Engaging Math Activities For Toddlers to Inspire Love of Learning

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Is your little ready to start math activities for toddlers? Or are you looking for new inspiration to teach early numeracy? Look no further! These activities are great for toddlers of all ages and at all ability levels.

Math Activities for Toddlers

Kinesthetic Counting

My daughter could count to ten before she was eighteen months, and I have her grandma to thank for it! Every time they walked up and down the steps, my mom would count each step: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… This simple act of repetition stuck and became her norm. She is now over two years old and everytime we walk up and down the steps, she expects the counting. Not only does she expect it, but she is counting the steps herself, beyond ten! Finding fun ways to integrate counting into your daily routine will give your little the repetition they need to master this skill.

Here are a few easy, fun ways to integrate counting math activities for toddlers into your daily routine:

  • Count each step as you walk up and down the stairs
  • Hop inside or outside counting each hop as you go. Hop along tile, patterns on your floor, from stone to stone, or crack to crack.
  • Count claps or high fives
  • Create x’s on the floor with masking tape. Challenge your little to count as they step from one x to the next. Add different movements, like hopping like a frog, walking like a gorilla, waddling like a duck, or create a new movement for their favorite animal

One-to-One Correspondence

One-to-one correspondence is the ability to assign one number to one object and only count it once. For my daughter, this came after she was able to count outloud, but the learning journey is different for all children. One-to-one correspondence can happen alongside learning to say number words. Once again, we find easy ways to integrate practicing one-to-one correspondence into our daily lives. The first time I remember her being able to assign numbers to objects accurately was with a batch of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies! We had measured, mixed and prepared the cookies together, eagerly waiting as the delicious aroma filled the household. As soon as I took them out of the oven and transferred them to the cooling rack, she wanted to take a look. “Should we count them!?” She exclaimed. Pointer finger outstretched she pointed to four cookies and individually counted them. I was so proud! And knew she was ready for more one-to-one correspondence activities.

Here are a few easy, fun ways to integrate one-to-one correspondence math activities for toddlers into your daily routine:

  • Place your hand over or under your little’s and count their favorite toy by pointing: blocks, hot wheels cars, baby dolls, or anything else!
  • Physically move items from one place to another: take their favorite dump trucks outside and count rocks as you move them in and out of the dump trucks. Sort rocks by color, size, texture or other characteristics you observe together.
  • Count blocks as you build a tower.
  • On holidays, count Halloween candy, feathers on a turkey craft, and candy canes on the Christmas tree
  • Anytime you and your toddler are assigning numbers to objects, you are practicing one-to-one correspondence.

Number Recognition Math Activities for Toddlers

One of my favorite activities to do with my toddler is read books. We have been reading books since she was a baby. I build my library from thrift stores, library book sales, and thriftbooks.com. Around two years old, she started recognizing numbers and letters. One of her favorite places to examine numbers in on license plates in parking lots. When we are at a trailhead in a dirt parking lot, she will wander from one car to the next, pointing out the numbers and letters she can recognize. It is a fun way for her to apply what she is learning at home in different settings.

Here are a few easy, fun ways to integrate number recognition math activities for toddlers into your daily routine:

  • When you are reading books, point to the page numbers and name them. When numbers appear in the text, point to them as you read them.
  • Buy or make magnetic numbers and play with them on the refrigerator or other magnetized surface. Let your little take them on and off the fridge. Place them in correct order and count them. Let your little rip them all off and mess up the order!
  • Make or buy number flash cards. Get them out with your playdoh, and roll the playdoh out into long “snakes” to trace over the numbers.
  • Write and count with sidewalk chalk, paint and bathtub paint.
  • Encourage your little to recognize numbers when you are out of the house, wherever they see them!
Math Activities for Toddlers

Shapes, Patterns, Size and Quantity Math Activities for Toddlers

Shapes and patterns are everywhere! Start to recognize and name them with your little. Beyond shapes and patterns, size and quantity are also a part of our daily lives

Here are a few easy, fun ways to integrate shapes, patterns, size and quantity math activities for toddlers into your daily routine:

  • Look for shapes in their toys and name them. Encourage your little to do the same.
  • Create patterns with their food, blocks or any other toys. Point out the pattern and encourage them to continue building the pattern themselves.
  • When you are playing with shape toys (magnatiles, blocks, etc), name the shapes as you are playing.
  • Compare objects that are large to objects that are small. This is great to do inside with toys and outside with rocks and sticks.
  • Center your dinner table conversation around one of these ideas. Who has more peas on their plate? Daddy or little? Who has a larger piece of lasagna? Mommy or little? Whose cup is bigger? Big sister’s or little brother’s?

Tips for how to extend the fun…