This book is based on activities that are dealt with in class at school with the age (2-3) and (3-4) classes. Please use this as a guideline to assist your child with learning through play. You child needs your attention, love and interest. Through repetition and play, our children learn and discover the world around them. These activities will reinforce their skills in a holistic way. Reading out loud and singing nursery songs are key to learning, so we encourage doing this daily. Hope you have fun with your little ones! Counting 1-10 Counting with my fingers Counting cards Mathematical vocabulary Colours, shape and patterns Tracing Opposites Seasons Days of the week and months of the year Personal information Toddler indoor activities Counting from 1-10 123456789 1 0 How can this be reinforced at home? While washing hands, count from 1 to 20 Count my body parts during bath time (How many toes do you have? Etc.) Helping out with meals: How many carrots are we using? How many ingredients are we cooking with? Etc. Packing away laundry: How many socks have been washed? How many shoes do you have? Painting: How many colours are we painting with today? Playing with toys: How many green blocks do you have? Exercise: do 5 star jumps, reach to the sky for 10 counts, etc. Counting with my fingers Let’s practice counting with our fingers: 1 2 2 1 3 4 5 3 4 5 Counting 1-6 These blocks can be cut out and used as counting cards. Each dot must be counted. Get objects around the house and sort them along with the counting card. Grouping can be done here: four red pegs at the number 4 counting card, 2 white bottle tops at the number 2 counting card, small cars at the number 6 counting card, etc. Through repetition, children will be able to recognise how many dots are on the counting cards without counting them. Mathematical Vocabulary Try to use the terminology in your daily vocabulary connecting the words to aspects in everyday life: such as preparing meals, talking about family members, reading stories, talking about what the routine of the day, etc. size big, small, bigger than, smaller than, many, more than, most, few/little, less than, least, equal, all, nothing time yesterday, tomorrow, morning, afternoon, evening, days of the week, seconds, minutes, hours, fast, slow, faster than, slower than, fastest, slowest, speed, old, young, oldest, youngest length tall/ long, short, longer, taller, shorter than, shortest, tallest, longest, thin, thick position before/in front, after/behind, next to, left or right, below/ beneath, top/ on top, between, in/ within, out/ outside, high or low, close or far, first or last, middle capacity full, empty, half, deep, shallow mass heavy, light, heavier than, lighter than, heaviest, lightest, balanced Peppa Pig can be used as a great example: Who is the smallest? That means they are the youngest/ oldest? Who is bigger than Peppa? Who sleeps on the top bunk bed? Who sleeps below? Who is the tallest? Etc. Colours Name the colour and find the same colour object in the house. How many objects of the same colour can we find? Extended: Name the colour and then match the colours by drawing a line from the one side to the other. Shapes Talk about different shapes and find objects in the house that match a shape for example the rectangular door and the bathroom tile. Extended: Match the shapes from the one side to the other side. Use a pencil, sting or anything exciting for your child. Use playdough and make different pictures by using shapes and talking about the shapes while playing. Patterns, colours and shapes Talk about the different shapes. Talk about patterns and look for examples of patterns around the house. Use your body for a pattern for example up, down, up, down (something that happens OVER and OVER again!) Use different objects for patterns for example a leaf, rock, leaf, rock; teaspoon, stick, teaspoon, stick etc. Extended: Complete the pattern with the correct colour (parents can help). Tracing Practice tracing with the fingers first and only later can they try tracing with a colour pencil or crayon. Use white chalk outside to draw lines and shapes and practice your tracing! Opposites While reading stories, sitting and eating at the dinner table, talk about opposites and see if your child knows the following opposites: up down left right day night happy sad hot cold eat drink sweet sour light heavy boy girl light dark grandma grandpa brother sister open close wet dry dirty clean heavy light on off dog cat quick slow old young in front behind small big soft hard inside outside high low thick thin smooth rough tall short near far Seasons and weather Talk about the different seasons and what kind of weather to expect in each season. Talk about the changes that occur in nature (plants, animals, etc.) Some questions that can be asked: What do people wear in the different seasons? Which colours are associated with each season and why? What do we eat more of in a specific season? What will you see during the different seasons when looking out your window? In which season was I born? Etc. Days of the week The children love saying the days of the week in class! Make your own days of the week cards or find fun printable posters. Put it up in the house and let them say it every day and then put an object on the specific day. Ask questions like: if yesterday was Monday, then today is? If today is Tuesday, tomorrow will be…? Etc. Assist children! Extended: Months of the year Talk casually about the months of the year: What month is it now? In which month is your birthday? When is Christmas? Etc. Do you know when mommy or daddy’s birthday is? Personal questions – who am I? 1. What is your name? 2. What is your surname? 3. How old are you? 4. What is your mommy’s name? 5. What is your daddy’s name? 6. Where do you live? 7. Can you say the days of the week? 8. When is your birthday? 9. What is your favourite food? 10. Can you tell me 5 shapes? 11. Can you count to 10/ 20? 12. What is your favourite colour? 13. Can you tell me 5 colours? 14. What colour is your eyes? 15. What colour is your hair? 16. What is the name of your school? 17. What is your teacher’s name? 18. What makes you happy? 19. What makes you sad? 20. What makes you angry? Fun activity: draw a picture of yourself!