Noticing Numbers

Math is everywhere! Increase your child's awareness of numbers and their many uses, by pointing them out. A few simple idea for home, for waiting in a restaurant, or to try in the car.

For 2-3 year olds: Have a number hunt. Look around the house to find numbers. How many can you find? Check food packages, clocks, shoes...everything!

For 3-5 year olds: Once your child shows an interest in writing, add a twist to the number hunt above by asking her to make a list of all the numbers she finds. Or create a new challenge by naming the number and then seeing how many examples of that number your child can locate.

For 5-6 year olds: Move on to a newspaper based number hunt. Point out the many useful things numbers can show us. What times are movies playing? What is the temperature going to be like today? Who won the Red Sox game? What day is it today? How much do apples cost? Give your child a newspaper based job. He can help the whole family by checking the weather every morning and reporting to the family.