Simple Preschool Math Activities

I’ve written before about how easy it is to build early preschool math skills as you play with the kids. And here’s another fun and playful way to incorporate math into your little ones’ lives. (This is probably an activity best suited for kids on the older side–3 or 4 and up.)

This activity is full of math skills. Skills like recognizing numbers, one-to-one correspondence, counting practice… Of course the most important thing to keep in mind is that it has to be fun! So if it isn’t, toss it!

The Details

Here’s what you need:
1. 1-10 toy cars (Start off with just a few until you see where the skill level is. Let’s not cause frustration!)
2. 1-10 post it notes or pieces of paper, each with a number written on it.
3. 1-10 post it notes or pieces of paper, each with 1-10 dots on it.
4. Some space and time for fun!

How you specifically play the game will depend on whether you’re working with a small group of children, or just one-on-one. So, here’s the basic concept:

*Everyone gets a car.
*The papers with the numbers on them are spread out or lined up randomly (or in numerical order) on the floor. These are the Parking Spaces.
*Everyone picks or is given a paper with dots on it. Count the dots on the paper, find the parking space with the corresponding number on it, drive your car to that space, and park it!

If your kids just aren’t at this level yet, it’s fine! Expose them to numbers with puzzles, books, etc. And count with them often. Also, point out numbers in the world, and then count so they understand that numbers represent quantity. Here’s a link to my Pinterest Board on Math and Science books. But you can count things all around you, or in any book your child loves!