Candy Corn Counting Activity

The colorful treat makes for a great teaching tool in math. Use this candy corn counting activity to help your kids have fun with math and enjoy a sweet reward afterward, too.

Plan more fun and engaging homeschool activities to do with your young ones with these fall activities for kids.

You either love it or hate it. This unique candy is only available around Halloween, and its vivid colors and sweet taste have raving fans and loathing haters.

This is a great addition to your fall-themed learning centers. This fun autumn activity also provides children with the opportunity to practice their fine motor skills while introducing early math concepts, such as number recognition, within a fall-themed context.

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Fun Facts About Candy Corn You Might Not Know

Before we get into the counting activity, here are a few fun and surprising things I learned about candy corn. My kids thought these were pretty cool facts when we chatted about them while snacking on a fall treat.

• Candy corn used to be called “chicken feed.”: When it was first made in the 1880s, it was marketed to farmers and came in a box labeled “Chicken Feed.” At the time, corn was primarily used to feed livestock, so it made perfect sense to brand it accordingly.
• It has a unique production process: Traditional candy corn is made using a method called “corn starch molding,” where impressions are made in trays of cornstarch and then filled with different colors of syrup. This is how each layer gets its iconic color and shape.
• National Candy Corn Day is a real thing: In the United States, October 30th is officially National Candy Corn Day. It’s celebrated right before Halloween, which is also when candy corn is everywhere and the kids can’t seem to get enough of it.

Recommended Fall Books

Don’t you just love fall? It’s cool but not freezing, and the colors that change as the season changes are amazing. It’s my favorite season, at least. Bring fall into your home with any of these fall books.

Goodbye Summer, Hello AutumnLeaf ManLeavesToo Many PumpkinsLeif and the FallFletcher and the Falling Leaves: A Fall Book for Kids

 

What can kids learn from this candy corn math practice?

When I did this activity with my youngest school-age child years ago, it was such a fun and sneaky way to fit in some real skills practice. It’s not just about cute candy pieces. There’s actual learning happening here.

• Counting and number recognition: Kids get to work on one-to-one correspondence by matching candy corn pieces to numbers. It helps build a solid foundation for early math without the pressure of a worksheet.
• Fine motor coordination: Picking up and placing candy corn carefully requires more coordination than you might think. It’s a simple way to work those small muscles in the hands that help with pencil grip later on.
• Following instructions: Whether it’s matching or sorting, your child has to pay attention and follow each step. That kind of structured thinking is a huge help for future learning routines.

Recommended Fall Printables

If you’re looking to add more fall-themed fun to your homeschool days, I’ve got a couple of printable packs that make it easy to sneak in some learning. These are perfect for early learners who enjoy hands-on activities that don’t feel like typical schoolwork.

Candy Corn Counting Activity Supplies

Here’s a quick list of the basics you’ll want to have on hand to use with the printable activity pages.

• Mini plastic cups
• Candy corn
• Black permanent marker

300 Pcs 2 oz Plastic Shot Glasses Disposable 2oz Shot Small Cups 2 oz Mini Party Cups for Drinking Bachelorette Birthday Party Tasting Serving Snacks Samples (Green)Fruidles Candy Corn, Classic Halloween Candy Treats- Dragon teeth Candy – Candy Bulk – Kosher, Gluten Free – Fun & Festive Holiday Snacking (8 Oz Bag)SHARPIE Permanent Markers, Chisel Tip, Black, 4 Count

 

Recommended Fall Toys

For moms who want more fall-themed playtime that still feeds into early learning, I love rotating in seasonal toys around this time of year.

2 Pieces Leaf Mushroom Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles Fall Maple Puzzle Educational Toy Learning Puzzle Mushroom Shape Preschool Puzzles for Thanksgiving Christmas Birthday Gift Early Education SchoolLearning Resources Alphabet Acorns Activity Set, Develops Letter Recognition, Educational Toys for Toddlers, Homeschool, Visual & Tactile Learning Toy, 78 Pieces, Ages 3+hand2mind Sensory Leaves Math Activity Set, Pattern Play, Shape Puzzle, Pattern Blocks Cards, Math Counters, Sorting Toy, Shapes for Toddlers, Counting Toy, Kindergarten Learning ActivitiesJCREN Wooden Lacing Apple Threading Toys Wood Lace Block Puzzle Shape Travel Game Toys Early Learning Fine Motor Skills Educational Gift for 3 4 5 Years Old Toddlers Baby Kids BoysSkoolzy 12 Counting, Matching, and Sorting Apple Factory Set, Great Educational Toy for Toddlers, Pretend Play Food Fruit ToysNAODONGLI Wooden Montessori Toys for Toddler,Educational Toys for 3 Year Old,STEM Toys Mushroom Harvest Game,Learing Shape Sorting & Number Matching,First Birthday Gifts for Kids Boys Girls

 

How to do this hands-on candy corn counting game?

Toddlers and preschoolers will love this activity. It’s incredibly simple and easy to set up, and it offers loads of play value and learning reinforcement. Counting, sorting, adding, and subtracting can all be done with this straightforward activity. It’s also repeatable and lots of fun, especially if you play along.

Start with some brightly colored plastic cups and a permanent marker. We used bright green mini cups. And don’t forget a big bag of candy corn. You’ll need at least eleven cups and at least 50 pieces of candy for this activity. You could have more cups for this, especially if you want to practice counting past 10. You may need bigger cups for the bigger numbers, however.

Start by setting out the cups. Label each with a number from 0 to 10. You can even get your little one to help you label the cups and count with them. Set them out so they are in order in your play area. Put the candy corn in a large bowl or container nearby. Don’t let your child eat them (yet).

Introduce the activity by practicing counting with your child.

Help your child count out enough candy corn pieces to match the number on each cup. Repeated counting will help them learn not just numbers and their order, but also the one-to-one relationship that is the foundation of all math. Teach them to count out loud and to slow down a bit, so they don’t miss a piece and get mixed up on their count.

Place the correct number of candy pieces in each cup and proceed to the next cup. For your little students, you can celebrate every time they get it right.

Cool Ways To Extend the Activity

Once all the candy corn has been sorted, you can extend the learning by playing with the numbers and candy pieces. What happens when you add two cups together? What about two different ones? Try writing down the number sentences you get so your child can see the symbols as they play with the math activity.

Another idea would be to compare numbers. Which cup has more candy? Which one has less? You can mix up the cups and have your child put them in order from biggest to smallest, or vice versa.

This candy corn counting activity is also repeatable. Dump all the candy out of the cups, and have your child sort them again. For older children, make it a race and see how fast they can do it.

At the end of the activity, you and your child can sample some of the candy. Math is fun and delicious.

Fun Fall Activities To Try

• Fall STEM Challenge Cards
• Fall Math Activities for Elementary Students
• Best Fall Books for Elementary Students
• Fall Math Activities for Kindergarten
• Fall Lego Challenge Printable
• Fall Books for Preschool
• Fall STEM Activities
• Fall Sorting Worksheet by Darcy and Brian
• Fall Graphing Worksheets by Simple Everyday Mom

This fall-themed candy corn counting activity is an excellent learning tool for homeschooled kids, helping them practice counting delicious objects while having fun. Encourage your little ones to explore and have a blast with our candy corn counting activity today.