DIY: Number Cookies | Tinkerer Box Blog

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Number Cookies

Playful Learning

Ages: 3-5

30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Learning numbers isn't always easy for children, so you need fun methods to help them learn and remember. This excellent mathematical introduction game helps young children recognise numbers up to 10 and learn to sequence them.

Materials Needed

Rectangular cardboard box
Ruler
Cardboard
Resealable bag
Bottle cap
Paint
Pencil
Paintbrush
Paint palette
Double-sided

An assortment of craft supplies is laid out on a light wood-grain surface. The items include a flattened cardboard box, a clear plastic ruler, a smaller piece of cardboard, a clear plastic bag, a pencil, a paintbrush, scissors, a roll of clear tape, three small tubes of paint or glue, a small white container with a lid, and a flower-shaped plastic paint palette. The arrangement suggests preparation for a craft or art project.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Place the bottle cap on cardboard and trace around it to make circles - you'll need 10 circles in total.

Two hands are shown on a light wood-grain surface, tracing circles onto a piece of brown cardboard. The left hand holds a small, white plastic lid, likely a bottle cap, while the right hand uses a blue and white polka-dotted pencil to trace around the lid. Several, presumably traced in the same manner, are already visible on the cardboard. This image likely circles demonstrates a step in a craft project involving recycled materials.

Step 2

Carefully cut out the circular cardboard pieces, trying to follow the guidelines closely.

Two hands are shown working with a piece of brown cardboard on a light wood-grained surface. The left hand holds the cardboard, which has several pencil-drawn circles on it. The right hand holds a pair of scissors and is in the process of cutting the cardboard, starting at the edge and moving towards the drawn circles. This image likely depicts a step in a craft project, where circular pieces are being cut out of the cardboard.

Step 3

Use a brown marker to draw triangles on the circular cardboard pieces - these will be chocolate chips on your cookies.

On a light wood-grain surface, several cardboard circles are arranged. Some of the circles have brown markings, resembling chocolate chips on cookies. Two hands are shown; the left hand steadies a cardboard circle while the right hand uses a white marker to draw brown chocolate chips on it. This image appears to depict a craft activity, creating pretend cookies out of cardboard.

Step 4

Place the circular cardboard pieces blank side up and write numbers 1-10 using a black marker.

Several small, round cardboard pieces are arranged on a light wood-grain surface. Most of them have numbers written on them, from 1 to 7. One cardboard circle has brown markings drawn on it, resembling a chocolate chip cookie. Two hands are visible ; the left hand steadies a cardboard circle while the right hand uses a white marker to write the number 7 on it. This image seems to depict the creation of a homemade counting or matching game using cardboard cutouts.

Step 5

Take the cardboard box and paint your favourite cartoon character on it. Make sure to draw the character with a large belly.

On a light wood-grain surface, a piece of cardboard is being painted. The cardboard has the outline of a figure resembling Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. Two hands are visible; the left hand holds the bottom corner of the cardboard steady, while the right hand uses a paintbrush to apply blue paint within the figure's outline. The figure's eyes are already painted, and a brown stripe, presumably representing Cookie Monster's mouth, has been started. This image captures the process of creating a Cookie Monster painting on cardboard.

Step 6

Once the paint is dry, use a pencil to draw a large circle on the character's belly.

A piece of cardboard, painted blue and shaped like Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, rests on a light wood-grain surface. The Cookie Monster figure has white and dark brown eyes and a dark brown mouth. Two hands are interacting with the cardboard; the The left hand holds the bottom left corner, while the right hand uses a blue and white polka-dotted pencil to draw a circle on the figure's belly. This image likely depicts a stage in a craft project involving creating a Cookie Monster figure.

Step 7

Carefully cut out the circle you've drawn using scissors.

Two hands are working with a piece of cardboard on a light wood-grained surface. The cardboard has a painted blue Cookie Monster figure on it. A circular section of the Cookie Monster's belly has been cut out partially. The left hand holds the cardboard, while the right hand uses scissors to continue cutting out the circular portion. This image likely shows a step in creating a Cookie Monster craft, possibly a feeding game or a puppet.

Step 8

Turn the cut box over. Take the resealable bag and attach it to the back of the box over the hole using double-sided tape. Use plenty of tape to ensure the bag is firmly secured. Make sure the bag's opening sits above the character's mouth.

A shallow cardboard box sits on a light wood-grain surface. Inside the box, a clear plastic zip-top bag contains a single, round, off-white disc, which appears to be made of dough or clay. The bag is sealed. The image suggests someone is preparing or storing a craft material, possibly dough for play or a clay disc for a project.

Step 9

Turn the box back around and cut a 5cm×1cm rectangular opening at the character's mouth using scissors. Make sure to pierce through one side of the attached bag but be careful not to pierce the other side.

On a light wood-grain surface, a cardboard cutout of Cookie Monster is being modified. The Cookie Monster is painted blue, with a circular opening cut out of its belly, now covered with a clear plastic sheet. Two hands are visible; the left hand holds the cardboard while the right hand uses scissors to cut a slit in the Cookie Monster's mouth area. This image seems to depict the creation of a Cookie Monster feeding game or toy from cardboard.

Step 10

Now let's set some game rules - can you feed the cookies in order from 1 to 10? How about from 10 to 1?

Against a plain white background stands a finished Cookie Monster figure made from cardboard. Painted blue, the Cookie Monster has a slit for a mouth, where a small portion of a chocolate chip cookie is visible. The figure's belly has a circular window covered with clear plastic, revealing more chocolate chip cookies inside. This appears to be a completed cardboard Cookie Monster feeding toy or game.

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