Children encounter numbers everywhere in everyday life: while shopping, on the calendar, on the clock, as house numbers, and in many other places. However, numbers also hold a special meaning for children. They know how old they are, when their birthday is, and how many siblings they have.

Discovering numbers through play
‍Give your child the opportunity to discover and understand numbers in daily life. Use everyday situations to help your child become familiar with the meaning of numbers. For example, your child can playfully learn the number sequence when counting objects (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 horses in the meadow) or determine the number of items (put 4 plates on the table). Comparing quantities (4 sweets are more than 2 sweets) or repeating a set number of movements (clapping your hands three times) also helps to promote number understanding. Through everyday experiences, your child will begin to realize that numbers are not just symbols or words, but are used in many different ways: Tomorrow is December 6th. I need 500 grams of flour for the cake. The bag of sweets costs 2 euros. You are 1 meter tall and weigh 16 kilograms. There are 4 cars in the parking lot.

Talking about numbers
‍Talk to your child about where they encountered numbers today. Conversations about numbers help develop a better understanding of them and expand your child's skills in dealing with numbers. Encourage your child's natural curiosity about numbers and connect numbers with quantities: »Put 5 bananas in the shopping basket.« or »Place 3 cups on the table.« In this way, your child acquires number knowledge in passing by understanding numbers with their eyes, ears, and hands.