Cognitive2½–4 yrsOutdoors

Line them up

Sticks and stones, arranged with total seriousness.

Prep

2 min

Mess

Low

How to play

Gather a pile, then line them up smallest to biggest. Or sort into groups: sticks here, stones there, leaves in the middle. Ask him why he put one where he did.

  1. sticks, stones and a leaf scattered on the ground
    1

    Gather whatever's on the ground.

  2. four stones in a row, ordered by size
    2

    Line them up, smallest to biggest.

  3. three groups separated by dotted lines
    3

    Or sort into groups: sticks, stones, leaves.

What you need

Whatever's on the ground — sticks, stones, leaves.

What it secretly builds

Cognitive

Ordering by size is early maths — before numbers, a child has to feel that things can be more and less of something.

Safety first
Check for sharp sticks and anything small enough to swallow.
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