Let's Categorize!
Age: Suitable for 3-5 years old
Materials required:
- Toy/ Picture cards/ Household items
- Upcycle Cardboard
- Scissors
- Color pens
- Tape
Steps:
It is recommended that an adult prepare the materials below and children be invited to assist.)
1. Cut the cardboard into a rectangle*. (Suggested size so that at least 10 items can be placed on it.)
*Optional: Use cardboard and tape to add a fence around the rectangle. It can help to keep objects inside the cardboard area.
2. Draw dividing lines on the cardboard with color pens (See references)
Different Ways to Play!
Try the different methods and based on children's abilities and preferences.
Ways to Play 1:
Place one item per space.
Ways to Play 2:
Ask to place specific items in the separate spaces. (Ask for specific quantities or items per space.)
Ways to Play 3:
Sort objects for specific categories into separate spaces such as, color (red), size, and texture (hard).
If children have their own way to classify, invite them to share how they want items to be sorted.
Ways to Play 4:
Write numbers/texts/pictures on separate spaces and invite your child to match accordingly.
Ways to Play 5:
Place items in designated spaces and invite your child to memorised the location of items. Remove items and ask the child to put them back where they are.
What Children are Learning:
(1) Spatial awareness
The development of spatial awareness can help children develop abstract thinking, spatial relationship, early literacy, and mathematics. These competencies are important foundations for spatial design, engineering, and mathematics.
(2) Classification
Classification is the foundation of mathematics. Categorization help children absorb knowledge more efficiently through organizing scattered knowledge systematically.
Want to learn more? Join our【S.T.E.A.M Parent-Child Online Workshop】and #learningthroughplay together!