In part one, we explored different ways that you can make maths exciting for your little one. The strategies we offered included using interesting objects to help them count, playing games with traditional maths tools, creating homemade maths games, and baking cookies.

When you show your child that maths can be fun, they will become passionate and enthusiastic about learning.

Now, we’d love to offer you a few more fun and easy strategies to help your child learn maths in a way that excites them.

More strategies to teach your child maths at home

When teaching your child maths, we really want to emphasise the word fun. Ideally, maths will become such a fun activity, your little one will be asking you when it’s time to learn maths!

We suggest incorporating maths into their daily routine by implementing these strategies:

Ask fun maths questions

These questions are designed to help your child learn maths in a fun and exciting way. Of course, these are just some suggestions; we invite you to get creative and come up with your own.

How many blue cars are stopped at the red light?

How many birds are perched on that branch?

How many boxes of Christmas crackers can we purchase for $20 (or £20)?

While you’re waiting in the waiting room at the doctor’s or dentist’s, ask your child how many children will be left once three children have been called into their appointments.

How many socks are you putting into the washing machine?

How much do nappies cost if there’s a discount of 50%?

Number everything

Make a conscious effort to count everything for your little one as early as possible. Count their fingers and toes while you’re changing their diaper, count the sections of a clementine as you pull the pieces apart for them to eat, and count the apples that you put in your shopping trolley at the supermarket. The idea here is to give your child every opportunity to practise counting. The earlier you start and the more you bring counting into your lives, the better prepared your child will be for preschool.

Use TV as an educational tool

Educational shows such as Sesame Street teach children cognitive skills and are a very good resource for helping your child to learn maths. Any show that teaches your child how to count in a fun way is a great tool.

Have a maths tea party

Another fun way to help your child learn maths is to have them set up their own tea party. Have your child set a table with (unbreakable) crockery and cutlery, and as they set up the table with cups and plates etc, count the numbers loudly and ask them to repeat after you.

Comparing the size of objects

Ask your child to arrange their toys by size. For example, if they have a collection of toy cars, dinosaurs or dolls, ask them to arrange them by order of size counting as they go. In the very early stages of learning, you can ask them to identify which object is the biggest.

How to help your child's maths skills at home (Part 2)

Teach them to love sums at home, says Unii.