Sorting, visual memory, and matching are important pre-math skills for toddlers. In this activity, the child will use an everyday item, socks, to play a matching game.
Learning Area(s): Math
MATERIALS
- Pairs of socks (various sizes and colors are helpful)
LET'S PLAY
Show your toddler how to match socks. Explain that socks come in twos, one for each foot. Lay four different socks in a line. Put the matches to these four in a pile. Ask your toddler to find each sock’s partner. Help your child match the pairs by providing hints. For example, “Which two socks go together? Which two socks look the same?” When your child can match four pairs, add two more pairs. Add more pairs as your child becomes more proficient.
Your child can also sort the socks into piles by color, by size, or by owner. Together, you can count them, either by singles or by pairs.
TIPS
- For younger children, fewer pairs of socks are needed and they may need assistance in matching the socks. You can guide them by saying, “Which socks have ______ (same color or pattern)? Those go together.”
- If you find you don’t have many patterned or colored socks, this game can be created using sock shapes cut from cardstock or construction paper.
- You can create matching games with other materials as well, such as container lids, wooden blocks, toy animals, paint sample cards from a hardware store, or lacing beads (watch for choking hazard).