C is for Counting

Welcome to my Blogging from A to Z April Challenge for 2019! The A to Z Challenge is a blogging event held each April. Bloggers create posts from A to Z beginning on April 1st and ending on April 30th. There is a post scheduled for each day of the month (except for Sundays) with each day corresponding to a sequential letter of the alphabet.

I'm keeping this year focused on toddler activities. More specifically, I'm keeping it limited to indoor activities. We live in northern Minnesota, where the winters are long and cold, so a variety of indoor play is a must. It's not too hard to go stir crazy when you're cooped up inside for months at a time!

Today's letter of the day is C! (I've been watching too much Sesame Street...I definitely just heard that in an Elmo voice in my head. Ah...the dangers of being a toddler mom.) Around here, C is not just for Cookie though...we're using our C for COUNTING!

Numbers are crazy popular around this household. The Boy LOVES to count things, so we are constantly using numbers in our daily activities.

We started learning numbers with a few simple pieces of paper. I wrote down all of the letters and numbers with crayon. For the next few days, we kept them on the coffee table and reviewed them a few times a day. I let him cycle back to them as he liked.

We also had some introduction to numbers with books. We have a few series books that we read one by one at night, so I made sure to point out what volume number we were on.

When he started to learn how to climb stairs, I turned it into a game. We say "1, 2, 3 Go!" every time he goes up or down. He's so used to 1, 2, 3 that he says it all the time during the day. He'll also reverse it to a countdown of 3, 2, 1.

We use counting play all day long. We count toes when we get dressed. We count to go up the stairs. We count farm animals when we play with the barn. We count crayons and blocks and cats. We count the wheels on his car and the trucks that he drives around the house all day long. We count the trucks themselves when he lines them up in a row. And we count 1,2, 3, go before we chase around the house.

Numbers are also a good way to keep him entertained when we're in a store. He identifies the numbers on aisles or can be quizzed about numbers on item boxes or large price displays. It keeps his little mind busy so that he doesn't get bored and start to cause trouble. It's also nice to give him a variety of ways to see numbers and to help him recognize that there isn't always a sequence involved to get to a number, sometimes numbers stand on their own.

And when our day is done, we do one last count before bed. After his obligatory high five, handshake, and fist bump, I stand in his doorway and count 1, 2, 3 before blowing him a big kiss. He returns the favor as I switch off the light.

Are you an A to Z Blogger too? Leave me a comment so I can repay the visit.
Not an A to Z Blogger, but love the idea? Go here to see what other fun you can find in the challenge.

Miss a prior 2016 A to Z post? Find your missing link down below...

    A is for ASL                                   B is for Bubbles