Counting, Shapes, and More: Exciting Math Activities for Toddlers
Forget worksheets and flashcards! The world is a giant math playground for toddlers and preschoolers! From sorting colorful blocks to counting the stairs they climb, everyday experiences offer opportunities to introduce young minds to foundational math concepts.
This blog post is bursting with fun and engaging math activities for toddlers and preschool math activities that will transform playtime into a journey of discovery and learning!
Teaching toddlers basic math skills is important for their early development and prepares them for future school success. The best part? It doesn’t have to be complicated. The best math activities for toddlers focus on building a basic understanding of numbers, counting, shapes, patterns, and comparisons.
How can we teach toddlers basic numeracy skills?
The key is to make math fun and engaging through play, songs, books, and hands-on activities. Toddlers are naturally curious and love to explore new concepts when presented in a simple, enjoyable way. The goal is to nurture their interest in math, not force difficult lessons too early.
Simple counting games, singing number songs, reading interactive math books, and noticing shapes, sizes, and patterns in everyday life are easy ways to help toddlers grasp early math concepts.
Where are you going to find all of these teaching ideas for toddler math? Right here in this blog post. They are an amazing precursor to teaching pre-k math and a wonderful preparation to my Daily Lessons in Preschool Math Curriculum.
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How Can I Teach My Two-year-old Math?
Even at two years old, toddlers can learn basic math concepts through play and everyday activities. Making math a part of daily conversation and play will naturally build their math language, understanding, and problem-solving.
Here are some tips on teaching math to 2-year-olds:
- Count object. Count out loud to model counting when reading books, setting the table, or playing with toys. Emphasize the last number reached as the total number (“1,2,3…3 balls!”).
- Compare quantities. Use words like more, less, bigger, and smaller. Example: “You have more blocks than me!”
- Talk about shapes. Point out shapes you see around the house and outside. Circles, squares, triangles. Let them feel the shapes.
- Sort Objects. Sort by color, size, and type. Example: “Let’s put all the toys here and blue ones there.”
- Describe positions. Use position words like up, down, over, under, beside. Example: “The cat is under the table.”
- Do puzzles. Working simple puzzles helps develop spatial reasoning.
- Identify patterns. Point out patterns on clothes and objects around the home. ABA, ABB, ABC patterns.
How High Should a Two-year-old Count?
By age 2, toddlers are just beginning to grasp the basics of counting. While some exceptional toddlers can count to 10 or 20, most two-year-olds can only count to 3 or 5. Counting at this age is about more than rote memorization. It’s about grasping that numbers have meaning and laying the foundation for math concepts they will learn later on.
Play-based Math Activities for Toddlers
Play is ideal for toddlers to develop early math skills. Through fun, hands-on activities and games, toddlers can begin to understand important concepts like counting, shapes, sizes, patterns, and more.
Sing math songs
Another way of introducing numbers and counting to toddlers is through fun and simple math songs. Singing together is a great way to bond with your toddler, and adding simple math songs will help them learn early math concepts. To make it extra fun, try using hand motions or props!
Here are some favorite YouTube math songs to sing with your two-year-old:
The Ants Go Marching One by One
This classic song is a favorite for a reason. With its catchy tune and repetitive verses (one by one, two by two!), it helps little ones practice counting and following along. The silly actions for the “little one” (who might stop to suck their thumb or climb a tree!) add a layer of fun.
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
This playful song encourages counting down (from five to zero) while following a silly story. Preschoolers will love acting out the monkeys jumping on the bed (and falling off!), Mama calling the doctor, and the doctor (sometimes!) joining in the fun. It’s a great way to practice counting, following directions, and using their imaginations!
Five Little Ducks
Sing about the mama duck sending her five ducklings “over the hill and far away,” then waiting for them to return one by one. Preschoolers will enjoy the suspenseful build-up as the number of returning ducks decreases. Don’t worry, though, by the end, all five little ducks (and a relieved mama!) are back together.
It’s a perfect song for practicing counting backwards and forwards, while fostering a love for simple stories and rhymes.
Ten in the Bed
This silly song is a counting adventure that goes backwards. Starting with ten sleepy friends all snuggled in a bed, one by one they decide to “roll over,” causing one to tumble out! Preschoolers will be captivated as the number of friends in the bed decreases with each verse, all while practicing counting down from ten to zero.
How Many Fingers
Wiggle those fingers and sing along to “How Many Fingers?”! This interactive song is a great way to introduce young learners to counting their fingers and hands. With its simple lyrics (“How many fingers on one hand? Let’s all count together!”) and catchy tune, preschoolers will be eager to participate. The song encourages them to hold up fingers as they sing, building recognition of numbers one through five.
Math Books for Toddlers
Reading interactive math books with your toddler is a great way to introduce early math skills in a fun way. Look for books with rhymes, songs, textures to touch, flaps to lift, and questions to encourage participation.
Some great math concept books to try with your two-year-old include:
- Crews, Donald (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 09/21/1995 (Publication Date) – Greenwillow Books (Publisher)
- Phyllis Root (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 03/01/2003 (Publication Date) – Candlewick (Publisher)
- Can you find what is round? What is square?
- In this timeless new split-pageboard book, children can find the bottom half of a page that matches…
- Find the right pairs, and you will learn to identify all kinds of shapes.
- Lionni, Leo (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 09/21/1995 (Publication Date) – HarperCollins (Publisher)
- McGrath, Barbara Barbieri (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 02/01/2013 (Publication Date) – Charlesbridge (Publisher)
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Barbara Mariconda (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
Reading these interactive concept books together builds early numeracy skills while keeping your toddler engaged and learning through play.
Toddler Math Activities
Toddlers can start learning foundational math through simple activities at home. Remember to make these activities fun and exciting for toddlers.
Here are a few math activities to try with your toddler:
- Playdough Math Invitation to Play
- Counting Bears
- Toddler Math & Science Center
- Marshmallow Snowball Counting Activity
- Leprechaun Pattern Path
Colors for Toddlers
Want to help your little one learn their colors? The best way is to talk about them simply! Point out colors naturally throughout the day – “Look at the blue sky!”, “What a beautiful green leaf!”, “Can you pass me the red cup?”.
Toddlers and preschoolers love learning about colors, and simple games, songs, books, and everyday experiences make the process fun and engaging.
Here are some fun ways to teach colors to your toddlers:
- Color Blocks Tasks Cards
- Color Sorting Printables
- Color Matching Printable Cards
- Color Sorting Activity
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Shapes for Toddlers
Exploring shapes does more than just build vocabulary! It helps toddlers learn about spatial relationships and geometry. It encourages children to visualize and connect with their surroundings, laying the foundation for future learning.
Here are some great resources for teaching shapes:
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Toddler Math Toys
When choosing toys to nurture your toddler’s budding math skills, prioritize safety and engagement. Look for toys with large, chunky pieces that can’t be swallowed, with smooth, rounded edges. Opt for brightly colored and visually appealing toys made from non-toxic materials like wood or washable plastic.
In terms of function, toys that encourage sorting, matching, or basic counting through play are great choices. Remember, the best math toys for toddlers will be those that spark their curiosity and make learning numbers fun!
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- HANDS-ON TACTICAL LEARNING: These teddy bear counters are great for hands-on tactical learners.
- 102 BEAR COUNTERS WITH ACTIVITY GUIDE & STORAGE: Set includes 102 bear counters in 6 vivid colors,…
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- Includes 7 brightly colored rings, a red topper piece, and solid wood rod on a rocking wooden base
- Made from durable and child-safe materials, delivering exceptional quality and value
- Fine Motor Games for Kids: Build fine motor skills with chunky, peg-shaped pieces that fit to the…
- Colorful quills help kids build color recognition, sorting, and counting skills through fine motor…
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Math activities for toddlers are a fun and engaging way to support early learning and development. Toddlers can build critical foundational math skills while having fun by singing, counting songs, reading math books, and playing games involving numbers, colors, and shapes.
Some key math concepts to focus on with toddlers are numbers and counting, recognizing shapes, identifying colors, sorting, and matching. Leveraging play-based activities takes advantage of this curiosity to support math learning through songs, books, simple games, puzzles, and hands-on exploration.
It’s important not to push toddlers too hard in math but keep activities light, fun, and developmentally appropriate.
The goal is to foster positive associations with math concepts. Simple activities incorporated into everyday routines help toddlers incrementally develop early numeracy, spatial reasoning, and pattern recognition skills. Parents can make math learning joyful for toddlers with patience and creativity, setting them up for continued achievement.
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I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.