We have more tiny cars, trucks and construction vehicles than should be allowed in one household. I attempted to downsize once by giving a bunch away while the kids were at school and my son still asks where the “backhoe with the stripes” is. Then I have to spend 15 minutes filled with guilt while pretending to look for it with him.

So what better material to practice counting and simple addition with?

You will need:

• Sidewalk chalk
• Toy vehicles (or something else that your child loves – legos, small dolls, plastic animals, etc.)

 

I drew two squares next to each other and then one branching off.

Next, I put a few cars in each of the side by side squares. If asking, “What’s three plus two?” was met with a blank stare, I reworded it to, “How many cars are in this square? What about this square? Ok, how many all together?”

My kindergartener wrote her answers in sidewalk chalk. My preschooler chose to go get even more cars and “write” his answer that way.

After a while the math part dissolved into digging in the dirt with front loaders and arguing over chalk. But it was great counting and simple math practice while it lasted!