We’ve been working a lot on letters and phonics here lately, but have done more counting-based activities for numbers. I figured it was probably time to get at least my oldest preschooler associating what he counts with the number itself, so we decided to do a simple DIY number-matching activity.
This is really pretty versatile, you can start by helping your child recognize which number goes with which amount of dots, then move onto simple addition and etc.
#1 loves showing both me and Daddy how he can mix them up and then sort them out. Sometimes he leaves everything in one pile, and sometimes he puts the dots in one and the numbers in another… He also likes to put the piles in order–first one dot, then two dots, then three… Etc. He narrates this himself, being 4 and all (anyone who has ever been around a 4-year-old, you know what I’m talking about), but if your child doesn’t, encourage them to–it reinforces what they’re learning. :)
I just cut up a sheet of 8-1/2″ x 11″ printer paper and drew the numbers and dots for the initial activity, but I’m also including a printable that’s a bit better-looking. ;) If you don’t have a printer, though, you can see it’s super easy to recreate this yourself. It took me about 10 minutes tops.
The printable has numbers 1-10 but we added 0 for our activity (totally optional, I just wanted #1 to grasp this concept as well).
And while you’re at it, follow us on Pinterest for more great ideas!
If you’re looking for more learning activities, check out this Pinterest board–I’m always adding more engaging, educational things you can do at home with your kiddos. :)
Thank you for this – just what my sensory seeker needs!