Open Discussion Forum

Hi, Tomika,

Math for 3s and 4s is so much fun! You might like Straw Triangles. All you need to explore shapes with your 3s and 4s are straws, clay or playdough, and a pair of scissors. Children cut straws to different lengths and then roll small balls of clay to join three straws, forming a triangle. Or try Birthday Candle Counting. All you need is playdough, cupcake cups, digit candles, and cake candles. To play, roll a ball of playdough and place in the bottom of each cupcake cup. Stick a digit candle in each cup. Children poke the correct number of cake candles to match the digit. This activity helps children learn the counting sequence (the order the numbers go in) and one-to-one correspondence (saying one number word for each item counted). 

Hope this helps! For more ideas, join the NAEYC Early Math Interest Forum. We have virtual meet ups where we share lots of teaching ideas, book studies, and webinars. We'd love to have you join us!

Hi there

Is it games that you are looking for, or ways to make maths playful? THis toolkit is great to get you thinking along ways to develop mathematical thinking through play https://play.toddleapp.com/resource-post/making-mathematics-playful-a-toolkit/ and is free to download. Some great book recommendations too - you can share a story together then provoke playful maths inquiry from that...

Would love to know if you tried anything!
Lisa

Hi, Tomika,

Math for 3s and 4s is so much fun! You might like Straw Triangles. All you need to explore shapes with your 3s and 4s are straws, clay or playdough, and a pair of scissors. Children cut straws to different lengths and then roll small balls of clay to join three straws, forming a triangle. Or try Birthday Candle Counting. All you need is playdough, cupcake cups, digit candles, and cake candles. To play, roll a ball of playdough and place in the bottom of each cupcake cup. Stick a digit candle in each cup. Children poke the correct number of cake candles to match the digit. This activity helps children learn the counting sequence (the order the numbers go in) and one-to-one correspondence (saying one number word for each item counted). 

Hope this helps! For more ideas, join the NAEYC Early Math Interest Forum. We have virtual meet ups where we share lots of teaching ideas, book studies, and webinars. We'd love to have you join us!

Hi Lisa - check out the Problem Solvers free math curriculum from ZERO TO THREE at: www.zerotothree.org/problemsolvers - there are 22 play-based math activities for toddlers/preschoolers along with 22 songs/music activities and book suggestions as well. :)  Happy Math!

Hi there

Is it games that you are looking for, or ways to make maths playful? THis toolkit is great to get you thinking along ways to develop mathematical thinking through play https://play.toddleapp.com/resource-post/making-mathematics-playful-a-toolkit/ and is free to download. Some great book recommendations too - you can share a story together then provoke playful maths inquiry from that...

Would love to know if you tried anything!
Lisa

Hi, Tomika,

Math for 3s and 4s is so much fun! You might like Straw Triangles. All you need to explore shapes with your 3s and 4s are straws, clay or playdough, and a pair of scissors. Children cut straws to different lengths and then roll small balls of clay to join three straws, forming a triangle. Or try Birthday Candle Counting. All you need is playdough, cupcake cups, digit candles, and cake candles. To play, roll a ball of playdough and place in the bottom of each cupcake cup. Stick a digit candle in each cup. Children poke the correct number of cake candles to match the digit. This activity helps children learn the counting sequence (the order the numbers go in) and one-to-one correspondence (saying one number word for each item counted). 

Hope this helps! For more ideas, join the NAEYC Early Math Interest Forum. We have virtual meet ups where we share lots of teaching ideas, book studies, and webinars. We'd love to have you join us!