Ladybug in a Jar Dice Activity

Bug in a Jar: Early Math & Fine Motor Game

Get your young learners excited about counting, color recognition, and subitising with this hands-on Bug in a Jar game! Perfect for Early Years and Foundation Phase, this low-prep activity turns essential math practice into an engaging race to fill a bug jar.

Whether used in math centers, small groups, or for fine motor practice, this resource is easy to set up and fun to play!

What’s Included

• 4 Jar Mats with colorful lids (Red, Teal/Blue, Yellow, and Purple). Each jar features 19 empty circles to fill.
• 4 Cut-Out Bug Sheets with matching Red, Teal, Yellow, and Purple ladybugs.
• 2 Printable Dice Templates:
• 1 Number Die (1–6 pips for quick visual counting)
• 1 Color & Action Die (Red, Teal, Yellow, Purple, "Lose a Turn", and "Roll Twice")

How to Play

1. Each player picks a jar mat with their favorite color lid.
2. Players take turns rolling both dice together.
3. Check your roll:

• The Number Die shows how many bugs to take (1–6).
• The Color Die tells you which color bug to grab!

1. If you roll your jar's color, collect your bugs and place them in your jar. Watch out for special sides like Lose a Turn or Roll Twice!
2. The first player to fill all 19 spots in their jar with their matching bugs wins!

Fun Ways to Customize & Adapt

• Fine Motor Upgrades: Ditch the paper cutouts! Use colored pom-poms with plastic tweezers, dot markers (daubers), or mini bug erasers to build fine motor control.
• Math Differentiation:
• Subitising Practice: Help children recognize pip patterns on the number die without counting each dot one by one.
• Exact Count Rule: Challenge older learners by requiring an exact roll to fill the remaining empty spots in their jar.
• Cooperative Play: Work as a team! Have learners work together to fill one single jar before the timer runs out.