Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Activities

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

6 amazing and fun math games for toddlers that really work

Dawn Miller
By

Toddlers love to explore new things, which makes each day an adventure and a learning opportunity. Teachable moments are all around, and it’s never too soon to introduce early math concepts to young children. Math games for toddlers are a wonderful teaching tool and a fun way to have kids explore foundational math concepts like counting, number and shape recognition, sorting, size, and more. However, teaching math to toddlers can be difficult. Repetition is key when it comes to teaching new things to toddlers, and when math games are fun and educational, kids will want to play them again and again. Here are six math games your toddler will actually enjoy.

Teaching math to toddlers

Everyday math games

Math is all around us, from the numbers on the clock to picking out a dozen doughnuts at the bakery. A busy day at home and on the go is full of teachable moments to touch on important beginning math skills like counting. Try these activities the next time you and your toddler are out and about.

  • How many? – From FitBits to apps, adults can be obsessed with their daily step count. Counting steps with toddlers though teaches a vital math skill. Make counting a game by counting the steps you climb, red cars on the road, or how many dogs you see on a walk.
  • Set the Table – Older kids may groan at this chore, but getting the table ready for a meal is a learning experience for toddlers from counting out the correct number of plates and utensils to shapes.
Recommended Videos

Board games

There are a lot of benefits to playing board games with children and toddlers aren’t too young. Board games introduce toddlers to important math concepts and are a great way to teach counting as well as shape and number recognition. These board games are a perfect fit for little hands and curious minds.

  • Chutes & Ladders – Kids learn number recognition as they roll the dice or use a spinner. Players then must count to move the correct number of spaces.
  • Number and shape bingo – Bingo is a popular game spanning the ages. It’s also a wonderful learning tool, especially for math. Number and shape bingo is ideal for toddlers. As kids get older, addition, subtraction, and multiplication bingo help kids learn important facts.

Sorting fun

Learning how to sort objects by different attributes is an early math concept for kids. This can be done with things around the home like sorting M&Ms by color before eating them. Toddlers can sort their stuffed animals by size when sitting them on the bed. Making cleanup time a game becomes educational when you have toddlers sort their toys by type and size. Another fun way to get toddlers sorting is with toys like this Learning Resource Farmer’s Market.

toddler learning to count with an abacus
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Keep counting

Learning to count is an important math skill, as is number recognition and concept. Spending the day counting like the Count from Sesame Street is an excellent way to get toddlers counting. If parents need a break, toddler toys that encourage counting, add these educational counting toys to the playroom.

Puzzles

Problem-solving skills are crucial to math and puzzles are ideal for not only getting little hands working but also for developing critical thinking skills. The best puzzles for toddlers are floor puzzles with large pieces and chunky wooden table puzzles. Solving number and shape puzzles together make for fun math games for your toddler. Here are some to have on hand for your toddler.

toddler learning how to play chess
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Chess

Teach a toddler chess? Why not? Studies have shown that teaching young children to play chess has quite a lot of benefits, including better success in the classroom. The game of chess contains a lot of math fundamentals. While most kids are exposed to the game at age 7, there have been children as young as 2 who have been introduced to the game. If you decide to try and teach your toddler chess, it is best to keep it simple and not stress. There’s plenty of time to learn how to play the game.

Are math apps okay for toddlers?

Of course, there are math apps for smartphones and iPads specifically designed for toddlers and preschoolers. The problem is the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend more than an hour a day of screen time for toddlers and this includes television watching. While math apps come in handy when waiting in the doctor’s office, stick to hands-on math games for toddlers whenever possible.

Choking hazard

Always remember with any math games for toddlers to be sure the pieces aren’t choking hazards. If the game pieces are on the smaller size, always have adult supervision around when playing and secure the pieces when the game is over.

The toddler stage is a wonderful one. Toddlers are inquisitive about the world around them. It’s never too soon to introduce early math skills to your toddler, either. Math games for toddlers help build a strong foundation that teachers add to when it’s time for preschool. Teaching math to toddlers through play also shows kids the subject can be fun, which is something kids tend to forget as they get older. Try these cool math games with your toddler. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you’ll both have with these early math concepts.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Dawn Miller
Dawn Miller
Contributor
Dawn Miller began her professional life as an elementary school teacher before returning to her first love, writing. In…
Skip the adults and learn about these amazing kids for Black History Month instead
Teach your children about these amazing Black kids in history for Black History Month
Black History Month poster

We always learn about the same people for Black History Month -- and they are almost always adults. But there are plenty of amazing Black kids in history who have done outstanding things we all need to know about. Spend this Black History Month talking with your children about these outstanding kids in history instead of the grown-ups.

Claudette Colvin
If you asked your children who Rosa Parks was, they would be able to tell you all about her story. But really, there's a child that figuratively stood up first. Claudette Colvin was arrested when she was only 15 years old for refusing to stand up and give her seat to a white woman. The incident happened in Alabama in early 1955, before Rosa Parks followed suit later that year.
Mikaila Ulmer
Talk about taking your lemonade stand to the big leagues. If you don't watch TV reality shows, you don't know about Mikaila Ulmer. This young woman appeared on Shark Tank in 2015 when she was 11 years old and landed a deal with the sharks to sell her homemade lemonade. You'll find her lemonade, Me & the Bees Lemonade, in stores like Target, Kroger, and Whole Foods.
Misty Copeland
While her ground-breaking feat happened when she was in her 20s, Misty Copeland's journey started when she was only 13 years old. A ballerina prodigy, Copeland became the American Ballet Theatre's first Black woman to be made a principal dancer in 2015, the first in the company's 75-year history at that time.
Mo’ne Davis
Don't tell girls what they can and can't do. Mo'ne Davis is the living epitome of that statement. In 2014, Davis broke records when she became the first girl to pitch a winning game in Little League World Series history, also making her the first girl in the post-season to pitch a shutout. Her accomplishments then landed her on the cover of Sports Illustrated, making her the first Little League player -- at all, boy or girl -- to do so.
Sandra Parks
Sandra Parks was only 13 years old in 2018 when she was shot in her home in Milwaukee while watching television with her brother. What makes her story so much more powerful is that Sandra had just won an essay contest where the topic she wrote about was gun violence.
The Little Rock Nine
We've all seen the picture of little Ruby Bridges being escorted into her school after desegregation. The story of The Little Rock Nine is in a similar vein. Nine high school teenagers were chosen in 1957 as the first Black students to go to Little Rock's Central High School after the Supreme Court ruled segregation schools were illegal.

Read more
7 fun ways to entertain kids during the Super Bowl so you can enjoy the game
Prepare these activities to keep the kids busy during the Super Bowl
Family watches a football game on TV together

It's that time of year again! The final Sunday football game. The Super Bowl is about to happen, and you're getting your fan gear ready, making the snacks, and getting hyped up for the kickoff. If you plan to enjoy the Super Bowl and you have children, fear not! There are plenty of ways to watch the Super Bowl and entertain the kids at the same time. We're here to help you focus on enjoying the game with these activities that will keep the little ones busy.

Let the kids get crafty
Coloring
There are plenty of coloring pages out there on the internet to print out. Set up a coloring station for the little ones! Print out football-themed coloring pages and set out crayons for them to use. What's even more adorable is to set out the colors of the two teams facing off against each other.

Read more
6 children’s picture books with LGBTQ+ love stories for Valentine’s Day
Share these stories about love with your kids
A mother reading her young child a bedtime story

These sweet love stories for kids ages 2-8 tell about crushes, weddings, and other romantic tales between LGBTQ+ people. Love is love and cute Valentine's stories for kids are all the same, whether the love is between two puppies, a boy and a girl, or two girls. All these picture books are the standard 32-40 pages with lots of illustrations and a small amount of text. Celebrate this Valentine's Day with your children through LGBTQ+ kids' books about love and an inclusive bookshelf!

From Archie to Zack

Read more