It's easy to find math in the games we play, in cooking meals together - even in riding the bus or subway! Good math skills allow your child to succeed in school, especially on standardized tests.

In Your Home

• Count down to your child's birthday by crossing off days on the calendar.
• Give your child measuring cups and spoons for playtime and bath time.
• Play dominoes or board games that use numbers and dice.
• Cook with your child. Count and measure the ingredients together.
• Fold dinner napkins into squares, rectangles and triangles. Ask your child to name the different shapes.
• Have a clock with clear numbers in your home.
• Talk about time as you go through your daily activities.

In Your Neighborhood

• Count the number of stops on the train or bus to your home.
• At the grocery store, show your child how a scale weighs fruits and vegetables.
• Look for numbers, patterns and shapes in the buildings and cars on your block.
• Let your child push the elevator buttons.

In Your Library

• Ask your librarian for fun counting books.
• Look for numbers on pages and book labels.
• Find counting songs in books and on the internet, and sing them together.

Links

• NAEYC: "Mathematics through Play"
• University Of Connecticut: "Let's Play Store"
• University of South Florida: "Math on the Go... (Math Activities for the Whole Family)"

• Can You Count Ten Toes?
  Check the Catalog
• The Doorbell Rang
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• Feast for 10
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• Great Estimations
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• Jack the Builder
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