As children play and discover with numbers, they build all kinds of brain connections. These connections are important for number sense and readiness for kindergarten. The key words are play and discovery.
We had a very rainy day this week, too wet even for boots and umbrellas. It was an inside day all day long, and with no outside time it was long. A fun activity to do that I save for stuck-in-the-house days (to minimize wear and tear on the sofa) is making a tent. An old sheet draped over the sofa, with cushions as the ‘walls’, makes a space just right for a kidlet. The one here noticed that the number ten is like tent. Into the tent went 10 of all kinds of things: 10 books, 10 stuffies, 10 dishes, 10 animals, 10 little people, 10 cars, and 10 soft blocks. The rule is no sharp edges in the tent so there’s no holes in the sofa.
Not all the counting was accurate as you can tell in the picture but that’s okay. There was still lots of learning and fun. What’s important is the practice and experience. Accuracy will improve as children develop.
Almost a whole afternoon flew by with all the back and forth, counting, sorting, and hauling stuff to the tent. Adult hands were needed to fix the roof and to keep some of the toys in the toy box. This rainy day included lots of fun with 10! Do you sometimes make 10ts for your child?