This Sandwich Shop Math Game is a fun way to practice numeral identification and counting 1-6… and it is kid-approved by the prekinders in my class. Children look at a menu and count out the correct number of sandwich pieces to build their sandwich.
To prepare the game:
You will need to print the Sandwich Shop Menus (download link below) and cut the menus in half (each page has two menus). You will need to purchase sheets of craft foam in the following colors:
- Tan or beige (bread)
- Pink (ham)
- Green (lettuce)
- Red (tomatoes)
- Orange (cheese)
Two 12×18 inch sheets in each color was enough for a small group of 6 children to use. It probably depends on how large you cut the pieces. I cut about 12 pieces from each craft foam sheet, so in all I had about 24 pieces of each kind of food.
Set up the table with stacks of menus and place the sandwich pieces (foam) in trays or baskets.
To play the game:
Have children choose a menu, identify the numerals, and count out the correct amount of sandwich pieces they will need. As they count out the pieces, they build their sandwich. Once they’ve built a sandwich, you can check it to see if they counted accurately. Then, have them put the pieces back and choose another menu. The menus have numbers 1-4, 1-5, or 1-6. This is intended to give extra practice to those children who are only counting to 4 or 5 (the number 6 is used to give them practice with the next step up).
If you have a group of children who cannot yet identify any numerals, play the game this way. Keep the stack of menus with you, and show one menu at a time. Read the menu to the children, and have all of the children in the group count out the number of pieces you call out. (Each child in the group will be making their own sandwich, using one menu.)
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This is great. I love ideas that make learning fun and interesting.
I love this idea and I am going to use this in class. Do you know if their is a book that could be related to this math game?
Have you seen “Sam’s Sandwich”? Really cute, in rhyme, and humor that young ones — especially boys — love. Sam makes a sandwich for his sister with some really good stuff (salami, watercress, etc) and also some interesting bugs. Can’t recall the author.
Thanks for the tip, Margie, about the book. I looked on Amazon and the lowest price they are showing (for now) is $37.00, and & $25.00 on Ebay. I searched and didn’t see any other books for preschoolers. We can revisit the sites again to see if the listing prices change soon 🙂
Faye
Hi, I really love this game is there any possibility you could replace the ham with tofu or Quorn slices!! I work with people who do not eat ham for religious reasons..
I can’t wait to do this with my preschoolers! I love introducing new games and I know they will think its great building sandwiches.Thanks:)
Love it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Love you!!! Love these great ideas for my preschool class! This is a great game…
Thank you
Yep, A winner! Can’t wait to try this w my granddaughter!
Thank you for sharing so many great games and activities!
Its is so interesting for my little ones!thanks karen!
How cool! Thanks Karen for sharing this great activity.
Really appreciate your great ideas and willingness tto share. I plan to also usr a variant of this game to support children in learning how to listen to instructions and to give instructions.
Lovely!!!!!! Just love for ideas……
Thank you so much for sharing……..
This is such a cute and relevant activity. I love activities that children can become involved in with play where they are actually learning specific concepts without the ole drill and skill method. Again, thank you, Karen, for yet another great idea!
Thank you! Really good idea!
I turned our dramatic play area into a sandwich shop. The kids love it. This was perfect timing since our class is practicing quantities 1-5.
How great is this?! Thank you! 😉
Thank you for sharing Karen! I will incorporate this in my lessons!! I am positive the kids will have a blast and rush to make their own sandwiches! I’m thinking of bigger numbers now!!
This activity is just awesome. My students just love it!
Hi karen I loved it my students were using it and it helped them
Wow!!! I love the 5 senses approach to counting!!! This is an awesome lesson
This is an adorable, hands-on math activity. Thank you for this, I will be using it for a math station activity!
A Fellow Pre-k Teacher,
I is for Inspire
Thank you! Your blog looks really cute, Jacqueline!
Thank you! I am so excited about it! Feeling much more homey now 🙂
I love this idea! I also have a suggestion to extend this activity. The kids could be waiters/waitresses in the sandwich shop. What about making order cards with places for numbers next to each sandwich item and let kids take sandwich orders from each other by writing the number of each ingredient and then making the sandwich for them.
That’s a cute idea! Thanks for sharing! That would be perfect for center time also.
Your ideas are so wonderful! I love your website and appreciate all your free printables. Play based learning at its best. Thank you so much for sharing.
I LOVE this!!! My kiddos will too! Thank you so much for sharing such wonderful developmentally appropriate activities 🙂 You rock!
Hi this is a great activity however I have tried to print the sandwich menu several times and it is not allowing me to print. Help please
Check out my Printing Help page for ideas: https://www.prekinders.com/printing-help/
I love this. All my students loved it to they thought it was “amazicals!” Or some other weird things like that. Thank you for the help!