Toddler learning about how things relate to one another in our world - or spatial relationships - is an essential early math skill. Every day conversations and creative play help young children develop their spatial sense. How can parents help? Use these family ideas.
- Parents can help toddlers and preschoolers develop their sense of space by talking about concepts such as far and near, left and right, or up and down. Some examples: "The cereal goes in the bottom cupboard" or "The red car goes on the farthest shelf."
- Toddlers need plenty of opportunities to explore large-scale and small-scale environments, such as the backyard, the sandbox or even a dollhouse. Simple toddlers' activities can include going for walks in your neighborhood or changing the layout of your train track or the arrangement of dollhouse furniture.
- Include building toys, such as wooden blocks, in the toy box. Construct towers, buildings and even flat patterns on the floor. While you create, talk about spatial concepts like next to, under, over, inside, outside and upside down.
- Toddlers are interested in how things fit together. Parents can encourage this kind of toddler learning about spatial thinking by showing them how things come apart and go back together: a key in a lock, cups stacked inside each other, or lids on containers. Try putting on each other's shoes or mittens. Or put away the groceries together to see how things fit into the cupboard.