As a parent, you play a key role in building your preschooler’s math skills to set them up for math success in elementary school and beyond. But math doesn’t need to be tedious for little learners. Preschoolers can develop essential early math skills through fun, engaging everyday activities.
In this blog, we’ll explore 10 playful ways to support your preschooler’s overall development at home through fun, engaging everyday activities. You’ll discover how to involve your preschooler in cooking, reading, playing games, and more, which can support important skills like counting, sorting, recognizing shapes, and understanding patterns. Follow these tips to confidently boost your preschooler’s math learning in ways they’ll love.
- Count everything
Take opportunities throughout the day to count objects with your preschooler. Count stairs, toys, food items, birds at the park, etc. Make counting a natural part of your conversations and playtime with your kids.
- Compare sizes
Use descriptive words like big/small, tall/short, long/wide, etc. to compare objects. Ask questions like, “Which tower is taller?” This builds skills in spatial relations and size comparisons.
- Sort objects
Encourage sorting by size, shape, color, and other attributes. Sorting helps preschoolers identify patterns and categorize objects. Provide blocks or other items to sort in different containers.
- Play board games
Simple games like Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, and Hi-Ho Cherry-O allow preschoolers to count spaces, recognize numbers, and take turns. This teaches counting, numerical sequencing, and shape recognition.
- Sing counting songs
The repetitive nature of counting songs helps preschoolers memorize number sequences and sequential patterns. Songs like 5 Little Ducks and 5 Little Monkeys are fun activities for math practice.
- Read picture books
Many picture books use numbers, shapes, patterns, and counting concepts. Spotting these math references while reading helps build awareness and exposure. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic example.
- Cook together
Cooking involves an understanding of texture, smells, size comparisons, and counting. Let preschoolers add ingredients, taste and smell, and observe transformations. Describe the processes you are demonstrating.
- Play math games
Roll dice and move counting bears along a number path—practice number recognition with memory cards. Or go on a shape hunt inside and outside your home.
- Engage in arts and crafts
Craft activities like bead stringing, painting shapes, and connecting dots help strengthen fine motor skills and shape knowledge. Describe shapes and patterns as you craft together.
- Incorporate math into daily routines
Count each food item on their plate, the number of stairs to bed, their age using fingers, etc. Integrating math language into daily activities provides support for learning.
Following these tips will give your preschooler a strong foundation in early math. Engage their curiosity through play-based activities that naturally build math skills at their own pace. With your encouragement, preschoolers will gain confidence in math and develop a lifelong love for discovery and learning.
If you’re looking for more structured ways to build strong math skills in your preschooler, check out the i-Maths website.
i-Maths employs engaging and interactive lessons to teach young children essential math topics such as addition, subtraction, counting, shapes, patterns, and more. The programme was specifically created by specialists to correspond with the school curriculum. This engaging program brings math to life through stories, games, and hands-on activities that make learning math fun!
With i-Maths, you can:
- Foster a love of math in your preschooler from an early age
- Encourage math skills mastery through repetitive, multi-sensory lessons
- Track your child’s progress with award certificates upon lesson completion
- Access to i-Maths kits and resources to supplement learning
Give your preschooler the best head start in math with the proven i-Maths program. Learn more about how i-Maths can help build a strong foundation of early math skills your child will use for life.
Enroll your child in i-Maths today to find the right program for your little math whiz!