Colour x concrete quantity (4x4): Counting sweets

Colour x concrete quantity (4x4): Count the sweets - learn to sort, count and combine through play.

How many sweets can you see and what colour are they? In this interactive preschool activity, children work with a double-entry table. They drag pictures of sweets to the correct place in a 4x4 matrix. Each time, they need to combine two features: the colour of the sweets and the concrete quantity shown in the picture.

The rows of the table are determined by four colours: red, yellow, green and blue. The columns represent the quantities 1, 2, 3 and 4. Preschoolers therefore look not only at the colour but also count how many sweets are shown in each picture. Only when both features are recognised correctly can the picture be placed in the correct cell of the matrix.

This matrix activity stimulates logical thinking and helps preschoolers organise information systematically. They learn to compare and combine two properties at the same time. In doing so, they practise important skills such as classifying, sorting, analysing and searching purposefully within a double-entry table.

Early mathematical development also receives plenty of attention. Children practise the concrete quantities from 1 to 4 by counting the sweets one by one and recognising the correct quantity. In this way, the connection between a visible quantity and the corresponding concept of number is strengthened through play.

This free app also supports language development. The activity includes spoken instructions and feedback, allowing preschoolers to hear words and concepts related to colours, quantities, counting, rows, columns and position. By looking, listening, counting and acting, new concepts are actively processed and remembered more effectively.

The activity also contributes to the development of visual perception and concentration. Preschoolers need to look carefully at small differences, recognise the correct colour, count the sweets and then decide where the picture belongs. This requires accuracy, sustained attention and a purposeful approach.

Thanks to the simple drag-and-drop controls, children simultaneously practise their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and digital skills. The free online activity is suitable for use on tablets, computers, interactive whiteboards and other digital learning environments.

This educational matrix activity is ideal for preschool teachers, support teachers, parents and caregivers looking for a playful way to work on double-entry tables, colour recognition, concrete quantities, counting to 4, logical thinking, classifying, sorting, visual perception, listening skills and digital literacy.

Let preschoolers count sweets, recognise colours and combine two features through play. Step by step, they build a strong foundation for mathematical thinking, logical reasoning and understanding simple matrices and double-entry tables.

In the online logbook, parents and teachers can easily check afterwards which apps were used and which results were achieved.

Learning goals

• Logical and mathematical thinking
  • Compare objects and images based on observable properties.
  • Recognize and distinguish properties such as color, shape, size, pattern, object, character, emotion, orientation and direction of movement.
  • Classify and organize images based on one or more characteristics.
  • Recognize and use similarities and differences between images to make a choice.
  • Take two criteria into account simultaneously: a row criterion and a column criterion.
  • Determine which image matches the combination of two given properties.
  • Establish logical relationships between row criteria, column criteria and the corresponding cells of a table.
  • Systematically examine and complete a double-entry table.
  • Solve a simple mathematical problem by comparing, combining and applying information.
  • Check a chosen solution based on the given properties.
  • Handle increasing complexity in 2 × 2, 3 × 3 and 4 × 4 tables.
• Classifying and organizing
  • Group images based on a common characteristic.
  • Take more than one property into account when organizing images.
  • Select an image that belongs to both a specific row and a specific column.
  • Recognize that one image can have multiple properties at the same time.
  • Distinguish relevant characteristics from characteristics that are not important for the task.
  • Adjust a classification when a different criterion is used.
• Spatial orientation and structuring
  • Navigate within a grid with rows, columns and individual cells.
  • Understand the relationship between a row, a column and their intersection.
  • Place an image in the correct position within a two-dimensional structure.
  • Purposefully compare and distinguish positions within a grid.
  • Functionally use and understand concepts such as above, below, left, right, row, column and cell.
  • Navigate a visual structure clearly and systematically.
• Number sense
  • Recognize and distinguish concrete quantities.
  • Match quantities with appropriate number representations or numerals when these are used as a criterion.
  • Relate different representations of the same quantity to one another.
  • Compare and classify number representations, numerals and concrete quantities.
  • Use numerical properties as a criterion within a double-entry table.
• Visual perception and pattern recognition
  • Focus on characteristics of images and distinguish details from one another.
  • Visually recognize and compare shapes, colors, sizes, patterns and orientations.
  • Recognize regularity and recurring characteristics within rows and columns.
  • Analyze visual information to determine which image belongs in a particular position.
  • Focus attention on multiple visual characteristics simultaneously.
• Language development
  • Expand vocabulary related to properties such as color, shape, size, pattern, direction, quantity and position.
  • Understand concepts used to describe similarities and differences.
  • Understand simple oral instructions related to classifying, comparing and placing.
  • Name and describe properties of objects and images.
  • Explain why an image belongs to a particular combination of characteristics.
  • Functionally use mathematical concepts such as row, column, cell, same, different, larger, smaller, above, below, left and right.
• Problem-solving and independent thinking
  • Approach a task step by step and use an appropriate problem-solving strategy.
  • Examine the characteristics before placing an image.
  • Check a choice based on both criteria.
  • Recognize an error and adjust a solution when an image does not meet both conditions.
  • Analyze and solve a double-entry table with increasing independence.
  • Maintain attention and concentration during a multi-step task.
• Digital literacy
  • Use a digital application purposefully.
  • Perform drag-and-drop actions to place images in the correct cell of a grid.
  • Use digital feedback to check a solution and adjust it if necessary.
  • Work independently or with guidance on an interactive mathematical exercise.
• Motor development
  • Practice fine motor skills by purposefully dragging and dropping images.
  • Strengthen hand-eye coordination when using a mouse, touchscreen or interactive whiteboard.
  • Accurately place an image within a defined cell of a grid.
  • Act purposefully and with control within a digital environment.

QR code

You can use the downloadable QR code below to navigate directly to this app.