Finding Two! Or Three!

Materials You Need: Everyday objects that can be found around your home: spoons, articles of clothing, books or magazines, crayons or pencils.

What You Can Do Together: Go on a hunt for two or three items together. To begin, you could say, “Look at all the spoons. Can we find TWO spoons? Oh, here is one, and here is another. That is TWO spoons!” Then you can invite your child to find two more spoons. Put them together.  At a different time, something different, such as apples — “Let’s get TWO apples, one for you and one for me!” 

Depending on your child’s interest and skill, you might find and count larger numbers of objects. Always make these items that your child is interested in and that have everyday meaning. The activity can be a part of a daily routine, such as preparing a meal — “Please find three cups, one for you, one for me, and one for grandmother.”  Sometimes your child might also enjoy drawing a picture of (for example) two apples. You might also look for two or three different objects in a magazine, and if it is an old magazine, cut out the pictures to paste in a book or on a separate sheet of paper.

What Your Child is Learning: Your child is developing their understanding of numbers—not just counting by memory but connecting those numbers with actual groups of objects. By making this part of everyday life, you are helping your child become curious and eager about math, even at this young age. At the same time, your child is understanding more about how objects may “belong together”— part of learning how to sort and classify.