You and your child will make a cereal (or pasta) necklace. The goal of this activity is to identify the steps to make the necklace and put them in order. These step-by-step plans can be helpful in everyday situations; for instance, step-by-step instructions are very helpful when we put together toys, cook recipes, or follow directions to get from one point to the other.
Introduce the activity.
Work together to identify the materials and steps to make the necklace (see example below).
Work together to put the steps in order.
Make the necklace. Provide support as needed as your child works. When the necklace is complete, review the steps to make the necklace and notice what happened first, next, and so on. That’s your algorithm!
[NOTE: Children may naturally gravitate to make patterns with the cereal or pasta using different colors or shapes. If they do, point out the patterns and discuss them.]