Math skills are fundamental for a child’s cognitive development, especially for preschoolers. Learning basic mathematical concepts such as counting, number recognition, addition, and subtraction can be fun and engaging with the right activities. Here is a list of 20 seasonal math activities for preschoolers that are designed to make learning math a hands-on, playful, and engaging experience throughout the year.
Fall Math Activities
1. Counting Autumn Leaves
As the trees shed their leaves in the fall, they provide a perfect opportunity for a counting activity. Collect different shapes, sizes, and colors of leaves from your backyard or a nearby park and let your preschoolers count them. They can also sort the leaves by colors or sizes, enhancing their classification skills. Don’t forget to discuss the different types of leaves and the changing seasons!
2. Pumpkin Seed Counting
After carving your Halloween pumpkins, don’t throw away the seeds. They can be used for a fun counting activity. Ask your preschooler to count the seeds from each pumpkin and compare the numbers. This activity not only helps with counting but also introduces the concept of more and less.
Halloween Themed Math Activities
3. Pumpkin Face Shapes
Carving pumpkins for Halloween can be a great way to learn about shapes. As you carve different shapes (a circular mouth, triangular eyes, etc.), discuss each shape with your preschooler. You can also ask them to draw their pumpkin face using different shapes.
4. Candy Counting and Sorting
After trick or treating, you can turn the candy haul into a math activity. Ask your child to count their candies and sort them by type or color. This activity helps with counting and classification.
Thanksgiving Math Activities
5. Turkey Feather Counting
Thanksgiving is synonymous with turkeys. A turkey feather counting activity can be a fun way to practice counting. Draw a turkey and cut out several paper feathers. Then, ask your child to stick the feathers on the turkey and count them.
6. Thanksgiving Dinner Serving Activity
Before the Thanksgiving dinner, you can involve your preschooler in a serving activity. Ask them to set the table and give them tasks such as placing 5 spoons, 4 forks, 3 knives, etc. This activity helps with counting and introduces the concept of one-to-one correspondence (one plate for each person, one spoon for each person, etc.).
Winter Math Activities
7. Snowball Addition
If you live in an area where it snows, creating a snowball addition game is a fun way to practice math. Make a pile of snowballs and assign a number to each. Then, ask your child to add together two sets of snowballs. For example, if you ask them to add 3 snowballs and 2 snowballs, they can physically do this and see the result. It’s a great way to visualize math problems!
8. Indoor Mitten Matching
In case of a snowy day, an indoor mitten matching game can be a fun math activity for preschoolers. It’s simple: take several pairs of mittens, mix them up, and ask your child to match them. This activity helps children recognize patterns and enhances their attention to detail.
Christmas Math Activities
9. Christmas Ornament Counting
Decorating the Christmas tree can become a fun math activity for preschoolers. Ask them to count the ornaments as they hang them on the tree. You can also introduce addition and subtraction by asking questions like “How many ornaments will we have if we add three more?” or “How many will we have left if we take away two?”.
10. Gingerbread House Geometry
Building a gingerbread house is not only a fun Christmas activity, but it’s also a great way to introduce the concepts of shapes and geometry. As your preschooler constructs the house, talk about the shapes they are using (squares for the walls, triangles for the roof, etc.). You can also discuss concepts like symmetry and patterns as they decorate the house.
Spring Math Activities
11. Flower Petal Counting
With the arrival of spring, flowers start to bloom, providing a perfect opportunity for a counting activity. Ask your child to count the petals on each flower. This activity not only helps with counting but also introduces the concept of multiplication as many flowers have the same number of petals.
12. Raindrop Addition
Spring is also known for its rainy days. On a rainy day, you can introduce a raindrop addition activity. Draw several clouds on a piece of paper and stick blue dot stickers (representing raindrops) under them. Then, ask your child to add the raindrops from two clouds.
Earth Day Math Activities
13. Recycling Sorting Game
Celebrate Earth Day with a recycling sorting game. Gather several items to recycle (paper, plastic, glass, etc.) and ask your child to sort them into different bins. This activity is not only good for the planet, but it also helps children learn about classification.
14. Plant Counting
If you’re planting a garden for Earth Day, involve your child in the process. Ask them to count the seeds as you plant them or count the plants as they start to grow. This activity helps with counting and introduces the concept of growth and change.
Easter Math Activities
15. Easter Egg Hunt Counting
Turn the traditional Easter egg hunt into a math activity. As your child finds the eggs, ask them to count them. You can also hide different numbers of candies in each egg and ask your child to count the candies as they open each egg.
16. Bunny Hop Counting Game
Create a bunny hop counting game for your preschooler. Draw several bunny footprints on a piece of paper and ask your child to count them as they hop along the path. This activity helps with counting and gross motor skills.
Apple Math Activities
17. Apple Counting
In the fall, apples are a popular theme. Use real apples, apple stickers, or apple cutouts for a counting activity. Ask your child to count the apples, sort them by color or size, or create patterns with them.
18. Apple Seed Counting
After an apple snack, don’t throw away the core. Use the seeds for a counting activity. Ask your child to count the seeds from each apple and compare the numbers.
Summer-y Ocean Math Activities
19. Shell Counting and Sorting
If you live near the beach or planning a beach vacation, collecting shells can be a fun math activity. Ask your child to count the shells they collect and sort them by size, shape, or color.
20. Fish School Counting
Create a school of paper fish and ask your child to count them. You can also introduce addition and subtraction by adding or removing fish from the school. This activity is a fun way to learn about numbers and operations.
The above-mentioned math activities for preschoolers are not only fun but also educational, offering a great way for little ones to learn basic math skills.
If you’re a busy parent or if you’re looking for someone who can help your child with these DIY activities, consider using UrbanSitter to find babysitters and nannies who specialize in working with preschoolers. They even have educators with skills in math and science who can set up these types of math activities for your child. So, if you don’t have time for these activities, hire a sitter who can do them with your child!
