How To Introduce Counting To Your Toddler In Fun & Exciting Ways!
The surrounding world is a fascinating and complex place, jammed-packed with new adventures and lessons that envelope our conscience. Now try to remember what this world is like as a 2 year old - how exciting and rewarding it is when behind every door awaits a new concept and lesson to be learned.
But with new experiences comes the need to learn new skills to express and share what we have learned to those that surround us - otherwise we become frustrated. Speech is one of the fundamental communication essentials that allow us to express what we are thinking, feel, want and need. The ability to numerically quantify a volume, or count, is another. It helps us make sense and communicate what we want.
Make Counting Exciting With Interactive Multi-Sensory Games
Toddlers may find learning to count a challenging experience. Playing, however, is fun and exciting and provides the predominate activity to learn. Joining the dots between the two helps your little one engage with counting and enjoy the discovery of each new step and each new number. Creating interactive games that build the recognition of number patterns whilst growing multi-sensory skills help make learning intriguing and impelling.Our Favourite DIY Counting Games
1.Sticks & Plasticine / Sand
Bring the outdoors in or adventure to the beach by creating a simple stick counting game. Make the game more challenging by creating different sized holes in a wooden block, improving your child's hand / eye coordination and decision making skills.
2. Homemade Counting Cards
Break out the pens or paint and craft counting cards with your toddler, letting them choose the design and shape (however abstract this may be!). Order the cards and play matching games with animals or objects from the world that surrounds them to expand their vocabulary. To get started check out these free printable "Match & Count" cards (courtesty of PowerfulMothering.com).3. Buttons!
Raid the sewing kit and dig out the buttons, creating patterns and ordering in colour sequences. Safety is always a priority so supervision is really important to make sure they remain on the mat and not in their mouth!
4. Make Bath Time Count
Foam numbers float, stick to tiles and help to make bath time a space to learn.5. Get Active with A Chalk Hopscotch
Draw out a hopscotch and count each step. As your child develops get them to add the numbers together as they hop between the steps.
