Eight ways to build math into your child’s day
Adults and children use math daily. We use at least one mathematics concept when managing money, baking, estimating distance, and gardening, among other activities.
Thus, it would be best if you cultivated mathematical thinking from a very early age. But how can you make maths exciting and fun for children?
Here are eight great ways to build maths into your child’s daily life.
1) Sing counting songs
Many nursery rhymes are number-themed. This is to encourage the use of mathematics in toddlers while teaching them numbers and counting, which are foundational maths concepts.
For a parent, singing these songs with your child also helps form a strong bond while fostering a positive attitude towards maths.
2) Find opportunities to practice counting
Besides singing songs, find ways your child can practice counting using everyday activities. For instance, they can count the number of stairs they take to get to the house or the number of raisins they eat when snacking.
You can also incorporate other activities into their daily life to help them count, such as asking them to count the number of seeds in their grapefruit every lunch.
3) Play sorting games
Understanding sorting helps children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. You can teach your children this essential maths concept by playing sorting games that teach them how to spot differences, similarities, and patterns in objects around them.
For example, Tiny Fishing is a cool math game where you upgrade your equipment in order to catch bigger fish! You can find out more about the very last fish here, the aims of the game, and how to play.
4) Introduce numbers and shapes during dressing
When dressing your child, you can use the opportunity to introduce shapes and numbers and help them practice. For instance, you can count clothes with your child while teaching them organization in the closet.
You can also count body parts as they dress. For instance, you can mention “that’s one arm through the sleeve” as they put on a sweater and count pockets, buttons, and zippers on clothes.
5) Teach time and counting while brushing teeth
Set a small egg timer that will help your child learn time and time management as they brush their teeth. Moreover, you can encourage them to count their teeth during brushing, whether they’re doing it independently or assisted.
6) Bake cookies
Soft cookies are great for teaching your child counting and fractions. You can start by letting them count the number of cookies you have baked.
With a fresh batch, you can teach them fractions. Use a soft plastic knife to cut the cookies into halves, quarters, and eighths. Visually seeing these fractions and cutting them under supervision leaves an imprint in the child’s mind.
7) Buy an abacus
Kids love sliding abacus beads left and right along the wire. An abacus is an excellent tool for teaching kids the basic arithmetic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It also fosters problem-solving skills.
Just remember that there’s a logic behind using an abacus. Thus ensure you know what group of numbers a colored bead represents.
8) Ask questions
Asking questions and encouraging kids to be curious is one of the best ways to develop children’s math skills. You do not need to structure any activities, games, or learning materials to teach this skill.
Randomly ask thoughtful questions about numbers, encourage positive associations, and encourage kids to ask questions.
Make maths a daily activity
Making maths a daily activity will make your child love it more. Also, ensure that you’ve invested in proper online resources to make them better mathematicians and learners.
