Maths Activity Using Stickers for Your Preschooler

Chances are your kindergartener loves stickers. They're fun to use for craft and simple play. But, did it ever occur to you that they can also be used by your child to practise and perfect her maths skills? Here's a fun way to get your child to learn to count by using stickers.

Place a few stickers on a sheet of paper, then have her match them one-for-one. Teachers call this activity one-on-one correspondence. This activity will help your kindergartener understand how to count numbers and learn basic addition skills. And, with stickers involved, she won't mind doing it over and over again!

What You Need:

• Two sets of different, non-assorted stickers (stickers in simple shapes and solid colours work best here, such as a sheet of stars, hearts, or smiley faces)
  
• Five to ten sheets of colourful paper
  
• A marker pen
  

What You Do:

1. First fold the sheets of paper into halves - in the hamburger-style. Then, cut them into halves along the crease.
   
2. On each sheet of paper, stick a set of stickers in a line (vertically on some, horizontally on others). The number of stickers you can stick on a page can be anywhere between one and ten. Take care to vary the number for each page.
   
3. When you have finished, spread the pages out on a table or the floor. Tell your child that you've been hard at work making some beautiful sticker art, but that they're missing something.
   
4. Give her a sheet of stickers different than the ones you used. For example, if you used the stars, hand her the hearts. This way you'll be able to tell your sets apart without them getting mixed up.
   
5. Ask her to stick one sticker of hers for every sticker that you've put on the page. For example, if you've put four stickers on the page, your child should put four more. Do one together to help her get started.
   
6. Encourage your child to check her work. Ask her to point with her finger as you count your set of stickers and then hers. Compare to see if the numbers match.
   
7. Hand her the marker pen and have her write the number of the set at the bottom of the sheet. For example, on the set of four, there will now be eight stickers (your four plus her four), but have her write the number four (not eight) at the bottom. This is a fun way to get your child to practise counting, adding and writing numbers!
   

Wasn't this activity real fun? So, keep away your paper and pencil, and come up with activities such as these to teach maths to your child. Not only will it keep her entertained, but will also make her understand that maths is fun to learn.

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Looking for fun ways to keep your preschooler engaged at home during the pandemic? Check out Little Learners at Home, a home learning programme specifically designed for 3 to 5 year olds by our team of experts.