If you have a child who loves sports, constantly bounces around the room, or simply hates sitting at a desk to do worksheets, teaching early reading and math can feel like an uphill battle.
Active children learn best when they are moving and using their hands. Staring at flashcards or tracing numbers on a piece of paper just doesn't capture their attention. You know they need to practice their sight words, CVC words, and counting, but making it feel like a chore only leads to frustration for both of you.
You need an activity that channels their energy into something productive—a game that feels like pure playtime but actually sneaks in a ton of heavy-lifting academic work.
Sensory bins are a parent and teacher's best friend! A sensory bin is simply a small tub filled with a tactile material (like dry beans, rice, kinetic sand, or shredded paper) and hidden learning items.
Our Feed the Basketball Math and Literacy Center takes this concept and adds a fun, sporty twist. You attach the printable basketball hoop or basketball character to an empty box with a hole cut out for the "mouth" or "hoop." Then, you bury our printable task cards inside your sensory bin.
Your little learner gets to dig through the sensory bin to find a card. When they pull it out, they have to identify the letter, read the word, or call out the shape before they get to "feed" it to the basketball! It adds physical movement, sensory feedback, and a rewarding goal to everyday learning.
We wanted to make sure this activity could grow with your child, whether they are just learning their colors or they are already reading full words. This massive, 71-page freebie is packed with a huge variety of learning goals:
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Early Literacy: Practice Alphabet Recognition (uppercase and lowercase).
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Kindergarten Reading: Master CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) Words and Fry 1st Sight Words.
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Math Foundations: Identify Numbers 1-100, practice Number Words (1-30), and complete interactive Counting Activities.
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Basic Concepts: Master Colors and Shapes with bright, easy-to-read task cards.
With 71 pages of cards to choose from, you can easily swap out the learning goals every single week to keep the game feeling brand new!
Ready to turn your kitchen table or classroom into a learning court? We have this complete 71-page math and literacy center ready for you to download absolutely free.
Just download the file, print your target task cards, cut out your basketball, and get ready to play!
If your child absolutely loves the "Feed Me" style of learning, playing with just the basketball will eventually lose its magic. Keep the excitement going by rotating out the characters!
Our Themed Feed Me Mini Bundle includes a variety of adorable, hungry characters ready to eat your sensory bin task cards. It is the perfect way to refresh your literacy and math centers throughout the year without having to learn a completely new game!
👉 Click here to grab the Themed Feed Me Mini Bundle Sensory Bin Center today!
Tired of piecing together your lesson plans one download at a time? Let us do the planning for you.
Our Monthly Crafted Membership (Preschool & Kindergarten Collection) gives you instant access to our entire library of high-quality, zero-prep games, sensory bin centers, crafts, and worksheets. You get fresh, exciting activities every month for one low price, saving you hours of late-night prep work.
👉 Click here to learn more and join the Monthly Crafted Membership!
What should I use to fill my sensory bin? The options are endless! For a low-mess bin, dry black beans, dry pasta, or rolled oats work perfectly. If you don't want to use food, try shredded crinkle paper, pompoms, or kinetic sand!
How do I make the task cards last longer? Because kids will be digging these cards out of rice or sand, we highly recommend printing the 71 pages of task cards on thick cardstock. If you want them to be indestructible, run them through a laminator before cutting them out.
Is this center appropriate for a kindergarten classroom? Yes! Because this file includes advanced skills like CVC words, Fry sight words, and numbers up to 100, it is perfect for differentiating instruction in a kindergarten or 1st-grade classroom.
You don't need boring worksheets to teach early math and literacy. By combining a sensory bin with a fun, goal-oriented game, you will have your child begging to practice their reading and counting!
Download your free 71-page basketball center today, set up your sensory bin, and watch the learning take off!
👉 Take the stress out of teaching—Grab the Themed Feed Me Mini Bundle here!