Play Idea

Magic counts

There are many riddles, puzzles and magic tricks involving simple math that will amuse kids. Try this one with your pre-schooler.

Take three coins – the larger the better – and place the coins in a row, on a table or flat surface.

Start counting the coins – one, two, three. Pick up each coin as it’s counted.

Continue counting – four, five, six. Placing each coin back on the table.

Count seven, eight – picking up the coins. Now ask your youngster how many coins are in your hand – two! Emphasise that you’ve counted to Eight and that there are now Two in your hand.

Pick up the remaining coin, pass all three to your toddler and ask them to repeat the exercise.

They’ll start by counting as they place the first three coins on the table.

They’ll pick up on four, five and six.

Then, when they place the coin down on eight, stop and count how many coins are left in their hand – One!

Magic!

They’re sure to want to try again. Every time they start with all three coins in their hand they’ll end up with one. Lots of counting practice to follow.

E = mc² – right?

Physicist, Albert Einstein brought to us a whole new way of understanding our Universe and the processes that make it work.

There is a common myth that this famous scientist was very slow to develop as a child. It is claimed that Albert did not learn to talk until the age of four and that he could not read until the age of nine.

According to Einstein’s biographer this is not true. Although his family worried that he was slow to talk, it’s recorded that he was talking in whole sentences before he was three years old.

At six years old, Albert started school and when he was seven his mother wrote describing how he was top of his class and that he had a brilliant report card.

Nevertheless, I think the myth holds a good lesson. We needn’t be overly concerned about the speed of our children’s early academic development. We should be concerned that they love to learn.

When our youngest son started at school he told his teacher that she didn’t need to waste her time – teaching him how to read. He had plenty of people at home that could read for him!

A few years ago – when he graduated with honors – I reminded him of this story.

“The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.”  – Albert Einstein

Extra, extra .. read all about it !

We are continually adding to our reviews. Why not check out one of our latest reviews here..

Kids toy Kitchen  – What’s cooking for kids.