowls.
2. Choose how many objects go in each bowl: 1, 2, or 3.
3. Put the same number of objects in every bowl.
4. Touch and count all the objects together.
5. Say the number sentence using everyday words.

Use sentences such as:

• “2 groups with 2 in each group makes 4.”
• “3 groups with 2 in each group makes 6.”
• “2 groups with 3 in each group makes 6.”

Ask quick-check questions:

• “How many groups do we have?”
• “How many are in each group?”
• “Do the groups have the same number?”
• “How many are there altogether?”

3. Think, Pair, and Tell

Time: 5 minutes

Show two groups of objects. Give the child quiet thinking time.

Invite the child to:

• Look carefully at the groups.
• Tell a stuffed animal, family member, or the adult what they notice.
• Explain whether the groups are fair or need fixing.

Prompt with:

“I notice ___ groups. Each group has ___. Altogether, there are ___.”

4. You Do: Picnic Basket Challenge

Time: 10 minutes

Let the child choose one challenge:

Choice A: Feed the Toy Animals

The child chooses 2–4 toy animals and gives each animal the same number of pretend treats. The child counts the total.

Choice B: Build a Block Garden

The child makes 2–4 rows of blocks with the same number of blocks in each row. The child counts the blocks and draws the garden.

Choice C: Snack Groups

Using safe snacks, the child makes equal groups for family members or stuffed animals. The child explains how the snacks were shared.

Choice D: Make Your Own Problem

The child chooses the number of groups and objects in each group. The adult asks the child to show and explain the answer.

Use the sentence frame:

“I made ___ groups. There are ___ in each group. There are ___ altogether.”

Movement Game: Group Up!

Time: 5 minutes

Say a number of groups and a number for each group. The child acts it out with jumps, claps, or toy figures.

• “Make 2 groups with 2 jumps in each group.”
• “Make 3 groups with 1 clap in each group.”
• “Make 2 groups with 3 steps in each group.”

After each turn, ask:

“How many jumps, claps, or steps did you make altogether?”

Creative Activity: Draw the Groups

Time: 5–10 minutes

Ask the child to draw a picture showing equal groups, such as:

• 2 plates with 3 cookies on each plate
• 3 nests with 2 eggs in each nest
• 4 flower pots with 1 flower in each pot

Invite the child to circle each group and count everything in the picture.

Formative Assessment

During play, observe whether the child can:

• Place the same number of objects in each group.
• Count objects with one-to-one pointing or touching.
• Identify whether groups are equal or unequal.
• Find the total with support.
• Explain the groups using words, gestures, objects, or drawings.

Quick check: Make 2 groups with 2 objects in each group. Ask the child to show how many objects there are altogether. The child may count, point, draw, or say the answer.

Summative Assessment: Show What You Know

Ask the child to create one equal-group problem independently.

For example:

“Can you make 3 groups with 2 objects in each group? How many objects are there altogether?”

The child demonstrates success by:

• Making 3 groups.
• Putting 2 objects in each group.
• Counting 6 objects altogether, with help if needed.
• Explaining the answer with words, pointing, drawing, or movement.

Differentiation and Support

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Begin with only 2 groups and 1 object in each group.
• Use large objects that are easy to move and see.
• Count aloud together while touching each object.
• Use a visual layout, such as bowls in a straight line.
• Accept answers shown through pointing, movement, or drawing.

For a Child Ready for More

• Use up to 5 groups with up to 3 objects in each group.
• Ask the child to compare two arrangements with the same total.
• Ask, “Can you make 6 in a different way?”
• Introduce simple repeated addition language: “2 and 2 and 2 is 6.”
• Invite the child to create a problem for an adult to solve.

Real-World Connection

Point out equal groups during daily activities:

• Setting the table with one cup for each person
• Putting toys into equal storage bins
• Sharing crackers fairly
• Counting wheels on toy cars
• Arranging flowers, buttons, or blocks in rows

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned

Time: 5 minutes

Show one final set of equal groups and ask the child to explain it.

Say:

“Today we made equal groups. We counted how many were in each group, and then we counted how many there were altogether.”

Ask the child to finish these sentences:

• “A group is…”
• “Equal means…”
• “I made ___ groups.”
• “Altogether, I had ___.”

End with a celebration:

“You were a fantastic group builder and fair sharer!”

Optional Follow-Up

During the week, invite the child to find equal groups in the home. Take turns saying:

“I found ___ groups with ___ in each group!”