# Early numbers and thinking

Canonical URL: https://www.kigomo.com/decks/early-numeracy-thinking

Last updated: 2026-10-12T19:22:47.197Z

Hands\-on play with counting, sorting and cause and effect that lays the ground for maths and problem solving\.

Category: Books

## Cards in this deck

### [Peekaboo with a board book](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/peekaboo-with-a-board-book)

Hold a sturdy board book and cover the pictures with your hand, then lift it away and warmly name what appears\. Let your baby reach out and pat the pages\.

- Age range: Up to 2 years
- Duration: 5 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Books
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Hide and find
- Materials: Board book

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/peekaboo-with-a-board-book/content.md)

### [Play peekaboo together](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/play-peekaboo-together)

Hide your face behind your hands or a soft cloth, then reveal it with a happy \\"peekaboo\!\\" Repeat slowly and watch your baby light up each time\.

- Age range: Up to 2 years
- Duration: 5 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Hide and find
- Materials: Soft cloth or blanket

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/play-peekaboo-together/content.md)

### [Pull scarves from a box](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/pull-scarves-from-a-box)

Stuff a few large muslin cloths or scarves into an empty tissue box, leaving one corner poking out\. Sit beside your baby and cheer as they tug each one free, then load the box again\.

- Age range: 6 months–2 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Montessori
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Empty tissue box; Large scarves or muslin cloths
- Safety note: Use only large cloths, stay within arm's reach, and put them away when play ends\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/pull-scarves-from-a-box/content.md)

### [Post balls into a box](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/post-balls-into-a-box)

Hand your baby a few soft balls and a box with a hole cut in the lid\. Cheer each time they push one through, then tip them out to start again\.

- Age range: 6 months–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Montessori
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Hide and find
- Materials: Cardboard box; Soft balls
- Safety note: Use balls too big to fit in the mouth and stay close\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/post-balls-into-a-box/content.md)

### [Fit one puzzle piece at a time](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fit-one-puzzle-piece-at-a-time)

Give your child a chunky knob puzzle with three or four animal or vehicle pieces\. Hand over one piece, name the picture, and let them try spots until it fits\. Turn the puzzle toward them if they hesitate\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Problem solving
- Materials: Chunky wooden picture knob puzzle \(animals or vehicles\) with 3\-4 pieces
- Safety note: Use large pieces that cannot fit in the mouth, and stay close while your child plays\. Check every knob is firmly fixed\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fit-one-puzzle-piece-at-a-time/content.md)

### [Flip the light switch on and off](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/flip-the-light-switch-on-and-off)

Lift your toddler up to a wall light switch and say \\"on\\" as they push it, then \\"off\\" as they push it back\. Look up at the light together each time, and pause to see if they say the word with you\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 5 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Home
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: No special materials listed.
- Safety note: Hold your toddler firmly the whole time, use only ordinary wall switches, and keep their hands away from outlets and cords\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/flip-the-light-switch-on-and-off/content.md)

### [Hold a ribbon in the wind](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/hold-a-ribbon-in-the-wind)

Hold one end of a short ribbon together on a breezy day\. Watch it flutter and flick, then move your arm to make it swoop\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Early science
- Materials: Short, wide ribbon
- Safety note: Keep the ribbon shorter than 30 cm \(12 in\), never loop it around a neck or wrist, and stay close\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/hold-a-ribbon-in-the-wind/content.md)

### [Knock down a cushion tower](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/knock-down-a-cushion-tower)

Stack three or four sofa cushions on the floor, then let your toddler push them over\. Build the tower again and say \\"ready, set\\" before each tumble\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Home
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Sofa cushions
- Safety note: Build on a clear, soft floor away from furniture corners, and keep cushions low enough that none can fall far\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/knock-down-a-cushion-tower/content.md)

### [Lift the lid to find the toy](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/lift-the-lid-to-find-the-toy)

Put a favorite toy in a shoebox while your toddler watches, and set the lid loosely on top\. Help them lift the lid to find it, then close and try again\. Make the lid easier or harder to lift as they grow\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Montessori
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Hide and find
- Materials: Shoebox with a loose lid; A toy bigger than a toilet\-paper tube
- Safety note: Check the box for staples and sharp edges, use a toy bigger than a toilet\-paper tube, and stay within arm's reach\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/lift-the-lid-to-find-the-toy/content.md)

### [Match lids to containers](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/match-lids-to-containers)

Set out a few plastic containers with their lids mixed up, and help your toddler find which lid fits which pot\. Clap together each time a pair snaps into place\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Matching
- Materials: Plastic containers; Lids
- Safety note: Offer only large lids and stay close, since small pieces can be a choking hazard\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/match-lids-to-containers/content.md)

### [Press the pop\-up toy buttons](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/press-the-pop-up-toy-buttons)

Show your toddler a pop\-up toy with doors, knobs or buttons\. Press one together so an animal pops up, say its name, then let them find the next button\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Pop\-up toy
- Safety note: Choose a toy with no loose small parts, and stay within arm's reach\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/press-the-pop-up-toy-buttons/content.md)

### [Tap a roly\-poly toy](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/tap-a-roly-poly-toy)

Set a roly\-poly wobbler on a smooth floor\. Tap it gently and watch it rock back upright\. Guide your toddler's hand to give it a tap, then let them try\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 5 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Roly\-poly wobbler toy
- Safety note: Choose a toy with a sealed base and no loose parts, and supervise\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/tap-a-roly-poly-toy/content.md)

### [Watch a ball drop through a tube](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/watch-a-ball-drop-through-a-tube)

Prop a wide cardboard poster tube at an angle on a cushion\. Drop a soft ball or a rolled\-up pair of socks in the top and let your toddler watch it roll out the bottom, then help them drop one in\. Try it from different sides\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Montessori
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Hide and find
- Materials: Wide cardboard poster tube; Soft ball or rolled\-up socks; Cushion
- Safety note: Use a ball or rolled\-up socks too big to fit through a toilet\-paper tube \(about 1\.75 in / 4\.5 cm\), and stay within arm's reach\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/watch-a-ball-drop-through-a-tube/content.md)

### [Watch a wind\-up toy walk](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/watch-a-wind-up-toy-walk)

Wind a simple toy and set it on the floor\. Let your toddler watch it wobble along, then ask them to help you wind it again\. Pick it up and try it on a different surface\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 5 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Early science
- Materials: Wind\-up toy
- Safety note: An adult does the winding\. Choose one labeled for under\-3s with enclosed gears and no small detachable parts, keep it away from hair and fingers while it runs, and supervise\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/watch-a-wind-up-toy-walk/content.md)

### [Count on your fingers in a song](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/count-on-your-fingers-in-a-song)

Hold up one hand and sing a counting rhyme like five little ducks, folding down a finger for each duck that swims away\. Point to each finger as you say its number\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Counting
- Materials: No special materials listed.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/count-on-your-fingers-in-a-song/content.md)

### [Count to three before the whoosh](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/count-to-three-before-the-whoosh)

Before a swing, a push on a toy, or knocking a tower down, count \\"one, two, three\\" slowly and then say \\"whoosh\\"\. Wait for your toddler to look at you before you start the count\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 5 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Counting
- Materials: No special materials listed.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/count-to-three-before-the-whoosh/content.md)

### [Fetch the thing from the page](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fetch-the-thing-from-the-page)

Point to an everyday object on a page, like a shoe, a spoon, or a cup\. Ask your toddler to go and find the real one, bring it back, and put it next to the picture so you can see them together\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Books
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Matching
- Materials: Picture book; Everyday objects
- Safety note: Choose safe, unbreakable objects, with nothing sharp or smaller than a toilet\-paper tube\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fetch-the-thing-from-the-page/content.md)

### [Fill and empty a bucket outside](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fill-and-empty-a-bucket-outside)

Hand your toddler a small bucket outdoors and help them load it with pinecones, big stones, or fallen leaves\. Let them tip the whole lot out and start again as many times as they like\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Filling and emptying
- Materials: Small bucket
- Safety note: Choose pinecones and stones too big to swallow and stay within arm's reach\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fill-and-empty-a-bucket-outside/content.md)

### [Gather sticks into a pile](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/gather-sticks-into-a-pile)

On a walk or in the yard, look for short, thick sticks together\. Let your toddler carry each one to a pile, talk about which are long, short, bumpy or smooth, and see how big the pile can get\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Early science
- Materials: No special materials listed.
- Safety note: Choose short, thick sticks without sharp ends, walk rather than run with them, keep them away from faces and mouths, and wash hands afterward\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/gather-sticks-into-a-pile/content.md)

### [Leave wet footprints](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/leave-wet-footprints)

Let your toddler step in a shallow tray of water, then walk them across a dry patio or sidewalk\. Look back at the prints and watch them fade in the sun\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Shallow tray; Water
- Safety note: Never leave a child alone near water\. Keep the tray to an inch of water, pick a flat non\-slip spot, and tip it out when you finish\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/leave-wet-footprints/content.md)

### [Load and dump a toy truck](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/load-and-dump-a-toy-truck)

Fill the back of a toy dump truck with large blocks or soft toys, push it across the room, then tip the load out in a pile\. Load it up again and drive to a new spot\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Filling and emptying
- Materials: Toy dump truck; Large blocks or soft toys
- Safety note: Use loads bigger than a toilet\-paper tube, and supervise\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/load-and-dump-a-toy-truck/content.md)

### [Push down a spinning top](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/push-down-a-spinning-top)

Set a big push\-down spinning top on a hard floor\. Pump the handle until it spins and hums, then put your toddler's hands on the handle under yours and push together\. Watch the colors blur and wait for it to wobble to a stop\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Push\-down spinning top
- Safety note: Choose a top made for under\-3s with no small parts, and keep fingers away from the spinning edge\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/push-down-a-spinning-top/content.md)

### [Sort balls and blocks into two baskets](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sort-balls-and-blocks-into-two-baskets)

Put a pile of soft balls and big blocks on the floor with two baskets\. Drop a ball in one basket and a block in the other, say what each is, then hand your toddler the next one\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Sorting
- Materials: Two baskets; Soft balls; Large blocks
- Safety note: Use pieces bigger than a toilet\-paper tube and stay close\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sort-balls-and-blocks-into-two-baskets/content.md)

### [Stack empty boxes into a tower](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/stack-empty-boxes-into-a-tower)

Wrap or tape shut a few empty tissue, cereal and shoe boxes to make big light blocks\. Stack them on the floor with your toddler, then knock them over and start again\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Empty boxes; Tape
- Safety note: Tape every flap shut and clear the floor around the tower\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/stack-empty-boxes-into-a-tower/content.md)

### [Stomp in fresh snow](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/stomp-in-fresh-snow)

Bundle up and step into a patch of fresh snow\. Stomp to make footprints, look back at the trail you made together, then scoop a little snow onto a mitten and watch it fall\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Warm coat; Boots; Mittens
- Safety note: Dress in layers, cover ears, and check fingers and toes\. Keep play short, change out of wet mittens, and head in if they are shivering or unusually quiet\. Stay away from roads and icy patches, and do not let your toddler eat the snow\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/stomp-in-fresh-snow/content.md)

### [Stomp on bubble wrap](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/stomp-on-bubble-wrap)

Tape a long strip of bubble wrap to the floor, bubbles up\. Hold your toddler's hands and walk across it together, listening to the pops, then let them stomp, jump, or slide their feet along it\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Home
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Bubble wrap; Painter's tape
- Safety note: Stay close and tape every edge down so it does not slide\. Keep the plastic away from your toddler's face and mouth, and put it out of reach straight after play, because torn pieces are a choking risk\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/stomp-on-bubble-wrap/content.md)

### [Watch your shadow move](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/watch-your-shadow-move)

On a sunny day, stand with your back to the sun and wave an arm so your toddler can see the shadow wave back\. Stomp on it, tiptoe away from it, and let them chase yours\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Early science
- Materials: No special materials listed.
- Safety note: Stay in a flat, open spot away from roads, and use shade, a hat, and sunscreen as the day calls for\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/watch-your-shadow-move/content.md)

### [Fit shapes into a first sorter](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fit-shapes-into-a-first-sorter)

Sit with a simple shape sorter and show how a block drops through the matching hole\. Let your child try each piece, turning it until it fits, and hold the box steady if it slides\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Shapes
- Materials: Shape sorter
- Safety note: Check that every piece is too big to fit in the mouth and stay close while your child plays\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fit-shapes-into-a-first-sorter/content.md)

### [Match toy animals to pictures](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/match-toy-animals-to-pictures)

Lay out a few toy animals and a few animal pictures cut from a magazine or drawn on cards\. Show your toddler how to put the cow on the cow card, then see which they can match on their own\. Name each animal and make its sound\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Matching
- Materials: Toy animals; Animal picture cards
- Safety note: Use toy animals bigger than a toilet\-paper tube, with no loose parts, and stay nearby\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/match-toy-animals-to-pictures/content.md)

### [Watch a pinwheel spin](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/watch-a-pinwheel-spin)

Hold a pinwheel up in the breeze or blow on it softly so your toddler sees it whirl\. Hold it in front of them so they can blow too, then hold it still to see it slow down\.

- Age range: 1–3 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Toddler\-safe pinwheel
- Safety note: Choose a pinwheel labeled for toddlers with no exposed pin\. An adult holds it while your toddler blows or watches\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/watch-a-pinwheel-spin/content.md)

### [Lay a train track](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/lay-a-train-track)

Snap together wooden or plastic train track on the floor and talk about where the train goes\. Let your toddler add a piece, push the train round, and fix any gaps together\.

- Age range: 1–4 years
- Duration: 20 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Problem solving
- Materials: Train track; Toy train
- Safety note: Use pieces bigger than a toilet\-paper tube, and check that any magnets are sealed in and not loose\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/lay-a-train-track/content.md)

### [Collect leaves on a walk](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/collect-leaves-on-a-walk)

Take a short walk and invite your child to choose leaves with different colors and shapes\.

- Age range: 2–6 years
- Duration: 30 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Early science
- Materials: Small bag

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/collect-leaves-on-a-walk/content.md)

### [Compare big and small](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/compare-big-and-small)

Put out two sizes of the same thing, like a big and a small cup, bowl, or spoon\. Ask which is bigger, hand over the small one, then try a new pair\.

- Age range: 2–4 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Comparing sizes
- Materials: Pairs of big and small objects, such as cups, bowls, or spoons
- Safety note: Pick small objects that are still too big to fit in the mouth\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/compare-big-and-small/content.md)

### [Count the steps as you go](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/count-the-steps-as-you-go)

Count each step aloud as you climb stairs, walk along the sidewalk, or hop up the doorstep\. Slow down at each number, and let your toddler count along\. Point at the last step and say how many\.

- Age range: 2–4 years
- Duration: 5 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Counting
- Materials: No special materials listed.
- Safety note: Hold your toddler's hand on stairs, stay beside them, and only count stairs that have a gate or rail\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/count-the-steps-as-you-go/content.md)

### [Make a color hunt tray](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-a-color-hunt-tray)

Pick one color and invite your child to find three safe objects that match it\.

- Age range: 2–6 years
- Duration: 12 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Matching
- Materials: Tray; Three colorful objects
- Safety note: Choose objects that are too large to swallow\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/make-a-color-hunt-tray/content.md)

### [Race cars down a ramp](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/race-cars-down-a-ramp)

Prop a board or sturdy book against the sofa to make a ramp and take turns rolling toy cars down it, cheering to see whose goes farthest\.

- Age range: 2–5 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Toy cars; A board or sturdy book
- Safety note: Keep the ramp low and clear the landing space of hard objects\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/race-cars-down-a-ramp/content.md)

### [Sort toys by color](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sort-toys-by-color)

Gather a handful of colorful toys and two bowls, then sort the red things into one and the blue into another alongside your child\. Name each color out loud as it drops in\.

- Age range: 2–4 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Sorting
- Materials: Colorful toys; Bowls

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sort-toys-by-color/content.md)

### [Toss pebbles into a puddle](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/toss-pebbles-into-a-puddle)

After the rain, find a puddle together and take turns dropping in little pebbles, watching the ripples spread and listening for each plop\.

- Age range: 2–6 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: A few pebbles
- Safety note: Choose pebbles too big to swallow and stay within arm's reach near any water\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/toss-pebbles-into-a-puddle/content.md)

### [Which step are we on?](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/which-step-are-we-on)

Stand together on a middle step and ask, \\"Which step are we on?\\" Say the number, then climb one step at a time and ask again\. On the way down, hold hands and count backward without touching the steps\.

- Age range: 2–4 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Counting
- Materials: No special materials listed.
- Safety note: Hold the handrail and stay one step below your child, going up and coming down\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/which-step-are-we-on/content.md)

### [Build a simple pattern](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/build-a-simple-pattern)

Line up blocks or buttons in a repeating pattern — red, blue, red, blue — and ask your child what comes next\. Take turns starting new patterns for each other to continue\.

- Age range: 3–6 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Patterns
- Materials: Blocks or buttons
- Safety note: Keep small buttons away from children who still put objects in their mouths\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/build-a-simple-pattern/content.md)

### [Count everyday objects together](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/count-everyday-objects-together)

Count real things around you together — stairs as you climb, apples in a bowl, buttons on a coat — touching each one as you say the number\. Let your child lead when they can\.

- Age range: 3–5 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Counting
- Materials: No special materials listed.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/count-everyday-objects-together/content.md)

### [Fish the toys out of the water](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fish-the-toys-out-of-the-water)

Put a plastic bin or dishpan on a towel on the floor and add a few inches of water, then drop in some plastic toys\. Give your child a spoon, a small sieve, and a cup, and let them figure out how to get each toy out\. Ask what worked best\.

- Age range: 3–6 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Home
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Problem solving
- Materials: Plastic bin or dishpan; Towel; Plastic toys; Spoon; Small sieve; Cup
- Safety note: Stay within arm's reach and keep your eyes on your child the whole time, even with only a few inches of water, because a small child can drown in very little\. Do not use the bathtub, keep the water away from outlets and cords, wipe up splashes so the floor is not slippery, and empty the bin as soon as you finish\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/fish-the-toys-out-of-the-water/content.md)

### [Hunt for backyard bugs](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/hunt-for-backyard-bugs)

Lift a rock or peek under leaves together and quietly watch the bugs your child spots going about their day\.

- Age range: 3–6 years
- Duration: 25 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Early science
- Materials: Magnifying glass
- Safety note: Look but don't touch, and wash hands afterward\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/hunt-for-backyard-bugs/content.md)

### [Line up the laundry from small to big](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/line-up-the-laundry-from-small-to-big)

Pick five clean things from the laundry, like a sock, a washcloth, a T\-shirt, a pillowcase, and a bath towel\. Ask your child to lay them in a line from smallest to biggest, then check together by laying each one on top of the next\.

- Age range: 3–6 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Home
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Comparing sizes
- Materials: Clean laundry
- Safety note: Sort away from the laundry area, and keep detergent, pods, and other laundry products locked away\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/line-up-the-laundry-from-small-to-big/content.md)

### [Pair up clean socks](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/pair-up-clean-socks)

Tip a basket of clean socks onto the bed and help your child find each sock's match and fold the pairs together\.

- Age range: 3–6 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Home
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Matching
- Materials: Clean socks

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/pair-up-clean-socks/content.md)

### [Sort buttons by color](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sort-buttons-by-color)

Tip a handful of buttons onto a tray and set out a cup for each color\. Sort a few together, then let your child finish the rest\.

- Age range: 3–5 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Montessori
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Sorting
- Materials: Assorted buttons; Small cups; Tray
- Safety note: Supervise closely — buttons are small enough to swallow\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/sort-buttons-by-color/content.md)

### [Spot numbers on a walk](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/spot-numbers-on-a-walk)

Walk around the block and point out numbers you pass, on house doors, buses, mailboxes, and signs\. Ask your child to find a number they know, or the biggest number they can see, and say it out loud together\.

- Age range: 3–6 years
- Duration: 20 min
- Location: Outside
- Category: Outdoors
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Number recognition
- Materials: No special materials listed.
- Safety note: Hold hands near roads and driveways, cross only at crossings, and walk on the traffic side yourself\. Stop walking before you point out a number, so eyes stay on the path\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/spot-numbers-on-a-walk/content.md)

### [Test what sinks or floats](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/test-what-sinks-or-floats)

Fill a bowl with water and gather a few safe objects, then guess together which will sink or float before dropping each one in\.

- Age range: 3–6 years
- Duration: 20 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Early science
- Materials: Bowl of water; Safe objects
- Safety note: Stay within arm's reach near water and keep it shallow\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/test-what-sinks-or-floats/content.md)

### [Which plate has more?](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/which-plate-has-more)

Put a few crackers on one plate and a different number on another, and ask which plate has more and which has fewer\. Count them together to check, then let your child move one over to make the plates match before they eat\.

- Age range: 3–6 years
- Duration: 10 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Home
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Number sense
- Materials: Plain crackers or cereal rounds; Two plates
- Safety note: Use foods your child already eats safely, and have them sit down to eat with an adult nearby\. If you swap in grapes, cherry tomatoes, or other round foods, cut them into quarters lengthwise\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/which-plate-has-more/content.md)

### [Count with a bead frame, no fingers](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/count-with-a-bead-frame-no-fingers)

Use a simple bead frame or abacus and have your child solve small addition problems by moving beads instead of counting fingers\.

- Age range: 4–6 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Number sense
- Materials: Abacus or bead frame

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/count-with-a-bead-frame-no-fingers/content.md)

### [Hunt for shapes at home](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/hunt-for-shapes-at-home)

Walk through the house together looking for circles, squares, and triangles — a clock, a window, a slice of toast\. Name each shape aloud as you spot it\.

- Age range: 4–6 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Shapes
- Materials: No special materials listed.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/hunt-for-shapes-at-home/content.md)

### [Line up a domino run](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/line-up-a-domino-run)

Stand dominoes or blocks in a wobbly line together, then let your child tip the first one and watch the whole run topple\.

- Age range: 4–6 years
- Duration: 20 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Toys
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Cause and effect
- Materials: Dominoes or blocks

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/line-up-a-domino-run/content.md)

### [Measure things with a string](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/measure-things-with-a-string)

Cut a length of string, then hold it against objects around the house to see which are longer and which are shorter\. Cut a new piece to match something that interests your child\.

- Age range: 4–6 years
- Duration: 15 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Learning
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Measuring
- Materials: String; Scissors \(adult only\); Objects to measure
- Safety note: An adult cuts the string and stays with your child while they use it\. Keep string away from necks, and put the string away afterwards\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/measure-things-with-a-string/content.md)

### [Weigh the flour for a recipe](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/weigh-the-flour-for-a-recipe)

Set a bowl on a kitchen scale, press zero, and let your child spoon in flour until the number on the display matches the recipe\. Read the number together and say when to stop\. Then you take over the heat and the pan\.

- Age range: 4–6 years
- Duration: 20 min
- Location: At home
- Category: Home
- Type: Activity
- Benefit: Measuring
- Materials: Kitchen scale with a digital display; Bowl; Flour; Spoon
- Safety note: An adult handles the stove, hot pan, and any knives, and keeps your child away from the heat\. Have your child stand on a stable step stool, not a chair, and stay beside them\. Raw flour is not safe to taste, so wash hands after, and wipe up spills so the floor is not slippery\.

[Full card in Markdown](https://www.kigomo.com/cards/weigh-the-flour-for-a-recipe/content.md)