The ability to make size comparisons is an important skill to have for success in math. It’s also important to be able to experiment, which also happened with this activity.
Buddy Boy (1yo) was interested in seeing if things fit in various openings, so I made him a box to use with our different sized balls. It’s nothing fancy. Just a vinegar box that I cut circles in (traced them using dishes from the kitchen).
It’s not fancy, but it’s fun!
Check out the video of Buddy Boy testing out his box here.
I love that this is fairly open-ended, as he can take other items and put them in the box too. It involved some trial and error (or experimenting) as he tested out various sized balls and decided what to do with the ones that didn’t fit. For the backyard activity that inspired it all, check out this post.
Here’s a simple activity that could also work for a play date, IF you’re looking to do something more structured.
Doesn’t this look fun and inviting? And, there are lots of ways for the kid to learn through play. As an added bonus, it was VERY easy to set up.
For older kids, we could add various sized tubes or different lengths of “ramps” and see what the little ones come up with. We could also color code the holes so that it’s a size and/or color matching activity for older kids.
Don’t forget that talking to your kids helps them develop language and a rich vocabulary! Things we talked about were what color each ball was, how big/small it is, and if it fits or doesn’t fit in the hole he tried. Of course, since Buddy Boy was 13 months old when we first did this activity, and doesn’t have a lot of language yet, I did most of the talking. For example, when he said, “ba(ll),” I said something like, “The ball is red.” That way, he starts learning colors, since he already knows it’s a ball.
Have fun playing! If you decide to do this activity, please drop me a line to let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear about your experience.
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