1. Bake something together

You can’t help but use math when you’re baking. Doubling recipes requires multiplying, halving a recipe requires dividing, and measuring a ½ cup or a ¼ teaspoon gets you working with easy fractions. 

Ask your child: How many chocolate chips do you think it will take to fill one cup?  How many for 1/2 cup? Count together and see how close you came to the right answer!

2. Measure, count, and record

Most kids love stopwatches, and watching the seconds tick by gives them opportunities to practice counting. Measure distances and heights. Count jumping jacks, push-ups, or consecutive kicks of a soccer ball.

Ask your child: How far can you throw a ball? Take a guess, then throw the ball as far as you can and measure the distance.
How many jumping jacks can you do in a minute? Try it!
How many times can you jump rope or bounce a ball without missing? Count and see.

3. Build something together  

Big or small, any project that involves measuring includes counting, adding, and multiplying. It doesn’t matter whether you’re making a clubhouse out of shoeboxes or building a genuine tree house. Legos and other building toys are wonderful tools for incorporating both numbers and spatial thinking into playtime.

Ask your child: How high can you build that stack of Legos?
How many Legos do you need to stack to reach as high as the coffee table?
Can you make a square? A rectangle? Other shapes? Talk about the shapes of whatever your child has created.

4. Plan dinner or a party

Whether you’re planning a party or just getting ready for a family dinner, there are plenty of math concepts involved. Have your child help set the table and count out the plates, napkins, and silverware. For a party, have your child help with the shopping. You know you’re going to have to do some math since all of those plates, balloons, and party favors are packaged in different quantities!

Ask your child: How many plates, napkins, and forks do you need for dinner?
If you’re inviting 10 guests to a party, and the plates come 8 to a pack, how many packs are you going to need? How many are going to be left over?
If you’re not planning a party in the near future, get creative. Why not host a tea party for your child’s favorite stuffed animals?

5. Mix in math to your bedtime reading 

Most families read to their children at night. Why not add a math problem to the mix? Here’s one to try.

6. Board games

Dice, Cards, Money, Taking turns, etc.  

7. Stickers

Counting, Sorting, Colors

8. Stargazing

Count the stars, create shapes, compare distances between

1. Letter, Number, & Shape Recognition

Begin building the concepts of numbers and letters. At the very least, your child should know the ABC’s song and how to count their fingers.

This is a great game for learning to identify letters quickly!

2. How to Hold a Pencil/Crayon/Scissors

Fine Motor Skills and Hand/Eye coordination are being developed.  Help them practice.  Pinching activities are a great way to strengthen their grip if they are having a hard time with the pencil hold! Put a sticker on their thumb nail to remind which way to orient their hand.

3. How to Erase / Deal with mistakes

As they are learning to hold a pencil well, make sure they also understand the concept of erasing.  It is important they understand it is okay to make mistakes. Make sure they aren’t shredding the paper or the eraser during their attempts to erase mistakes!

4. Courtesy Phrases

Learning the simple courtesy phrases such as “Please”, “Thank you”, “No thank you”, “Nice to meet you”, and “I don’t want to play right now” will go a long way to helping your child communicate with those around them in a much better way.

5. Their Name and Parent Names

What’s my name? Who is my mom? What’s my phone number?

Not only it is a great safety precaution, it will also help them feel more confident that they have that connection to the rest of their life.

6. Listening Skills

Most children don’t come into the world knowing how to listen to what is actually being said. A great game to play to increase their listening skills is the “Red Light / Green Light” game! and "Simon Says". It’s a fun way to make sure they are paying attention to what is actually being said!

7. Expressing Emotions

It’s important that your child knows how to express and deal with the common emotions they may experience on a daily basis. Some common emotions they may feel on a normal day in preschool or kindergarten may include:

• Frustration

• Overwhelm/Anxious

• Homesickness

• Sadness

• Disappointment

• Fear of Failure

• Boredom

• Excitement/overstimulation

• Hungry/Tired

• Scared

• Angry

8. Self Sufficiency

While a 4 or 5 year old child is not going to be completely self-sufficient, there are a few things that can make them feel more confident during the time in preschool and kindergarten! Make sure your child knows how to open their lunch box and any containers you send, how to put on their jacket/sweater, how to zip and unzip their pants and jackets, and how to use the restroom alone.

9. How to Share with Others

Most children have been exposed to the idea of sharing well before preschool and kindergarten. However, some have not! Make sure your child is aware of the fact that sharing and taking turns will be a daily part of their school career! Also cover the idea of “borrowing”.