Let me begin by explaining that I teach this in SMALL GROUP during my guided math time. After I teach it in small group I put this in my math choice area. My students LOVE doing this activity!
Here what you'll need:
1. Make a rainbow abacus: 6 pony beads (in rainbow order) on a coffee straw.
2. Print recording sheet.
To Play:
1. Students push all the beads to one side leaving the purple bead closest to their thumb and the pink bead in the middle. Count all the beads. Discuss that you have 6 beads and you will be finding ways to make the number 6 using addition.
2. Move the pink bead over to the other side. Count how many beads are on each side. Color the matching addition sentence the same color as the bead you move. For example, you moves the pink bead first, so you color the top rainbow that says '1 + 5 = 6' pink.
3. Continue with each color until students have completed the rainbow.
This activity is part of my Unicorn Math Packet. You can get it