Works for Me Wednesday: Bean Counters

What's a frugal, homeschooling mom who needs math manipulatives but is too, um, frugal to purchase those oh-so-cute counting bears for $10 to do? Well, what "Works for Me" is waiting until a Christmas gift of dry bean soup mix falls off the display shelf and spills all over the floor. Pick the many beans off the floor, add a mini muffin tin, and Ta-da! Free math manipulatives! Here is how we use our bean counters:

Sorting by kind or color... great for preschoolers! Tip: Small preschool hands work best with larger beans. I have removed all the split peas and lentils from the bean bag, as shown here.



Dropping beans in the cups to match the number produces a satisifying "plink." Again, larger beans are better, otherwise some of the quantities will have to be recounted numerous times as multitudes of split peas and lentils suddenly appear with the drop of a single kidney bean.



Grace loves to check her work with the beans. I, too, prefer it when she uses the physical manipulatives rather than copying the correct answer for another page! A few numbers and coordinating bean quantities accomodate both addition and subtraction review!



Creating patterns is a fun activity, too! Here Ella reviews the pattern to find which bean she needs next.



Grace's patterns are more intricate and difficult to recreate, but she does a terrific job! Especially when she has been served a delicious breakfast by her loving sister!


We love our bean counters! You can check out other great ideas at We are THAT Family's Works For Me Wednesday.