The day may have changed but kids can still have some kindergarten readiness fun and learning using their Halloween treats.
- With some help, older preschoolers may be able to count them.
- Younger ones can look for treats that are the same and sort them into groups. Treats are easier to count in small groups. Which group has more? Younger kids will often chosen a pile that has bigger size treats, even though there may be fewer in number.
- Ask your child to count out 2 treats or make a pile of 4 treats.
- Some kids may be showing an interest in letters. Grownups can read the names on treats and make some of the letter sounds.
Are the treats all the same shapes? Some may be rectangles and some may be circles, but there are probably not any triangles.
- One to one matching is an important math skill. For instance, you can count out 3 of one kind and have your child put a different kind beside each of the others.
- One package of little treats can have lots of different colors.
- Sharing treats is an opportunity for practicing an important social skill but it’s not easy. Especially if two people like the same kind.
- Saving some treats for another day is really, really hard but that is more than kindergarten readiness. That’s a life skill.
Even talking about the trick or treating is fun and gives kids the opportunity to ‘show and tell’ about Halloween. Would you call this sweet learning?