Get ready to turn playtime into learning time—without your kids even realizing it!
At Silverwood’s Critter Camp, your little one will go on a colorful adventure that’s secretly packed with early math skills. It’s the perfect mix of fun and learning, right in the best spot for tots!
Your child will go on a Critter Color Hunt—a playful twist on “I Spy” with a mathy spin! They’ll be spotting red, yellow, and green things all around Critter Camp, keeping track of how many they find, sorting by color, and then graphing their discoveries.
It’s counting, sorting, comparing—and loads of fun—all rolled into one quick and simple activity during your visit!
This learning lab can be done on the move, in line, while taking a snack break or eating lunch.
If your tot is anything like mine, they’ll spend their whole day spotting colors with excitement!
Be sure to check out the extensions section, where I’ve made a similar lesson, but instead of graphing colors, kids are on the hunt for three specific objects that can be found in Critter Camp!
Here’s the lesson:
? Critter Color Hunt & Graph
Theme: Colorful Critters at Critter Camp
Target Age: Ages 2-6
Time: 30-40 min.
Setting: Silverwood Theme Park – Critter Camp
Materials:
- Attached bar graph (printed)
- Red, yellow, and green stickers or colored tokens (ex: Uno cards, cut up pieces of colored paper or anything that the child can physically hold on to that red, yellow, and green)
- Crayon or pencil
? Learning Target
I can find and sort colorful animals and objects I see at Critter Camp.
Objective
Children will:
- Explore Critter Camp to find animals or objects in red, yellow, or green.
- Sort findings by color.
- Represent what they find using a hands-on visual graph.
Activity Directions:
Introduce the Activity: (< 5 min)
Introduce the activity by telling kids they’re going on a Critter Color Hunt! Ask them to look for colorful animals and objects—like frogs, birds, rides, or signs—around Critter Camp.
Activity: (30 min)
- Find It!
Look around Critter Camp together and point out anything red, yellow, or green—like rides, signs, animals, or decorations. - Track It!
Each time your child finds a color, give them a matching sticker or token to collect.
Alternative: If your little one has a hard time holding onto so many items, or this sounds like a logistical nightmare, you can create tally marks to keep track as they point out objects in the various colors.
- Graph It!
Take a break at a picnic table or shady spot (the Quiet Garden is a great spot!). Use the included graph sheet to sort and count what they found. Either:
- Stick the stickers directly in the columns
- Color in boxes with crayons
- Line up the tokens or other objects you used in the columns
- Talk About It!
Discuss:
- “Which color did we find the most?”
- “Which color did we find the least of?”
- “What was red?” “What was green? What was yellow?”
- “Can we find one more yellow thing?”
- “If we come back, which color do you think we’ll see the most next time? Why?”
Extensions:
- Make a line graph: Instead of a bar graph, make a line graph
- Choose your own categories to hunt and graph (ex: # of coasters, # of spin rides, # water rides, rider height requirements)
- Tally marks: Have kids (with your help if needed) make tally marks for each color object they find. Then when you sit down to do the graph they can graph the corresponding number
An alternative to this lesson can be found here. This is a hunt that takes place in Critter Camp as well, but kids are looking for animal tracks, flags, and birdhouses instead of colors.
MEET THE CONDUCTOR
I’m Bri, a “stay-at-home mom,” though I’m hardly ever at home! My routine involves getting out of the house every morning by 10 a.m. with my kids to go play in our community. Honestly, I’d go crazy if I stayed home all day. There are too many opportunities in our area to miss out on and too many life experiences to have outside the house!
A little background: I’m a former teacher and school administrator who started staying home in 2022 after our first son was born. In those roles, I was often called the “energy bunny” because I loved making learning fun for my students and bringing joy to my staff as a vice principal. Despite juggling many tasks, I always had plenty of energy and wanted to make the most of each day. Becoming a mom was a game-changer in the best way. Teaching and administration had been my life, but I knew I wanted to stay home with my kids, and I’m so grateful I can! My hobbies—gardening, skiing, wakeboarding, camping, sewing, and anything outdoors—had to shift as I learned how to incorporate a baby into my activities.
I quickly immersed myself in the “mom” community and found myself naturally stepping into an organizing role. In the summer of 2024, Playtopia was born when I started hosting playdates and larger public events, like park building activities, art sessions, and STEAM nights. What began as small get-togethers with friends, grew into a place for families to connect with one another and build community.
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