Leveraging Play-Based Learning to Help Preschoolers Discover Math In the Real World

We want to set our littlest learners up for success in their future academic careers by helping them become deep thinkers and creative problem solvers. However, before they can develop the symbolic thinking skills they need to succeed in math, students have to experience math for themselves in the real world around them.  

It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it can start with students as young as two years old! When a student says or demonstrates, “One fruit snack (or block or crayon) for you, three for me!” they are starting to exhibit awareness of quantifiable objects in the world around them. (Understanding fair shares doesn’t come until much later!)  

When a student picks up two objects and you ask them which one is heavy and which one is light, they’re starting to learn about the concept of weight. When a student makes a tower out of red blocks, and you ask if they can make an equal size tower out of blue blocks, they get the opportunity to explore height and patterns. This type of interaction might seem like simple play, but this is where real life math begins! 

Are you looking to incorporate a fun way for your preschoolers to learn math skills through play? Download this free “Heavy and Light” activity from Preschool With a Purpose! 

In some instances, students can experience math in the real world even earlier than age two when parents intentionally create opportunities for this type of play-based learning at home and engage their children in conversation as they play. 

With a little guidance, students can discover how the world works mathematically. Here are some practical ideas you can use in your classroom, or share with parents to help reinforce these concepts at home! 

Spatial Awareness: Children understand distance and movement as they interact with objects and force. Invite students to roll or throw balls or push toy cars and see how far they go! As students move their own bodies, they can also begin to get a sense of distance and spatial awareness. Have them compare the height of the slide and the monkey bars when they’re on the playground. Count how many steps it takes to get to the pencil sharpener or the classroom door. Think about how far away the library is from your classroom compared to the gym.  

Time: Students are notoriously terrible at grasping the concept of time! Help them begin to understand the passage of time by observing the position of the sun, or the changing of the seasons. Add a concrete element and create a physical countdown to a special event like a class party or field trip. Even calling attention to the amount of time it takes to wait for lunchtime  or read through a book can help students begin to think about duration and awareness of time. 

Patterns and Sequencing: The human brain craves patterns, and they are everywhere! As you become aware of patterns in your classroom (the tiles on the ceiling, the colors on the carpet, the squares on the window, the toy bins on the bookshelves), invite your students to notice them as well. As students play with colorful building blocks, or complete a craft with cutting or color, they’re creating patterns. Skipping or climbing stairs are examples of physical patterns. Music is full of rhythmic patterns, and even setting a table in the play kitchen can allow students to observe patterns like the consistent placement of cups, plates, and silverware. 

Weight: The best way to develop this skill is to do it! Pick up things in the classroom, or rocks at recess. Have students notice which they would classify as light or heavy. Ask students if they’ve ever helped carry in groceries from the car – which bags do they like to carry the most? Probably the lighter ones! Talk about what makes things heavy or light, and then help them notice trends in those categories.  

Equality: As students develop an awareness of weight, awareness of equality is a natural progression. If we put a light and a heavy object on a seesaw or a set of balance scales, what happens? Have students try to balance on a board or beam and notice what happens when they start to lean too far to one side! Students can also understand equality when it comes to fair shares, and you don’t have to work too hard to help them see this! They’re quick to point out when a friend or sibling gets more cookies than they do or when someone has taken too many turns on the swing! 

Frequency: Counting objects such as students at a lunch table, stairs in a staircase or classroom doors in a hallway, or playing tally games helps students build numerical fluency. 

These play-based experiences with real objects in the physical world form the base of the “pyramid of learning” for your students. While they might seem insignificant, each experience a child has with a real-world math concept compounds on the next. When coupled with strategic math-focused conversation, this will solidify those experiences into a strong foundation for problem solving for even our youngest learners. 

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