Colour x numeral (4x4): Balloon parade

Colour x digit (4x4): Balloon Parade – practise colours, digits and a double-entry table through play.

Welcome to the cheerful balloon parade! In this interactive preschool activity, children learn to sort images in a double-entry table. The activity consists of a 4x4 matrix in which each balloon must be dragged to the correct position. Children look at two features at the same time: the colour of the balloon and the digit that belongs to it.

The rows of the table are organised according to four colours: red, blue, green and yellow. The columns are organised according to the digits 1, 2, 3 and 4. To place each balloon correctly, children need to combine both properties. For example, a red balloon with the digit 2 belongs in the red row and in the column for the digit 2. In this way, preschoolers discover step by step how a double-entry table works.

This 4x4 matrix activity encourages logical thinking, classification and ordering. Preschoolers learn to look carefully, compare features and apply two conditions at the same time. They practise concepts such as row, column, colour, digit, same, different and correct position. This helps them develop important early mathematical skills.

Digit recognition also receives plenty of attention. Children learn to recognise the written forms of the digits 1, 2, 3 and 4 and distinguish them from one another. Combining these digits with the colours red, blue, green and yellow creates a challenging sorting activity that continuously engages visual perception, concentration and logical reasoning.

In addition, this free educational app supports language development. The activity includes plenty of spoken support, allowing preschoolers not only to see words and concepts but also to hear them. By looking, listening and acting, concepts such as colours, digits, rows, columns and positions are practised naturally and remembered more effectively.

Thanks to the simple drag-and-drop controls, children also practise their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and digital skills. Dragging the balloons to the correct square requires accuracy and encourages children to try independently, check their work and think again when necessary.

This educational matrix activity is ideal for preschool teachers, support teachers, parents and caregivers who want to work playfully on double-entry tables, colour recognition, digit recognition, sorting, classification, logical thinking, visual discrimination, vocabulary development and digital literacy.

Let preschoolers join the colourful balloon parade and discover how much fun it can be to combine colours and digits in a 4x4 table. In this way, they build a strong foundation for mathematical understanding, language and logical reasoning through play.

In the online activity log, parents and teachers can easily check afterwards which apps were played 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.