Recycle an unwanted muffin tin into a math center activity that teaches children one to one correspondence. Write numbers, 1 through 12 in the bottom of the muffin cups. If the tin is too dark to see the numbers, cut felt or foam circles to glue to the bottom of the muffin cups. Provide a box of small objects to place into the muffin tins. Use buttons, paper-clips or water-bottle caps. Children count the correct number of objects then place them into the corresponding number's cup.
Cut a pizza-pan size circle from blue felt or construction paper. Cut 20 simple fish shapes from sheets of tropical colored craft foam and place the fish in a cup. Write numbers 1 through 20 on the fish with a permanent marker. Children lay the felt pond on a table then dump the foam fish from the cup. Beginning with the number one fish, children put the fish in a row in numerical order.
Transform old plastic ice-cube trays into a math patterning game for the math center. Provide a stack of trays and a bowl full of multi-colored pom-poms. Pom-poms are typically on hand at most preschools. Draw examples of repeating patterns on index cards. Draw repeating red, then green dots or two blue, then one yellow dot. Place the cards with the other items. Children choose a card and the correct color pom-poms, then place them into the ice-cube tray in the matching pattern.
Dig out your stash of stickers and grab 10 index cards to create a set of counting cards for the math center. Place stickers onto the cards, one for each number. Write the corresponding numeral next to the dots on each card. Gather a collection of small items for counters to place on the stickers. Choose cotton balls, dyed pasta-shapes or tiny plastic toys. Children lay the cards on a table in order, then count the number of objects to place on the stickers.