Toddler Math Game: Card Sort

Table of Contents:

1. Looking for a quick toddler math game? I got you.
2. Card Sort is my toddler Solitaire
3. Making a simple toddler math game
4. Working on number recognition
5. But of course we worked on counting!
6. When will you make this toddler math game?

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Looking for a quick toddler math game? I got you.

I know you remember playing Solitaire on your desktop computer way back in the day. I know that you remember the satisfaction of getting those numbers in order. And I know for sure that you remember how amazing it was to see those decks of cards bounce down the screen when you “won”.

Oh Solitaire – such a fantastic math game! I just had to put a toddler spin on it. Nothing is better than a simple game of Solitaire so why not make it into a fun toddler math game?

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Card Sort is my toddler Solitaire

If you haven’t jumped on the toddlers plus playing cards bandwagon yet, hop on board. You can sit next to me.

People, trust me on this: playing cards are one of the best math tools you have in your house. They are magic. And they will stay magic all the way through elementary school. Get a deck of cards. Kids love them. You can thank me later.

Materials:

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• deck of cards

Making a simple toddler math game

I took my playing cards and quickly removed all the face cards, jokers, and the aces. Those cards are uber confusing.

I laid out numbers 2-10 and handed my daughter the remaining stack. “Let’s sort these cards.”

Whoa. What a challenge! Put all the cards into the right pile? Game on! Doesn’t it have a similar feel to Solitaire?

Working on number recognition

This activity focuses on number recognition which is a fancy way of saying “knowing that 5 is the number 5”. It’s very different than understanding quantity, which is a fancy way of saying “that’s 5 and it means 5 objects”.

In this toddler math game, my daughter is being asked to identify the number on the card and match it to the correct pile. She is sorting based on number.

And that’s the activity bonus: sorting. Sorting is a powerful math skill – organizing data, making decisions, and considering attributes.

But of course we worked on counting!

As my daughter (2.5 years) worked through this activity, I stayed close. We chatted back and forth about numbers and counted cards often, especially when we’d fine that pesky 6 or 9. So confusing.

Toddler math activities do not have to be complicated. A deck of cards and a makeshift version of Solitaire can pack in so much learning in just a few minutes of play.

Try this toddler math game – I think you’re going to love it. It’s an easy way to work on number recognition and do some sorting with your toddler.

When will you make this toddler math game?