Dot A Do Patterns

 As part of Number week the children were instructed to: 

1: Draw a REALLY big number 1-10, enough to cover the entire paper

2: create a pattern using dot a do stamps over their number

The activity started our GREAT!

The kids drew their numbers and started making their patterns. 

Apparently the number 1 and 4 are very popular amongst 4 year olds. 

As instructed the children would stamp one color, place it on the table, grab the other color, stamp, place it back on the table, grab the other color, stamp, . .  you get the idea. 

The imagination of a child never ceases to amaze me. 

Some kids decided to get "fancy" and use both hands. One color in each hand and alternate. I never told them to do this, just watched in awe. 

Then I got distracted and forgot to watch a kid. Lets call him C. 

C sat down, excited a ready to do his art. 

I asked him to write down a number 1-10 on his paper.

I got distracted and looked away. 

when I looked back I saw a big 100 on his paper.

He had a huge GRIN on his face. He then said "I'm going to have the biggest number in the entire class!" huh,  ok! Good for him for knowing that 100 is way bigger than 10. 

Then I got distracted by another child again. 

I was listening to him doing his art. 

Thump, pause, thump, pause, thump, pause 

Blue, Orange, Blue, Orange, Blue, Orange, Blue, Orange. . . . Etc. 

The sound was correct. It meant he was alternating his colors and pausing to change colors 

I didn't feel like I needed to watch until. . . 

THUMP THUMP, pause, thump, pause, THUMP THUMP

WAIT!

Two thumps! No No NO NO NO that's not a pattern. Or is it? 

I looked over about to stop him when I saw he WAS making a pattern. 

Blue, Blue, Orange, Blue, Blue, Orange, Blue, Blue, Orange. 

Like I said before, kids amaze me. 

Then to further amaze me

Thump, Thump, Thump, pause, THUMP THUMP, pause, 

Thump, Thump, Thump, pause, THUMP THUMP, pause, 

This kid figured out a 3-2 pattern.
Way to go C! You make us proud! You will go far some day.