Spunky Monkeys On Parade

The "Monkey Day" parade is a very big deal. The crowd loves to watch the Monkey Cyclists who cycle two by two (2, 4, 6, 8…). They're followed by the Monkey Tumblers, who travel in groups of three (3, 6, 9, 12…). Finally, there is the Monkey Band lined up four across (4, 8, 12, 16…). 

Counting by 2s, 3s and 4s is called skip-counting and is an important step in the development of multiplication skills. 

Activities!

• Read the story with your child (or students) and talk about what is going on in each picture. Encourage the children to interact with the illustrations and count the monkeys aloud as you read.
• While shopping in the supermarket, help your child find objects that are packaged in 2s, 3s, or 4s, such as light bulbs, paper towels, or sticks of margarine or butter. Skip count to find the total number of items on the shelf.
• Stringing Beads: You will need beads of two different colors (for example, red and yellow) and three strings. On the first string, have each child string 2 red beads, 1 yellow, 2 red, and so on. On the second string, arrange 3 red beads, 1 yellow, 3 red, and so on. On the third string, arrange 4 red beads, 1 yellow, 4 red, and so on. Compare the three strings. Which has more red beads?