Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Math Is Everywhere
GR-math-1
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Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Math Is Everywhere
Keep children engaged when you have to wait
- Note sequences and patterns
Order is important in math. Notice sequences with your child: “Looks like we’re the second in line!” Find simple patterns together, such as the colors of floor tiles or how far apart light fixtures are placed. - Spot spatial relations
This has to do with shapes and locations of objects. You can “hunt” for shapes together: squares, triangles, rectangles, and circles. Use words like on, under, and inside to describe where you see the shapes. Drawing shapes in the air can also be fun. - Estimate and predict
Children often like to make educated guesses. “Which is higher, a stack of five dimes or five pennies?” Make a guess first, and then check to see how close your guess came. - Measure and estimate time
Your child may like timing games: “How many times can you count to 10 before we are first in line?” “How long can you stand on one leg?”
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This resource is a part of a series:
- Things to Do While You’re Waiting
About this Resource
Setting(s) for which the article is intended:
Intended audience(s):
Age Levels (the age of the children to whom the article applies):
Related IEL Birth to Three Guidelines:
Related Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards:
- Child Care Center
- Family Child Care
- Home
- Kindergarten
- Preschool Program
Intended audience(s):
- Faculty / Trainer
- Parents / Family
- Teachers / Service providers
Age Levels (the age of the children to whom the article applies):
- Infants and Toddlers (Birth To Age 3)
- Kindergarten
- Preschoolers (Age 3 Through Age 5)
Related IEL Birth to Three Guidelines:
- Approaches to Learning
- Concept Development
- Creative Expression
- Curiosity & Initiative
- Developmental Domain 4: Cognitive Development
- Logic & Reasoning
- Memory
- Quantity & Numbers
- Spatial Relationships
Related Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards:
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