Maths is one subject that most people usually struggle to understand in their younger years. However, if the concepts are introduced at an early age, then there is a better understanding. You can engage your kid in some fun activities to learn these concepts. Here we shall learn some fun hands-on math activities for preschoolers or kindergartners that will help them understand and learn the mathematical concepts.
Super Fun Mathematics Activities for Preschoolers
Preschoolers or kindergarteners are in an age where anything exciting, gathers their attention and thus what better than teaching them by engaging in some fun activities. Following are some fun math activities that you can plan for your kid and help them learn maths:
1. Fun Food and Math Activity
Kids love to eat candies, and this activity with their favourite candy will help them learn some basic maths too. This can be an interesting christmas math activity for preschoolers!
What Do You Need?
Some crackers/cookies, colourful candies, cream frosting
What to Do?
- You can place the crackers in any fun shape, for example, a hut.
- You need to divide each cracker into a different section and decorate it with candies. For example, you can make doors, windows and roof with the crackers and place candies on them.
- Each time you place candy on the cracker, make sure you ask your kid to say the number loudly. You can also ask him to count the candies on each cookie.
- Use cream frosting as an adhesive to secure the candies on the crackers.
- Do this same step for all the cookies.
Skill Developed
It is a great way of teaching counting and addition to your kid.
2. Addition with Pictures
You can teach addition to your kid by using some vibrant and colourful pictures.
What Do You Need?
Bright, colourful pictures with definitive patterns, such as a picture of a flower with defined petals and leaves, or you can use a picture of a ladybug with spots and legs etc.
What to Do?
- You can take a colourful image of a flower.
- Ask your kid to count the petal and leaves.
- Use multiple images simultaneously and try to have variations such as flowers, animals, fruits etc.
- You can combine two pictures together to make the activity more interesting. For example, counting the petals of two flowers and then adding them.
Skill Developed
Kids learn about the concept of addition without using the numbers.
3. Learning Maths with Abacus
Using Abacus is a great way of teaching mathematical concepts. However, it may get a little tricky initially but once your kid masters the techniques, it will come naturally to your kid.
What Do You Need?
An abacus tool or toy
What to Do?
- Abacus is a great tool to introduce the concept of ones, tens and hundreds to your kid.
- You can make it more interesting by taking turns with your kid. You can call out a number loudly and ask your kid to show you the number on the tool and do the same when your kid asks you to do so.
- It is a great way to understand numbers and place values.
Skill Developed
Kids not only learn basic addition and subtraction but they also understand grouping and number identification.
4. Fun with Fruits
Feeding healthy food to your kid can be a constant battle for you and feeding fruit is one such thing that kids seldom enjoy. Combine this fun math activity with fruits and don’t be surprised if your kid gobbles them all by the end of the activity.
What Do You Need?
Grapes, plums or any fruit, one white chart-paper, one pen.
What to Do?
- Take a white chart-paper and spread it on the table.
- Take few grapes and place them in two groups and put a plus sign in between and an ‘equal to’ sign too.
- You can ask your kid to place the correct number of grapes after the ‘equal to’ sign.
- If your kid gets the correct answer, he gets to eat the fruit.
- You can repeat this activity till your kid understands the concept or eats a fair amount of fruits.
Skill Developed
This activity is good for teaching mental maths and addition.
5. Bingo Fun
Bingo is not only for adults, but it is a great way of teaching concept of numbers to your child. This activity can be enjoyed more in a group.
What Do You Need?
Small square-shaped cardboard cuts, marker pens.
What to Do?
- Take the cardboard cut-outs and make an equal number of rows and columns in all of them.
- Randomly place numbers from 1 to 20 in each cardboard.
- Hand over one cardboard cut out and a pen each to every child.
- Randomly call out numbers, and the kid who circles all the numbers on his cardboard can be declared the winner.
Skill Developed
Kids learn number identification from this activity.
6. Measuring and Comparing
This activity is excellent for teaching the concept of measurement to the younger children.
What Do You Need?
Any kind of grains/cereals, measuring cups of different sizes
What to Do?
- Place the measuring cups in a line and ask your kid to fill up each cup with grains.
- Once all cups are filled, ask your kid to identify the biggest cup or the smallest cup and many such questions related to measurement.
- You can also keep some cups half filled and ask your kid questions such as which is a heavier and lighter cup etc.
Skill Developed
Kids learn about comparison and measurement
7. Fun With Buttons
This activity involves using colourful buttons of various sizes to teach the concept of numbers and counting to the kids.
What Do You Need?
Colourful buttons of different shapes and sizes, glue and chart-paper.
What to Do?
- Ask your kid to segregate the buttons according to their colour, shape and size and make different piles.
- You can ask your kid to count buttons in each pile.
- You can help your kid to make different patterns with the buttons, for example, a flower or a car.
- Secure the buttons with glue. You can place these creations in your kid’s room also.
Skill Developed
Kids learn about numbers, counting and also learn about sorting.
8. Fun With Jelly Beans
Be it adults or children, we all love to eat jelly beans. This exciting math activity is done with jelly beans.
What Do You Need?
A packet of jelly beans and a few small cups
What to Do?
- Take a big bowl and empty the packet of the jelly bean into it and keep the small cups next to the bowl.
- Ask your kid to place different coloured jelly beans in different cups.
- Ask your kid to count jelly beans in each cup.
- You can ask your kid to compare the cups and tell which cup has the maximum number of jelly beans.
- You can involve more kids in this activity too, to make it more interesting and ask the kids to choose their favourite colour as well.
- You can give one cup to each child after the activity gets over.
Skill Developed
Kids learn the concept of greater than and less than, and they also learn about sorting.
9. Fun with Straws and Sticks
You can use different coloured straws or sticks for this thrilling math activity.
What Do You Need?
Colourful straws or sticks
What to Do?
- You can begin by telling your kid to segregate the straws on the basis of colours.
- Place the sticks in groups and ask your kid to add two groups.
- You can ask your kid to add two colour groups.
- Alternatively, you can count the straws in a bundle and take a few and ask your kid how much is he left with.
Skill Developed
Kids learn about the basic concept of subtraction, addition and segregation.
10. Maths With Money
You can use coin and notes to teach math concepts to your kid. If your kid has a piggy bank, you can use your kid’s piggy bank money for this activity.
What Do You Need?
Coins and notes of the different denomination.
What to Do?
- Ask your kid to separate the coins and notes according to their denominations and stack them up.
- Once he is done with stacking, ask him to count coins and notes in each pile.
- For your older kids, you can use this activity to teach them more about money concepts such as, how many coins make a rupee.
Skill Developed
Kids learn about numbers, different money denominations and counting money.
11. Maze Fun
Kids love to solve puzzles and solving a maze is an exciting activity to teach various math concepts.
What Do You Need?
A simple maze pattern, few pencils.
What to Do?
- You can take a simple maze pattern and place a simple question in the beginning, “like 2+2=” and place different answers at all the ends like 4, 5, 3 etc.
- Ask your kid to reach the correct end by going through the maze.
- The aim of this is to help your kid to choose the correct answer.
- You can make this activity more interesting by involving more kids or your kid’s friends too.
Skill Developed
Kids learn about logical thinking, reasoning and calculation.
12. Water Balloon Activity
Kids love to fiddle with water, and this is an ideal outdoor summer activity to teach some interesting math concepts to your kid.
What Do You Need?
A bucket full of colourful water balloons
What to Do?
- Take your kid outdoors, preferably on concrete flooring or a pavement
- Keep some questions ready and write their answers on the pavement.
- When you ask a question, tell your kid to aim with the balloon on the right answer.
- You can ask your kid’s friends to join in for the added fun.
Skill Developed
Kids can learn greater than, less than, addition and subtraction with this activity.
13. Fun with Shapes
Kids will love this activity as it lets them have fun with various shapes along with learning some mathematical concepts.
What Do You Need?
You can either make a shape sorter toy with a cardboard box or buy a shape sorter toy.
What to Do?
- You can give the shape sorter toy to your kid. It will be a good idea to show him how to do it first.
- Ask your kid to place all the shapes in the box. As your kid puts a specific shape in the box, you can call out its name loudly.
- Reward your kid once he’s done placing all the shapes in the box.
Skill Developed
Kids learn about various shapes and sizes.
14. Mathematical Marshmallow Treat
This yummy activity will help your kid learn measurement, area and estimation.
What Do You Need?
A bag full of marshmallows
What to Do?
- You can place marshmallows in 5 to 6 piles and ask your kid to guess how many marshmallows are there in a particular pile. If he answers correctly give him a few to eat.
- You can make some shapes on a white paper and ask your kid to fill it up by carefully placing the marshmallows.
- You can ask your kids to measure various objects using marshmallows, like a book or a spoon.
Skill Developed
Your kids learn about estimation, numbers and also about area.
15. Fun With Geometry
This is a great activity for teaching the concept of geometry to your kid.
What Do You Need?
Coloured chart paper cut into various shapes.
What to Do?
- Help your kid identify each shape such as circle, triangle, square and rectangle.
- Help your kid to make interesting patterns or designs using these shapes.
- For instance, you can show your kid to make a house using a triangle and a rectangle shape.
Skill Developed
Kids get an introduction to geometry by learning about shapes.
These are some very easy and interesting activities that you can involve your kid in for learning various mathematical concepts in an exciting way. Kids enjoy learning in a fun way and this way they will not despise maths and rather, may find it very interesting. You can also make variations or amends to the above-mentioned activities to customise as per your kid’s preferences and liking.
