Game card for parents · 0A-1 · Ages 3–5 · 5 min
Quick Dots
Your child learns to see small amounts, up to five, in one look instead of counting one by one.
You need
- 5 index cards or pieces of card
- a thick marker
How to play
- Draw 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 big dots on separate cards, like the faces of a die.
- Hold up one card for about two seconds, then turn it face down.
- Ask how many dots there were, and let your child answer.
- Turn the card back over and count the dots together to check.
- Swap roles: your child flashes a card and you answer.
Guess first
Before we turn it over again: how many dots do you think you saw?
Three things to ask
- How did you know so fast?
- What shape do the dots make?
- Which card is the trickiest? Why?
Easier
Use only the 1, 2 and 3 cards, and show them a little longer.
Harder
Draw the same number in a new layout, like 4 in a line or 5 scattered.
Watch for
If your child starts saying the number before you finish counting, the dots are being seen as a whole. Pointing and counting is fine at first.
boxi-math.github.io · CC BY 4.0 · Boxi Yu