How to teach a toddler number recognition: 12 Illustrated Ideas

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Disclaimer: This post Disclosure might contain Amazon affiliate links. Any purchase made through such links will award me a small commission (or referral fee), at no extra cost for you. Regardless of whether or not I receive a commission, I only recommend products that I personally use and/or genuinely love (I would never promote any products or services that I wouldn’t pay for myself), and I always have my readers’ best interest at heart.

Math can be a very hard subject that has caused many to struggle. Math is not everyone’s favorite subject but it is a very important one. If you have a strong foundation of math skills, then you can build off of that foundation and are less likely to struggle in school as the lessons become more complex. One of the best things that you can do for your toddler is to help them build a strong foundation of math skills by teaching them to recognize numbers. This has always been my approach with my two kids. So when it came to math, I began researching how to teach a toddler number recognition.

The best way to teach a toddler number recognition is through hands-on learning and play-based activities that target all of their senses. This will help your toddler to understand what a number represents as they are counting.

At what age should a toddler recognize numbers?

Toddlers can begin recognizing numbers as early as 12 months. It is more common to see toddlers recognizing numbers at or around 2 years old. At this age, they are able to visually recognize the numbers without understanding what the numbers represent, but you can teach both concepts concurrently by emphasizing the number form and its quantity.

Read For more information on activities for preschool curriculum

Why is Number Recognition Important for Preschoolers?

how to teach a toddler number recognition. early exposure to math skills is essential

Teaching number recognition to toddlers or preschoolers is very important because early exposure to math skills is essential to future success in math. Number recognition builds the foundation for number skills such as counting. This leads to more important skills of application such as knowing what numbers represent as well as addition and subtraction.

How to Teach a Toddler Number Recognition with Activities?

As mentioned earlier in this post, the best way to teach a toddler number recognition is through hands-on and play-based activities that target all of their senses. All of these ideas are also activities that will help your toddler learn to count. To further cement the lesson into your toddler’s mind, it is best to combine multiple methods from the following list.

Here are the 12 best number recognition activities for toddlers that you can implement now:

  • Finger Painting Numbers
  • Shape Numbers out of Foam
  • Play with Number Puzzles
  • Play Games with Foam Number Floor Tiles
  • Make Art with Numbers
  • Match Playing Cards
  • Read Books About Numbers
  • Dance and Sing along with Youtube Videos
  • Download the Number Tracing App
  • Make Numbers out of Spaghetti Noodles
  • Write Numbers on the Sidewalk with Chalk
  • Make Numbers out of Pipe Cleaners

How to Teach a Toddler Number Recognition?

1. Painting Numbers with Finger Paint

how to teach a toddler number recognition with finger paint

You can teach your toddler number recognition through colorful art and the sense of touch with finger painting. This is a great teaching moment for your toddler to learn colors as well as number recognition.

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2. Make Numbers with Foam

This is a great sensory activity that your toddler will love. I would select the number of the week and each day we would practice making the number of the week out of the foam. My kids really looked forward to this number activity each day.

3. Teach your Toddler Number Recognition with Number Puzzles

I used the Melissa and Doug puzzles to teach number recognition to both of my toddlers. I also love the Montessori number puzzle because it is very hands-on and multifunctional. You can teach numbers, counting, shapes, and colors. The Montessori Numbers Puzzle truly does it all. These are great options for any age.

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4. Teach your Toddler Number Recognition with Foam Number Floor Tiles

Because this set of floor tiles comes with numbers as well as letters, I also used this as a way to teach my toddler letter recognition. We would play a fun game where I would call out a number and my daughter would find the tile with the correct number on the floor. I would also mix up the tiles so that the numbers are not in order and she would have to find the numbers as she is counting.

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5. How to Teach your Toddler Number Recognition with Number Art

how to teach a toddler letter recognition with number art

This is a super fun craft activity that you can do with your toddler. Teach your toddler number recognition through art by creating animals and shapes out of the numbers. Each week you can choose a number of the week and every day you can quickly create a different work of art out of the number of the week. Guess how many works of art that you can create out of the number of the week and at the end check back to see if you are right.

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6. Teach Numbers by Matching Playing Cards

This is a fun game that teaches your toddler number recognition as well as matching. Since there are 4 suits in a deck of cards. There are 4 matching cards for every number. You give your toddler a card and help them to find the other 3 cards that have the same number on them.

7. How to Teach a Toddler Number Recognition with Books

teach your toddler number recognition by reading books about numbers

Early reading is just as important as math and reading to your child is the best thing that you can do. You can combine the two most important subjects to teach your toddler number recognition by reading a book about numbers. I incorporate reading into our daily schedule so my kids love books. Here are our favorite books to teach number recognition. This is another great option to even teach young toddlers number recognition.

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8. Teach your Toddler Number Recognition with YouTube Videos

Toddlers learn through music and movement which is why one of the best ways to teach your toddler number recognition is through singing and dancing along with YouTube videos. This is also a great option for young toddlers. Our favorite videos about numbers are:

Super Simple Numbers Song

ChuChu TV: The Number Song

Cocomelon Numbers Song

9. Download the Number Tracing App

This is a great way to teach your toddler number recognition while also helping them to strengthen fine motor skills. This is such a fun app and my toddlers loved playing with it so much. It also works perfectly as a quiet activity for when you want your toddler to sit down and work independently. This app is available on Amazon, Apple, Android, and Microsoft, which means your toddler can use this on the phone, tablet, and even the laptop.

Click to download the 123 Numbers tracing app .

10. How to Teach a Toddler Number Recognition with Spaghetti Noodles

If you are looking for a sensory activity to teach your toddler number recognition then this is a great one. You can help your toddler to make numbers out of spaghetti noodles.

11. Write Numbers with Sidewalk Chalk

how to teach your toddler number recognition

Playing with sidewalk chalk is so much fun. If your toddler is not yet writing, this is a great way to practice. You will have to help them by guiding them through writing the numbers on the sidewalk. If you write the numbers out in blocks you can play hopscotch after. You can even write out an obstacle course of numbers for even more fun.

12. Make Numbers out of Pipe Cleaners

I also used this method to teach my toddler letter recognition. You can follow the same process to teach your toddler number recognition. You just help your toddler to build numbers out of pipe cleaners. Let your toddler pick out their favorite colors to make the numbers. This will also help them learn their colors.

Conclusion

Early exposure to numbers is essential for your toddler to have future success with math skills. You can begin teaching your toddler number recognition as early as 12 months, but remember that every child is different and will learn on their own time.

The best thing that you can do to teach your toddler number recognition is to utilize many of the ideas on this list and to make it fun. These activities listed have been tried and proven to be effective for teaching a toddler number recognition by combining the many ways that a toddler learns best: hands-on, play-based, movement, music, and sensory. If you were wondering how to teach a toddler number recognition, you now have plenty of ideas to get started right away.

Disclaimer: This post Disclosure might contain Amazon affiliate links. Any purchase made through such links will award me a small commission (or referral fee), at no extra cost for you. Regardless of whether or not I receive a commission, I only recommend products that I personally use and/or genuinely love (I would never promote any products or services that I wouldn’t pay for myself), and I always have my readers’ best interest at heart.

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