Preschoolers do best when they learn through hands-on activities that are relaxed and fun. Preschool teachers can create simple math learning games that teach essential math skills and create a foundation for future math education.
Matching Games for Preschoolers
Matching games teach essential early math skills. Most preschoolers love participating in matching games, either on their own or with a group. Concentration is a simple matching game that can help preschoolers develop logic and early math skills. Concentration games can be created to fit any preschool theme simply by creating matching cards that fit the theme. Matching games can be created using colors, numbers, or images related to the preschool theme. Color matching games are a great way to introduce preschoolers to early matching games and help them learn early math skills.
Math Centers
Centers provide preschoolers with open-ended activities and allow them to learn at their own pace. Math games can be included in a math center and can be catered to fit the current preschool theme. Simple math games can be created by setting out number cards and dried beans and asking preschoolers to count out the number of beans that each card needs.
Preschool teachers can create a variety of math games for math centers by observing the educational needs of the individual preschoolers in their class. Math centers can be used during structured center time or as a quiet time activity to fill in extra time at the end of the preschool schedule or while preschool teachers are preparing snacks or craft supplies for other projects.
Counting Games
Counting is a basic math skill that preschoolers need to master and can easily be taught and reinforced on a daily basis. Preschoolers should be encouraged to participate in games that require counting such as "Mother May I?", which requires children to count out steps or jumps as they play the game. Preschoolers can be asked to count the number of cars on the road, kids on the playground, etc. as they go about their daily activities.
Unit Blocks
Wooden unit blocks help teach preschoolers many essential math skills. Quality unit blocks are created as parts of a whole and can be put together to create larger units. By playing with unit blocks, preschoolers learn about fractions by fitting two triangles together to create one whole square.
Unit blocks also teach preschoolers important lessons about balance, geometry, counting, and comparison. Unit blocks can be used as part of free play, math centers, or structured learning activities for preschoolers.
Early math skills can be taught to preschoolers at a young age. Preschool teachers can encourage preschoolers to get excited about math activities by providing fun and educational learning exercises.
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