Counting Felt Fish

These little guys have been on my "must do" list for ages now, and thanks to the seemingly never-ending rains we've been getting this month, I was able to finally start and finish the project all in one afternoon!I got the idea for a "fishing game" from a lovely Waldorf book I found at the library (I've since returned the book and cannot for the life of me remember the title - sorry!!). Anyway, I decided to add my own twist to the game by making the fish "counting fish".

There are 10 total and each has some type of crafty embellishment that James can count and a tiny metal washer that attaches to the magnet at the end of the fishing wire (i.e. a colorful piece of yarn) on the fishing rod (i.e. a wooden dowel).

Aren't they fun?! I had SO much fun making these. James helped me design the fish by choosing the colors and embellishments. :)

The beauty of these little fish is that a) they are each unique and interesting to explore making for a fun sensory experience b) they can assist in color recognition c) they can be used not just for rote counting, but also for addition & subtraction activities and d) the fishing aspect provides an excellent opportunity to develop eye-hand coordination and overall concentration.

James absolutely adores this mama made creation! We created a "pond" with a blue play silk and boy did James think that was the BEST. He got so excited whenever he caught a fish and he'd shout out their numbers or colors.

This is James' favorite - we named him "lucky fish".

And here's James and his kitty, Buca, checking out the catch of the day. ;)

~Linking up to Kid Friendly Friday, Tot Tuesday & Felt House Along~