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Squirt the Fire

Become a firefighter, find each numbered flame, and spray bigger fires for longer. This pretend rescue makes number symbols and differences in size easier to see and experience.

  • 2 years
  • Some prep
  • At home
  • About 15 minutes
Focus
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Developmental benefits

  • Language：Naming the numbers on the flames during pretend play helps your child connect each spoken number with its written symbol.
  • Cognitive：Comparing and spraying the flames gives your child a hands-on way to explore how numbers relate to more and less.

Preparation

What You’ll Need

  1. 1

    Markers, scissors, tape, colored cardstock, a spray bottle, and ten paper flames of different sizes labeled 1–10 and placed around the bathtub

Step 1

Fire! Fire!

Invite your child to be a firefighter and rescue the duck. Before the game begins, inspect the “fire scene” together. Let your child look at the flames and count how many numbered fires need to be put out.

What to notice

  • Names several number symbols Emergent Literacy
  • Pretends the spray bottle is a fire hose Imitation and Symbolic Representation and Play

Tips

  • The first time you play, show your child how to squeeze the bottle and spray water.
  • If needed, start with only three to five flames so your child can practice matching number names and symbols in a relaxed way.
  • If the numbers are still unfamiliar, point to the flames in order from 1 to 10 and count them together.

Step 2

Put Out the Bigger Fires

Ask which numbered fire your child wants to put out first. As they spray, suggest more water for a bigger flame and less water for a smaller one. The visible pattern—bigger flame, bigger number, more spraying—helps make the relationship between numbers and quantities more concrete.

What to notice

  • Sprays more water on a flame with a larger number Emergent Mathematical Thinking
  • Sprays the matching flame after hearing which fire needs help Attending and Understanding

Tips

  • If your child sprays a different number, gently redirect them: “You put out fire number 5. Number 9 still needs you!”
  • Try putting out the fires from 1 to 10, or compare first by asking, “Which number is biggest?”
  • When your child asks about an unfamiliar number, point to it and say the number clearly so they can connect the symbol with its name.
  • If comparing numbers is still challenging, use spraying time to make the difference visible: “Fire number 10 is huge. Keep spraying!”

Step 3

All the Fires Are Out

At the end, inspect every flame together. Start at 1 and check whether each number card has been sprayed. Seeing and naming 1–10 several times helps your child become more familiar with the symbols.

What to notice

  • Points to a number and says its name Emergent Mathematical Thinking
  • Feels happy about rescuing the duck Emotional Functioning

Tips

  • You can also write other symbols on the flames, such as names, familiar words, or shapes, so your child can practice recognizing their overall forms.
  • Even when your child names a number correctly, repeat it naturally: “Yes, that’s 5. Let’s spray fire number 5.”

Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026