We’ve designed these games to focus on the six key skill areas of early math.
When young children learn early math skills, it isn’t about equations and flashcards—it’s all about having fun while helping your little one’s brain grow. Take some time to browse the play activities below and try some with your 2-to-3 year-old. We’ve designed these games to focus on the six key skill areas of early math:
- Counting
- Computation
- Shapes
- Spatial awareness
- Measurement
- Patterns
Start with the first set of activities and then move on to the others when your child is ready. As you play, remember that children master skills at different speeds—for example, counting errors are common in the early years. Feel free to adjust the challenge level to suit your child. Remember the goal is having fun, so avoid making a big deal about mistakes. Just explain the correct answer and move on with the activity.
If you are a professional and would like to use these activities with the families in your program, check out the User’s Guide to assist with your planning and implementation.
Math4Littles is a collaboration between American Institutes of Research and ZERO TO THREE.
Starting Out
- One Cracker, Two Crackers
- Counting Fun
- Ones and Twos
- Basket Ball
- Teddy Bear Climbs a Chair
- Over Under Obstacle Course
- Counting Rhymes
- Only One
- Now, Listen to Me Count
- Step on the Shape
- Shape Sorting
- Shape I-Spy
Next Up
- Comparing Apples and Oranges
- Shape Hunt
- Red, Blue, Red, Blue
- Counting As You Go
- Counting What You Eat
- How Many on the Plate?
- One Dot, Two Dots
- Can You Match This?
- Patterns with Forks and Spoons
- Tracing Shapes
- Find the Shapes
- Match the Shapes to Their Shadows
Ready to Soar
- Shoe Shoe Train
- And the Beat Goes On
- Circle, Circle, Square
- One More for the Birds
- How Many Fingers?
- Macaroni Math
- Big Spoon, Little Spoon
- Warm Soup, Cold Soup
- Puppy Tails
- Apple Tree Math
- What’s in the Bowl?
- Matching Sets of Rocks
