Toddler Math

Math starts with understanding concepts that develop as early as infancy. Babies explore the world using their senses. They look, touch, smell, hear, and taste. Infants are curious and want to know everything about their environment. Provided in the links below are activities that can be done with your child, in small groups and in the classroom. We offer Math activities for young children to elementary aged children.

Counting Activities

• Cheerios Math Count
• Conversation Hearts Match and Count
• Counting with Beads
• Hands on Counting, Subtraction and Addition Printables
• Halloween Candy Sort and Count
• Touch and Feel Numbers Book
• Snap Cubes
• The Guessing Jar
• Stepping Stones Number Games
• Water and Sand Table

More Math Activities and Games

• Colored Pasta: Muffin Math Activities
• Touch and Feel Numbers Book
• Numbers Shaker
• Button Flowers
• Beads: Counting, Sorting, Patterns, Stringing
• Calendar
• Foam Numbers
• Colored Ball Games

Activities to Introduce Math Concepts

• Paint a Piggy Bank
• Make a Book! Fun Addition Word Problems with Stickers

Basic Math Concepts

Numbers and Number Sense

• Counting
• Recognize (Read) Numbers
• Represent (How many is three?)
• Quantity (More, Less, Equal)
• Simple Addition and Subtraction (numbers less than 10)

Patterns, Sorting and Classifying (Algebra and Functions)

• Sorting Objects by Attribute (color, size or shape)
• Comparing Objects (color, size, shape)
• Simple Patterns
• Pictorial (Identifying patterns or classifying objects through pictures)

Measurement (Geometry)

• Length, Weight, Capacity of Objects (by Comparing: which object is shorter, longer, lighter)
• Time Concepts (morning, afternoon, yesterday)
• Measuring Time (clock, calendars)
• Days of the Week, Months
• Identify time (nearest hour)

Graphing (Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability)

• Data Gathering (Collecting information about objects by drawing pictures or making picture graphs)

Helpful Toddler Math Tools

• Bath Numbers
• Counting Picture Books See Our Favorites Here
• Wood Puzzles
• Sorting cups (graduated sizes)
• Stacking Toys
• Magnetic Letters
• Plastic Measuring Cups and Spoons

For Older Toddlers and Young Children

• Kids Calculators
• Counters (bears, dinosaurs, etc)
• Clock Puzzle
• Kids Stopwatch
• Cash Register and Play Money
• Tangrams
• Floor Puzzles
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Flash Cards
• Snap Cubes
• Mega Bloks
• Large Lego

Interesting Facts

• Infants begin to learn about size by sensing that some things are smaller and some are bigger by sight and touch.
• Infants learn about direction as they learn to crawl and walk as they go over, into and under things.
• Children learn about weight as they lift different objects.
• Infants start to learn about shapes by the many toys we give them.
• Toddlers learn the concept of sets. They sort things, by color, size, or the same shape.

Benefits Gained from Introducing Math Concepts

• It becomes a natural part of a child's vocabulary.
• Vocabulary is enhanced as they learn to describe things using numbers, colors, shapes.