Things for Thursday-Counting Fun

These are my counting beads. The kids get to try and line them up in order. Descending and ascending. I made them myself with my stash of beads. I chose to do each line in one color so that we can use these for color activities as well.
The older children, I actually have them put them in order by counting them. I think it's a great way for kids to visually see which number is bigger. What line is longer? That one has the most beads on it. I will grab a few out of the pack, line them up and ask which one is longer. Then, we count how many beads they each have.
This is another fun game to help them visualize one number being "bigger" than the other one.
Sorry for this picture, my battery was dying! I first have the kids put the correct number of beads into each cup. Then, we line all the cups up in order. Then, I will grab a few at a time and have them guess which one is bigger by saying, "which cup do you think has more beads?". Then, we count them and look at the number on the cup as we say what the number is. I change out what I put in these cups. You could do Candy Corn at Halloween time, Flower petals in May, Acorns in November, candies at Birthdays (sprinkles even), rice, etc! Another variation of this is to have all the items in a bowl. Then, use tweezers, fingers, tongs, chopsticks or some other utensil to pick up the items and move them into their cups. This helps with motor control as well as math concepts. What are ways you guys have used these kinds of tools with your own children?
Rebecca