A Flower for Every Friend

1. 1

   On a spring walk, collect a few fallen flowers and bring them home for your child’s favorite toy figures.

2. 2

   Invite your child to divide the flowers among the toys. They may give more to a favorite or distribute them without counting.

3. 3

   Speak playfully for the toy with the fewest: “Bunny keeps looking at Dog’s flowers. Do they have the same number?”

4. 4

   Count each group together: “Dog has four. Bunny has two.” Ask who has more and who has fewer.

5. 5

   Then ask, “How could Bunny get the same number as Dog?” Watch whether your child moves a flower between groups or adds a new one.

6. 6

   Continue comparing the toys and adjust again if some groups still have different amounts.

What to notice

• Adds flowers to the toy that has fewer Counting and Cardinality
• Changes the groups with your prompt so the toys receive equal amounts Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning)

Tips

• Try dealing one flower to each toy in turn. This makes an equal share easier to see.
• Give the toy’s voice plenty of feeling so the comparison stays playful.

Developmental benefits

• Cognitive: Counting and adjusting groups of flowers gives your child practice comparing which group has more or less and working toward equal quantities.