Count at home, no screen needed

Five games with real things

1. Fill the empty places. Like the ducks. Give your child an egg carton or a muffin tin and a handful of toys. One toy goes in each cup, and you say the number as it lands. An empty cup shows what is still to count.
2. Change one at a time. Like the flowers. Turn a row of cups upside down. Your child turns one up for each number you say. Each count changes exactly one thing.
3. One for each seat. Like the train. Line up cushions or chairs and give each teddy one seat. Ask whether every seat has one.
4. Hop and count. Like the frog. Count each stair, paving stone, or chalk square out loud as your child hops onto it. One hop, one number.
5. Make tens. Like the berries. For an older child, put ten pieces of pasta in each cup, then count the full cups: “ten, twenty, thirty”. Count the leftovers after them.

For a child who still puts things in their mouth, use big things: shoes, spoons, cushions, teddies.

Counting with a two-year-old, and with a four-year-old

With a two-year-old, keep it small: two, three, maybe five. Touch each thing as you say its number. Let them copy you, and do not correct every slip. Saying numbers in a rhythm with you is a fine start.

With a four-year-old, let them lead. Ask them to count, then ask, “So how many are there?” The last number they said is the answer. Try counting past ten, counting in tens, or putting the same five things in a new line and counting again. It is still five.

When to stop

Stop while it is still fun. A few minutes is plenty. If your child wanders off, the game is over for today; there is nothing to finish and no score to keep. Counting the same three socks again tomorrow is enough.

Counting also fits into ordinary moments: stairs on the way up, plates on the table, buttons on a coat.

A few lines to say

“One, two, three. Three ducks!”

“Which one have we not counted yet?”

“Does every teddy have a seat?”

“One more hop. What comes next?”

“Ten in this cup, and two left over.”