Muffin math

The other morning my son and I made muffins for breakfast. He always wants to help, so I handed him the container of muffin liners and the muffin tin and let him go to town. Suddenly, it dawned on me that this was a great opportunity for adding and subtracting, without him even realizing it!

He was mid-way through filling the tin with liners, and I asked him to stop for a minute. First, we counted how many liners he’d already put in, then counted how many he still needed to do. Next, we counted how many total muffins we could make (12)… So, liners in + cups to be filled = 12.

Now, what happens if we take one of those liners out? How many liners are in place? How many still need to be filled? Hmm… those two new numbers still equal 12.

Measuring up

Ready for a secret? All you need to keep your 2.5-5 year old entertained for a LONG time is a retractable fabric (or vinyl) measuring tape! My son received a real metal one with a gift, but that one retracts too quickly and can easily cut those little hands that don’t know to be out of the way, so that one now lives in the garage. However, the measuring tape that I keep with  my sewing supplies is a much safer substitute… and worth at least 15 minutes of fun all on his own!

If your little one doesn’t already know the magic of pulling out the tape, then pushing the “magic” button to make it retract, be sure to show him/her that first. This may be enough fun for the first go-round with the measuring tape!

Once your child is comfortable with how it works, let him/her play with it to “measure” things on his/her own. Ask your child how long his/her favorite toy is, or how tall his/her favorite chair is. Work together to discover how long his/her arm is, and how tall he/she is (doing this in front of a full-length mirror makes it a lot more concrete for young minds, and gives an opportunity to make some great funny faces while you’re at it).

This is a great chance to talk about numbers, recognize numbers, talk about what “half” means, compare numbers, etc.

You may even want to enlist your new measuring expert to “help” you determine if a piece of furniture or a toy will fit in a certain designated space. Ask your child to measure the item, then measure the space. Write down the numbers. Which one is bigger? Will it fit? If your child answers incorrectly, let him/her see if the item will fit by him/herself.

Table of Contents: guide to the good stuff

Recently I’ve noticed that many of our favorite children’s book collections have been reprinted as compilations. Not only do these larger books save shelf space, they also provide a great new tool… a table of contents! This is the section of a book that most people tend to overlook, but it is actually a fabulous place to stop and spend some time with your child.

Rather than just flipping through the book to find your child’s choice of bedtime story, take the time to read through the table of contents together. Explain that the table of contents is like a map for the book — it helps you figure out where you want to go, and tells you how to get there.

One of our favorites is “A Treasury of Curious George” by Margret and H.A. Rey. Every time we read this book, we open to the table of contents and figure out what story to read. This book is a great one to use for introducing how to use the table of contents because it not only lists the titles of the stories, but also has a small illustration to go with each.

After choosing the story, ask your child to read the number that is next to the story title in the table of contents. This is a great opportunity to work on number recognition, especially in this book since there are over 100 pages in it. Explain that that number is the page number for the story. Show your child how the number listed next to the title matches the page number you need to find in the book; you can liken it to a treasure map, with the story of choice being the treasure!

Ask your child to find the chosen story in the book by using the page numbers, and not just flipping haphazardly through the book. This will eventually help your child to compare numbers when searching for the right page. You can guide your child through the thought process of, “Is the number I’m looking for smaller than or bigger than (less than or greater than) the number on the page in my hand?”

The possibilities for learning are endless! And to think, most people tend to flip right past the table of contents to get to the “good stuff!”

Use a magnetic calendar

When children approach age 3, they often begin to have a fascination with time, but don’t yet have a way to grasp it. You may answer their excited question of, “When does the garbage truck come?” with “Tuesday,” but that means nothing if the child doesn’t know when Tuesday will come around again. Magnetic calendars are a great way to make this abstract concept much more concrete for your little one. There are many on the market, but the one I’ve found to be the best deal for the price is sold at Super Target, in the puzzle section. I think it was around $10, no more than $15, and I see years and years of use in its future. (I can not find it online, otherwise I would post a link. As of the date of this posting, they are still on the shelves at Super Target. A good, but more expensive, substitute is the magnetic calendar by Melissa & Doug.) The calendar comes with magnets for the dates, months, years, holidays, weather, activities, “firsts,” and other events. Depending on your child’s age and maturity level, you might choose to hang the calendar at his or her level, or you may need to keep it out of reach (to avoid the choking hazard of the magnets, especially if you have a toddler around).  We use the magnets on our calendar to keep track of what days we have doctor appointments, hair cuts, trips to the museum, trips to the library, when our library books are due, when we’re going on vacation, etc. We’ve even made our own markers using Post-it notes for when grandparents are coming to visit, and for that all important day of the week when the garbage truck stops by! (Garbage day is practically a holiday to most little boys!) The calendar also has magnets for the weather, so your little one can play “weather reporter” and update the weather daily (or as it changes through the day). An added plus is that the calendar will help with number recognition, counting, and, eventually, adding. So, the next time your little one asks what day it is, or when tumbling will be, send him or her to look at the calendar!