Teaching my baby girl new things is always fun and exciting for both of us. My daughter really likes to learn and I enjoy teaching her new things. I am always amazed at how quickly she learns something and then starts using it on her own. She will be two in May and she is counting very well. We count EVERYWHERE. In the house, in the car, taking a walk, at the park, at the doctor’s office, in the grocery store…EVERYWHERE. She knows how to count a little past 10, but not quite to 20 yet. We are working on counting to 20 and I’m sure she will have it soon. After she learns how to count to 20 I think I’ll try to teach her how to count to 10 in Spanish. Teaching my toddler how to count was pretty simple and here are the ways she learned how to count.
Count EVERYTHING
I started teaching my toddler how to count simply by counting everything in sight. We count every day things. Goldfish is a go to snack in my home and sometimes we will count out the goldfish on the table. When she learned how to go down the stairs we would count the stairs as we went down. If she has pieces of chalk in her hand I will ask her how many she has and then we count them. Playing with blocks? Let’s count them! Mommy has a handful of bows to put in your hair…want to count them as I hand them to you? Ooo look, this shirt has buttons! Let’s count how many buttons are on it. Wow, see those birds in the sky? How many are up there? See what I mean? COUNT ALL THE THINGS! This is a good way to get your toddler familiar with counting and she will think it’s fun too!
Sing Songs About Counting
What toddler doesn’t love to sing? If your toddler is anything like mine then he absolutely sings his little heart out every chance he gets! Barney the purple dinosaur is our go to guy when it comes to songs. Singing songs about counting is the perfect way to teach your toddler how to count. Barney doesn’t only sing the song, but he also makes it fun by adding some kind of activity to the song like skipping or hopping while you count. Remember those counting songs you sang when you were younger? Teach your toddler those counting songs. “1,2, Buckle My Shoe”, or “Five Little Monkeys”, or “Five Little Ducks” just to name a few. You can find all of these songs on the YouTube Kids App including episodes of Barney too.
Count Along
Count with your toddler. My daughter loves for me to count with her and she will even tell me to count and then she will count along. Sometimes we make a game out of counting and I’ll start counting first. I will say the first number and then she will say the next and then I will say the next and so on. You can also count to 10 first and then have your child try to count to 10. Make it fun! Make up counting games that you can play together that can be super simple like counting how many times you clap or jump up and down.
Read Books About Counting
My toddler absolutely loves to read. I think she’s going to be a little bookworm like her mommy which is awesome by the way. I love that she loves for me to read to her and it truly makes my heart smile. Did you know there are books about counting? There are some books that will have your child count what is on the page or there are books that are kind of sing songy because all of the words rhyme. Picture books are always great for toddlers and there are plenty of picture books with items to count as well as the number that goes along with it. The numbers are usually big and bright and will also help your child start to recognize their numbers as well.
Use Flashcards
Flashcards are another favorite in my home. You can find flashcards for the low at Dollar Tree or you can even get them for free online. Search for free number flashcards and I’m sure you will find plenty to print out and get started. You can even make your own number flashcards if you’re feeling crafty. I quiz my toddler with flashcards or she will even quiz me. She will show me a flashcard and ask “what’s that?”. I thought it was so cute the first time she picked up the box and just came over to me and said that. Your toddler can also quiz herself. My daughter likes to go through the flashcards on her own while I watch. She likes to hear that she is doing a good job and she’s a smart girl. Flashcards can be super helpful in teaching your toddler to count and they are easy to take on the go.
If you try any of these things I’m sure your toddler will be counting to 10 in no time! Found this helpful? Share it! I hope your toddler learns how to count soon.
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