Like you, we know the importance of teaching children through play. In fact, children experience many learning opportunities while playing. Just think: they naturally mathematize everyday activities, such as building with blocks, creating art, singing songs, and working puzzles.
That’s why Connect4Learning finds opportunities to teach and explore math concepts with children in everyday play and activities.
Share the following at-home activity with families to demonstrate how teaching and learning math can be fun, active and educational.
Children are natural-born explorers who learn best through play. Did you know they can learn about an important preschool math skill— geometric shapes—while playing?
Try it out by taking your child for a shape walk—or hop!
Because children naturally see shapes in nature and objects all around them, you can encourage them to closely observe differences in shapes, including the number and length of sides and angles.
Name two or three shapes and ask your child to step on them in the correct order. Example: Square – triangle.
Encourage your child to continue playing the game with siblings, stuffed animals, action figures, or dolls. And, you can provide your child with straws, strips of paper or string, popsicle sticks, or other materials to make more geometric shapes.