Math fun with Candy Corn!

Each fall, the kids and I get excited when we see candy corn on the shelves. While eating a fun, sugary treat with the kids, why not incorporate a little bit of math! Here are a couple of ideas to do math with candy corn:

Estimation: Fill small, clear cups with different amounts of candy corn. Estimate the number in each cup. Count and compare guesses with actual count.

Addition and subtraction: 3 candy corn + 4 candy corn = 7 candy corn. This is great for preschoolers and kindergartners to practice beginning facts. Manipulations are great for this age group.
Older children can use a larger amount of candy corn and create their own story problems. For example: Johnny had 10 pieces of candy corn. He shared 2 with Sally and 3 with Tom. How many candy corn does he have left? Have fun solving your child's problems. My kids love to try and stump me!

Sorting for the littlest learner: Mix up regular candy corn and Indian corn and have your child sort them into 2 categories. For more than 2 categories, mix with other types of candies.

Patterns: Again, mix regular candy corn with Indian corn and have your child follow patterns. With two different candies, practice abab pattern and abba patterns. Add in another type of candy to practice abc patterns.

Measurement: How many candy corns long is the toy? the book? etc.

For more ideas, visit Candy Corn Math.


Funny that I'm posting these ideas today, because I was eating candy corn at 8:00 this morning. Weird pregnancy craving! 11 more weeks left and I'll get to meet the little guy! Wondering if he likes the candy corn- probably why he's so active this morning!

Have a great day! If you have any ideas for candy corn, please share!

Jen