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20 Math Activities for Toddlers

Toddlers are at the perfect age to start learning through play. Math games with counting toys or playing constructors are some of the best ways to introduce math concepts.

Of course, learning numbers and new theories may not be fun but it’s possible to find creative math activities for toddlers to enjoy. In this article, you’ll get tips on mathematics activities for toddlers and their usage in practice.

What activities can boost toddlers’ math skills?

To boost your child’s development in math, you have to spend time with the toddler, playing interesting games and doing interactive exercises. Also, you can turn to independent specialists to analyze the child’s level of knowledge and create a learning plan. Many modern educational platforms, e.g., Brighterly, can help you and provide study resources, techniques, and, most importantly, an individual approach.

Best math activities for toddlers

• Giant shape match math activity for toddlers
• Marshmallow challenge math activity for toddlers
• Toddler math activity: snowball math game
• Shape hunt
• Mathematic for toddlers with domino
• Calendar learning activity
• Blocks building
• Math apps and interactive games

These 8 concepts can help in learning math for toddlers. You can adapt the exercises and math games for toddlers described below to the materials you have at home.

Giant shape match math activity for toddlers

Attempting to exhaust the energy of a child? No problem, turn it into a math exercise simultaneously! Grab a large piece of paper and secure it to the floor. 

Gather various shapes and blocks, and trace around them on the paper. Encourage your child to crawl around, fitting each block into its matching shape! For added learning, prompt them to identify the name of each shape as they make the matches!

Marshmallow challenge math activity for toddlers

This math activity presents an additional challenge: refraining from eating the materials! Gather marshmallows in various sizes (and perhaps colors for more fun) along with toothpicks.

Ensure close supervision, as toothpicks can pose a safety risk, but allow children to enjoy constructing whatever they desire with marshmallows and toothpicks. This math for toddlers activity serves as an engaging way for toddlers to learn mathematics.

Toddler math activity: snowball math game

What child doesn’t enjoy tossing objects around the house? Well, gather some dryer balls, cotton wool, or ball pit balls, along with large containers (laundry baskets are perfect), and plenty of enthusiasm! Attach simple addition problems (like 1+1) or numbers to the laundry baskets, and encourage them to throw the corresponding number of balls into each basket! 

Shape hunt

Engage your toddler in a thrilling shape hunt game, where they embark on a quest to spot specific shapes in their surroundings. Compile a list of shapes for them to find, including circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles. They can scour objects around the house or scout for shapes while strolling outdoors. 

Mathematic for toddlers with domino

Introduce preschoolers to the world of dominoes, fantastic tools for grasping numbers and basic addition concepts. Begin by prompting them to pair the number of dots on each side of the dominoes. As they grow accustomed to the concept, they can advance to adding the dots on various dominoes together. 

Calendar learning activity

Educate children about days, weeks, and months using a straightforward calendar. Engage them daily in updating the calendar by crossing off the previous day and discussing the current date. Additionally, you can embellish the calendar by marking special occasions or events with vibrant stickers or drawings. 

Blocks building

Playing with blocks is not only enjoyable but also fosters spatial awareness and mathematical thinking. Encourage your toddler to construct towers using blocks of various sizes and shapes. Engage them in discussions about concepts such as «tall», «short», «wide», and «narrow» as they build their creations. 

Math apps and interactive games

In the contemporary digital era, educational apps and interactive games are tailored for early math education. These apps encompass a variety of activities, spanning from counting and number recognition to fundamental operations and problem-solving tasks. These digital resources not only engage toddlers in learning but also fortify their mathematical development.

Number puzzle math activities for toddlers

Maths activities for toddlers are different and can be divided by the age criterion. 3-year-old children should know how to count to 10 (individual indicator), recognize the numbers, and their meanings, and compare them. To get the visible result, you have to find out the number 1 activity for toddlers and include the practice into your daily routine.

Math activities for toddlers: 6 methods to succeed

There are countless creative ways to help kids learn math. The efficient numeracy activities for toddlers are:

• matching numbers
• singing rhymes and counting songs
• counting everything together
• reading math books on math
• playing with numbers
• solving household patterns 

Note. It is recommended to use proven teachers’ methods or interactive techniques, recommended by innovative education platforms like Brighterly. Professional tutors can estimate the child’s skills and adopt the personal training program.

Due to the age and memory abilities of toddlers, you have to implement the activities regularly with the education platform Brighterly which makes them interactive and encouraging.

Matching numbers

Children should recognize the number and name it. This activity belongs to one of the most fundamental. When teaching math to toddlers, you can use colorful cards, pictures, or different subjects in the room. Toddlers have to practice this brief, but important exercise every day to learn numbers by heart.

Singing rhymes and counting songs

Children are fond of singing and dancing. That is why rhymes and counting songs tend to be the most popular math activities for toddlers at home. You can sing and dance together. This way, you both will have a good time and the lyrics and tunes will stick not only in your toddler’s memory but in yours too. As a result, you can sing these songs in unison while driving somewhere, walking in the park, or cooking something together. 

Counting everything together

Babies pretend to repeat everything after their parents or others. Count the numbers together with the child. The activity is simple and can be done at home, on the street while wandering around the park, in kindergarten, and other places. 

Reading math books on math

Math activities for 1-2-year-old kids include reading books about numbers. The materials are vivid and colorful accompanied by moving pictures and interesting illustrations.

Playing with numbers

Buy the special math board games to play with numbers. For instance, when choosing a certain number, kids will hear the specific sound that attracts attention and bear the excitement to go on learning. The other game can allow the child to sort numbers and put them in a sequential way.

Solving household patterns 

This type of activity belongs to math activities for 3-5-year-olds. You can put plates on the table and ask the child how many else they need to add there. The other kind of activity is counting cars or birds on the streets. 

Measuring volume math activity for toddlers

Math games for toddlers to learn volumes and quantities are different. You can teach the kid at home with water and rice, go outside to make shapes in the playground, or sort out something from big to small or vice versa. Children of such age should understand several main concepts:

• difference between volumes
• what «many» and «a few»
• how to increase or decrease the volume of something

As you see, the skills are elementary, but they can be gained by adopting the main idea of volume measuring. Some fun math activities for toddlers described below can assist you in it.

Full, empty, or half-full?

Take two empty bottles with signs «full» and «empty». Put aside the bowl of rice, for instance. This simple multi-sensory task helps children to understand the difference between full and empty tanks and to manage the quantity. Show the example of how to add rice to the empty jar and pour from full. Then let the toddler try and complete your task. 

How much water do you need?

By pouring water into the pitcher, you can show and teach a child how to measure the quantity of something. Take an empty and full bottle, or pitcher, and measure with lines. This toddler math activity allows you to see the measures and try to make them. Parents can ask to pour 500 ml of water and the child will explore the process and learn how to do it.

Creating shapes with playdough

Among the math activities for 2-year-olds, this one is easy and understandable. All you need is to take the playdough and figures like circles or triangles. Start making the figures of different sizes. You can ask the child to make the circles from big to small or vice versa. 

Naming sizes

This activity is universal and you can do it wherever you are. It belongs to math activities for toddlers to do at home. Put three plates on the table and ask them to bring you the smallest. While walking on the street, you can observe cars and compare them. To make it more interesting for the learner, visit the local zoo and talk about the animal’s sizes. 

How much does it weigh? Math activity for preschoolers

The capacity to understand and compare the weight of different objects is one of the keys for preschoolers. There are several ways to learn how to weigh, compare, and sort objects on light and heavy. 

Compare objects and weight

Take several objects that are the most adorable by the child. There can be products, toys, or other items. Try to guess with the kid which one is the heaviest. Then, take the kitchen scales and weights products. 

Heavy or light

This skill means the toddler has to understand visually which product or animal is lighter. For instance, this activity you can do at the zoo with animals or using special cards. Make two lists. Belong to the first heavy animals and light to the second. Completing this task the toddler will learn also what height is.  

Conclusion

Toddlers should be aware of the number 10, know how to compare and recognize volumes and shapes, and adjust the quantity of something. The best activities like block building and math apps can boost the math development of kids. To increase awareness of number and volume measures, implement more number puzzle math activities like singing rhymes and counting songs. Practice the numeracy and volume measuring activities for toddlers today and review the visible results later.