In this article from Kohl Children’s Museum, several ideas to find math in everyday life are discussed. They suggest using items that one would regularly run across, like stairs, toys, and food.

These tips also push forward the idea that math activities for children should be relaxed and fun. If children count, make patterns, or organize sets as part of their play, they will be less likely to feel math anxiety as they learn more complex ideas in the classroom. Getting used to finding math in everyday life will help provide context for these new, potentially intimidating concepts.

Kohl Children’s Museum provides hands-on, interactive learning environments for children ages 0-8. These exhibits are designed to allow children to learn through independent discovery and play. The Early Math Collaborative worked with the Kohl Children’s Museum to develop an exhibit guide to prepare pre-k teachers to use museum exhibits to help children explore math.