Math Activities
Here are some ideas and activities that will support our math program.
1. Sort and classify objects
What's My Rule
You will need small objects such as buttons, toys, money, keys, bottle tops, shells etc.
In this example I will use buttons you may use any object you have.
Take a handful of buttons. Think of a rule, such as buttons with 4 holes. Say " I'm thinking of a rule. Can you read my mind? I'll put something in the sorting space and you try to guess my rule. [put a four hole button in the sorting space]. What do you think? Add one button at a time until your child guesses the rule. Now have your child think of a rule and you try to guess his or her rule. Next put down one button and ask, "Does this fit the rule, why or why not?"
2. Count everything! You can count small groups of objects or count large groups of objects. We are studying numbers to 200 but you can go higher. Is 45 bigger or small than 22. How do you know? What number comes before 54? What number comes after 89? What number comes between 18 and 20? Count by ones, twos, fives and tens.
3. Play Guess My Number
Give 2 or 3 clues about the number. Here are a few examples.
 | It is bigger than 10, it has a 7 in the ones place and it is smaller than 18. What's my number? [17] |
| If you count by 2's you will find my number, it has only one digit, it is smaller than 6 and bigger than 2. What's my number? |
4. Play mental math games. Add 10 +1, now add 10 +2, now add 10 +3, do you see a pattern? How can one problem help you solve the others?
5. Notice numbers everywhere and talk about them. What do these numbers mean, why are they here, what do you know about this number? Encourage your child to use math vocabulary [digits, numbers, addition, sum, subtraction, difference, shapes, angles, sides, fractions, data, graph, unit of measurement
6. Measure objects, talk about the unit of measurement being used, measure length, width, and liquids. Cook together. What happens to the measurement if you double the recipe? If you need 1/2 of the recipe?
7. Count money.
8. Tell time to the hour and the half hour. What time will it be in 1 hour?
9. What is Missing.
Place 3 to 6 objects on the table. Say the name of each object as you place it on the table. Ask your child to name each object. Have your child close his or her eyes. Remove one object. Now let your child see what is left. What is missing. After a couple of guesses give clues like "It is red." Now it is your turn to close your eyes and your child removes an object. Think out loud as you make your guess. "Let's see, I remember there was something with wheels." You can increase the difficulty of the game by increasing the number of objects or by decreasing the differences between the objects. for example use only matchbox cars.
10. Have fun.
11. A wonderful reference book is Comparing Family Math for Young Children by Grace Davila Coates and Jean Kerr Stenmark. Activities 1 and 9 came from this book.