Clothespin Color Match
Chalk Academy Paper Building Blocks
Babble Dabble Do Paper can't be as strong as a wooden block — can it? For this engineering activity, you can show kids how even a flexible material like paper can become sturdy enough to hold up a weight (like a couple of Oreos!) if you shape it a certain way.
Get the tutorial at Babble Dabble Do »
Water Walking Experiment
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Number Pom Pom Challenge
Raising Dragons Another activity that uses hand-eye coordination as well as number recognition, this cardboard tube maze is an exciting challenge for little counters. The object is to tilt the box so that the pom pom rolls through the tubes in number order.
Get the tutorial at Raising Dragons »
Shape Scavenger Hunt
The Many Little Joys Adding Boxes
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Word Family Houses
The Measured Mom Muffin Tin Counting
Early Learning Ideas Muffin tins are perfect for sorting and counting activities, because the whole point is keeping all the pieces neat and tidy. In addition to sorting by number, you can also use them to match colors if you line the tins with different shades of construction paper instead of the numbered circles.
Get the tutorial at Early Learning Ideas »
Craft Stick Names
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Sink or Float
Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide Feed the Monster
Happy Tot Shelf The monster is hungry! But what does he want to eat? Move the strip of paper below him to reveal his lettery cravings, then have your tot find a block to match.
Get the tutorial at Happy Tot Shelf »
Missing Number Match
Planning Playtime If they're counting from 1 to 10, give them a little challenge: Write a number line on a craft stick, but leave a blank space that needs to be filled by one of the numbered clothespins. Once they've mastered the matching game, move on and do 10–20!
Get the tutorial at Planning Playtime »
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Felt Board Shapes
Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home Rhyming Dominoes
No Time for Flashcards Traditional dominoes are good for practicing numbers, but with a few tweaks you can also make the game a way to practice rhymes, too. For kids who can't read yet, you can use pictures instead of words and still match up word sounds.
Get the tutorial at No Time for Flash Cards »
Counting Carrots
Housing a Forest Part-craft, part-counting practice, this activity gives kids a chance to put the correct number of sprouts on top of a construction-paper carrot. The geometry of this craft is so simple, too, you can also use it as a shape refresher for triangle and rectangles.
Get the tutorial at Housing a Forest »
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Shape Match Game
Days With Grey A twist on the classic memory game: Instead of flipping over cards, kids can make matches by pulling craft sticks out of an old egg carton. The great thing about this game is that it's so easy to pack up, it's the perfect activity to bring to Grandma's house.
Get the tutorial at Days With Grey »
"Bear Hunt" Map
Buggy and Buddy Plot out the route that the characters take in the We're Going on a Bear Hunt book (or song), and teach kids how certain geographical features (water, landmarks) are represented by certain symbols on a map. If they're excited by maps, show them how to make one of their rooms, their backyard, or even their neighborhood.
Get the tutorial at Buggy and Buddy »
DIY Musical Instruments
Team Cartwright It's easy to make different percussive instruments out out household items. Experiment to see how different fillers (beans, rice, pebbles) make different sounds, then try using them in different rhythms to sharpen those counting skills, too.
Get the tutorial at Team Cartwright »
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Monster Craft
Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds Tape Shape Sorting
Toddler Approved Combine shape sorting with a scavenger hunt, and use painter's tape to make different outlines all over the house. Then, kids have to take their construction-paper shapes and search high and low to find a match.
Get the tutorial at Toddler Approved »
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