Number Racetrack

1. 1

   Gather a large sheet of paper, thick markers, and a toy car. Let the car drive around, then say, “The car needs a track. Let’s draw one.”

2. 2

   Draw an oval and narrate, “This is Track 1,” adding the numeral 1 beside or inside it.

3. 3

   Drive the car around the line with a “beep-beep”: “The car is driving on Track 1.”

4. 4

   Offer the marker and invite your baby to make a line or circle. Give the mark a purpose: “Your circle is Track 2.”

5. 5

   Drive the car along your baby’s new track and say, “Look how fast the car goes on your road.”

What to notice

• Uses a drawing tool to draw a pretend racetrack Emergent Literacy
• Drives a toy car on the drawing after hearing the word “racetrack” Attending and Understanding

Tips

• If your child scribbles freely, you can say, ‘That’s a new racetrack!’ This helps them see that their drawing can stand for something.
• You can also add a house, a traffic light, or other familiar objects so your child can explore how drawings represent things.

Developmental benefits

• Language: Using lines and circles to stand for a racetrack helps your baby begin to understand that a mark can represent something in the world.