Charlie has started to notice numbers around him recently so I have been encouraging this interest to help support him to count 1:1 (saying a number for each object being counted) as well as recognising some numbers.
He recently turned three and after all the birthday cards with the number 3 Charlie has started to recognise number 3 in various places. He still doesn’t know it is called ‘3’ but he says ‘that’s my number’, which is a great start.
Here are a few of the games we have been playing recently to help him count objects correctly and start to recognise numbers.
- Number hunt- You will need a piece of paper with numbers written on it vertically. I started with numbers 1-10, but then folded the paper in half to just look at numbers 1-5 to make it easier.
Charlie absolutely loved this game. We went out on a frosty morning with our piece of paper and went on the search for numbers. It’s amazing how many you can find in a small space and Charlie got very excited finding the number on his piece of paper.
- Counting while cooking- Charlie loves to help me cook and I have to give him jobs to keep him busy. One of his favourites its peeling the garlic bulb and separating the cloves out. I have taught him to line them up and then count them. I then ask him to pass me 1 or 2 cloves. This can be adapted to any vegetable such as carrots, mushrooms, even peas!
- Matching objects to dots and numbers- On a large piece of paper draw 5 large circles. Inside each circle write a number and the corresponding number of dots. Then encourage your child to go around the house and collect items to place on the dots, counting as they do. Charlie thought this game was great fun and he wanted to play it a number of times.
- Painting dots- While Charlie was painting I added the numbers 1,2 and 3. I then painted corresponding dots. Charlie then picked a new colour and copied the dots under each number.
- Number treasure hunt- I drew around some wooden numbers we had (to 5) then hid the numbers downstairs. Charlie then looked for the numbers and matched them to the sheet. He then told me to close my eyes and he hid the numbers for me to find. We played this game together a few times, then Megan wanted to join in so Charlie showed her how to play.
I hope you enjoy these games and they help support your children with accurate counting and early number recognition.