Apple Tree Math Games with Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3

This month’s Virtual Book Club for Kids is featuring Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3, and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. We played some apple tree math games to go along with Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3. Be sure to check out all of the activities inspired by Bill Martin, Jr. at the end of this post. Affiliate links are included in this post. Clicking on the book titles or covers will take you to Amazon.

Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr.

Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 is the sequel to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom also by Bill Martin, Jr. and illustrated by Lois Ehlert. This time the numbers are racing up the apple tree but 0 is not sure if there will be a place for it. Finally it comes time for 0 to save the day. Have fun counting the numbers throughout the book and try your hand at counting the apples, too.

Apple Tree Math Games with Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3

An apple counting game seemed to go perfectly with this book. My 5 year old requested that we add addition to the mix and not just counting, so we came up with 3 ways to play.

Simple Counting

For this game, you’ll need dice, apples (red and green glass gems), and a tree. For my tree, I used pinking scrapbooking scissors to cut out a circle from construction paper. Aiden thinks my tree needs a trunk. I modeled it off of a page in the book where there is no trunk.

Roll the dice and count out the correct number of apples. You can use as many dice as you want to practice larger numbers.

Addition

For this game, you’ll need dice, apples (red and green glass gems), a tree, paper, and a pencil.

1. Roll the dice and write the number down on your paper.
2. Roll the dice a second time and write that number down as well. (Place a plus sign between the numbers and an equals sign after to create a number sentence.)
3. Solve the addition problem by counting out apples.

We opened the book to the last page with all of the numbers to make it easier for my son to remember how to write them. This activity was just as much about number writing practice as it was the math.

Patterns

We used red and green glass gems for our apples. Aiden created patterns with the apples while he was counting them. Red – green – red – green – red – what comes next?

Or try green – red – red – green – red – red – green…

What patterns will you make?

More Ideas from the Virtual Book Club for Kids

See more activities inspired by Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3

Chicka Chicka 123 – Multiplication Trees from Rainy Day Mum
Chicka Chicka 123 – Sensory Number Game from The Pleasantest Thing

Try one of these ideas after reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Kinetic Sand Activity from Toddler Approved
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Window Tree from Still Playing School

Check out these activities to go along with Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Brown Bear Activity: Big Letter, Big Letter, What Do You See? from Growing Book by Book
Story Telling Beads (Brown Bear, Brown Bear) from Mama Miss
Brown Bear, Brown Bear Gross Motor Ideas from 3 Dinosaurs

What is your favorite book by Bill Martin, Jr.?

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