When it comes to maths and number recognition it can often be difficult finding ways to teach preschoolers and toddlers. Especially in a way they will find it fun. So I am constantly trying to find new ways of making numbers and counting fun for my daughter to learn.
This activity is a simple number task, where kids have to count the animals and find the number to match. Sounds easy to us right? But even if your child can count to 10 with ease, recognizing numbers can be a whole new ball game.
That is where we are at right now with my 4 year old. So I thought we would try this little game to test her thinking skills.
Counting With Cards
All you need for this activity are some counting cards with pictures on one side and numbers on the other side. Our cards have animals on them.
You can usually get these cards from your local dollar/pound store. They are a good learning tool for preschoolers and have so many possibilities for games.
We used some plastic numbers that we also purchased from our local dollar store. For this activity we only worked to 10 but if you have more numbers and your child is willing, you can go higher than 10.
I started by picking a card at random and asking my daughter to count the animals on the card. I also asked her what the animal was. She’s pretty spot on with her animals but this would be a good addition to the game for younger children.
My daughter really surprised me. She actually recognized most of the numbers. She did struggle with a couple of them, but with practise it will become more familiar to her.
Toddlers and preschoolers are like little sponges and soak in every bit of learning. This is good to remember for the following lesson time.
Counting In Sequence
Because I asked my daughter which numbers to find at random, we finished by putting them in order at the end.
This was good practice not only for counting in sequence but also for her to see the numbers in the right order when counting.
A simple yet clever and fun way for your preschooler to learn their numbers.
- You can also do this using letters. Have your child find the letter that goes with sound of the animals name.
- These cards can be used for memory games or even just naming the animals and making their sounds.
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