All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, they say. Well, what about ‘All play and no work’? One of the greatest assets of being in preschool is learning while, well, playing.
Luckily, ‘number recognition,’ a skill ever so vital in the learning curve of developing children, can be taught via ‘playing’ itself. Games designed specifically towards the same will help your children develop early math skills. Something you would struggle teaching them yourself.
Number recognition games for preschoolers
Here are some fun and interactive number games for preschoolers
1. Parking Cars
Create a parking garage with numbered spaces. Write numbers on toy cars that your child has to match with its designated parking space. One of the coolest number recognition games.
Have a girl? You can tweak this game using dolls – the idea is ‘getting the right thing in the right place’!
2. Sidewalk Chalk
All you need is some chalk. And a sidewalk, of course. Using that chalk stick, draw numbers in large on the sidewalk. Then, call those numbers in random order and have your child paint over them by using a brush dipped in water. One of the fun number recognition activities in the outdoors.
This one’s great for children to use their gross motor skills and recognize numbers.
3. Skywrite numbers
If you want an unconventional learning game, look no further than this one. Stand up and use your finger in the air to trace numbers.
Make those numbers as big as you can. For added effect, you could use streamers or ribbons and even write to music!
4. The Matching game
This will probably be your child’s induction into playing cards. Get two sets of cards encompassing the range of numbers you are trying to teach (like 1-5 or 5-10). Then, place both sets face down, and when you turn them, have your child identify and set aside pairs.
Matching games such as these are great for memory and number recognition.
5. Hopscotch
Yes, you can have the cake and eat it too! While enjoying a fun game of hopscotch, you can teach your kids number recognition, too. Of course, you must draw a hopscotch grid and teach them how to play the game first.
A great takeaway from this game is that it reinforces the concepts of ‘higher’ and ‘lower.’
6. Harness nature power
Which kid doesn’t like to be outdoors? The next time you take your child to build sand castles, you can also have them draw numbers in the sand! A great way to foster number recognition.
You can even have your kid draw in the mud or arrange leaves or stones. Whatever comes most ‘naturally’ to them.
7. Number basket toss
Label a few baskets with numbers into which your child can toss the matching number of crumpled paper balls.
Up the fun quotient of this game by having your preschooler turn the basket upside down and dump the balls over their heads as a reward for ‘getting it right’!
8. Number Cookies
Use a simple sugar cookie dough recipe and make cookies into all sorts of numbers. Use a cookie cutter if it gets difficult.
It’s a no-brainer that the best part of this game is indulging that sweet tooth afterward.
9. Outdoors Scavenger Hunt
Clearly one of the cooler number recognition activities. The best part is the possibilities are endless: numbers on a bus, numbers on doors…
This is a great way for kids to know that maths is all around them.
10. Bingo
Numbers 1-10 will suffice for this splendid bingo game specially tailored to preschoolers.
You must give a prize to the child who gets a ‘full house’ first!
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Some other cool ways to harness effective number recognition in kids
Besides ‘games,’ here are some cool ways to get your kids to recognize numbers more easily.
Using Math in Everyday Life
Math is everywhere around us. All we have to do is look for it. Get your child, for instance, to count the number of fresh tomato pieces on a homemade pizza. That will surely make number recognition fun!
Teach them the importance of sequencing
Knowing what numbers come before and after a particular number will help children grasp number recognition better. Use counting and organizing numbers in sequence to good effect. Later you can count in twos and even backward for added fun.
It’s crucial to make number recognition fun because it’s not a skill they ‘pick up easily’ for many children. Luckily, with the great games and tips articulated in this post, you’re all set to get your child to absorb number learning with relative ease.
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