The Layered Jar Gather a small covered glass jar and several varieties of large dried beans: lima, kidney, pinto, etc. Mix the beans in one bowl, and ask your child to sort them into piles. Then he can layer the piles of beans in the jar in any order. Glue the cover onto the jar and put it on a shelf to enjoy! As a variation, collect materials from outside and layer them from smallest to largest: sand, pine needles, sticks, etc.
Put Them in a Row Prepare a game board grid by drawing or creating by computer a table with six, nine, or 25 squares--the older your child, the more spaces. Place sets of objects on the board so each row is filled with similar objects. In a nine-square board you might have three acorns, three shells, and three sticks in a row. Show your child the set up, give her a board, and ask her to duplicate it with another set of items. For older kids, show them a set up, take the objects away, and have them duplicate it.
Matching and Sorting Nature When outside, find things from nature for your child to match and sort. Have him close his eyes while you gather a flower, stick, rock, or anything with more of the same nearby. Have him open his eyes and ask him to find matches for each. Or gather several handfuls of things: acorns, pine cones, stones, flowers, etc. Have him sort them into piles.
Match the Sounds Save, or ask a camera store for, several empty 35mm film canisters. Gather small items that make a distinctive sound when shaken in the canister: beans, rice, sand, crumbled pine needles, etc. Fill two canisters with the same items and glue the covers on. Make at least three pairs of shakers with different things in them. Mix up the canisters and see if your child can match up pairs of sounds by shaking and distinguishing between the different sounds.
It Measures Up Look for opportunities to show your child sizes. For younger children, talk about bigger or smaller, heavier or lighter, longer or shorter. For older kids, talk about big, bigger, biggest; heavy, heavier, heaviest; long, longer, longest. For example, give her two or three sticks of different lengths and ask, "Which stick is longer?" Or "Show me which is long, longer, and longest."
