A Simple Ladybug Math Game for Building Early Addition (Using 1s and 2s)

A New Little Addition to Your Ladybug Leaves Play Mats 🐞

Hello friends!

If you already have Math Kit Bundle 1 or the Ladybug Leaves Play Mats, I’ve added something new to the file for you. You’ll now find two printable dice and a spinner to give you even more ways to use the mats in your math block.

The new dice and spinner feature 1s and 2s, which work beautifully for early counting and addition activities. Using small numbers like these helps students strengthen 1:1 correspondence and counting, while also naturally building early addition skills. Because the numbers are so small, students can quickly see the totals and differences, which helps them feel confident and successful.

Ladybug leaf play mat with counters and dice used for a hands-on counting and addition math game for young learners.

You’ll also notice a rain cloud on the dice and spinner. This gives you the option to add a playful twist to games. You might use it as a “clear the mat”, “take one away”, free turn, or even choose your own number — whatever works best for your students and your lesson goals.

One of the things I love most about the Math Kit resources is how flexible and open-ended they are. You can mix and match the mats, cards, and simple classroom materials like counters, linking cubes, or buttons. That makes it easy to create quick mini lessons or warm-ups that respond directly to what you’re noticing your students need in the moment.

Here’s one simple activity you can try right away.

Students placing counters on a ladybug leaf play mat while rolling dice to practice counting and early addition.

Quick Math Game: Build a Ladybug (Making 6)

Materials

Ladybug on a Leaf Play Mat
Counters (buttons, cubes, or any small manipulatives)
Dot dice
Numeral dice

Goal: Build exactly 6 counters on the leaf.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Give each student a play mat and a small pile of counters.
Students roll both dice (the dot dice and the numeral dice).
They choose one of the numbers they rolled.
Add that many counters to the leaf on their mat.
Encourage students to count as they place the counters so they maintain strong 1:1 correspondence.
Keep rolling and adding counters until the student reaches exactly 6 counters on the leaf.
If a rain cloud is rolled, students remove one counter from the leaf (or use any rain cloud rule you prefer).

Hands-on math activity where students collect counters on a leaf until they reach six using dice rolls.

Moving to the Ladybug

Once a student has exactly 6 counters, they move the counters onto the ladybug wings.
Now students decide how to distribute the 6 spots between the two wings.
Some examples might be: 5 and 1, 4 and 2, 3 and 3

This helps students see an important math idea: the total stays the same even when the parts look different.

Students showing different ways to make six by distributing counters on the two wings of a ladybug math mat.

Encourage Mathematical Language

At the end of the game, invite students to explain their ladybug.

You might hear things like:

“I have 3 spots on this wing and 3 on this wing. That makes 6 altogether.”

These small conversations help students connect counting, addition, and part-part-whole thinking in a very natural way.

The Ladybug Leaves mats can be used in so many different ways — not just this activity. They work beautifully for counting stories, addition and subtraction games, small group work, and quick math warm-ups.

If you don’t have the Ladybug Leaves Play Mats yet, you can find them here:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ladybug-Leaves-Math-Play-Mats-Hands-On-Counting-Addition-Subtraction-12996368

I’d love to hear how your students play with them!

From the Pond