Yep. This spoon size sort is as simple as it looks.
And don’t let simple fool you. This spoon size sort packs a powerful hands-on learning punch. Here, my three-year-old sorts by size and beginning to understand vocabulary better and sorting such as small, medium, and large.
So move over long and complicated preschool activities. This here is one taken from your kitchen drawer!
RELATED: Quick and easy ideas are at your fingertips on our activity cards!
Sorting by size can be hands-on.
It can seem tempting to print a worksheet to review sorting by size.
Yet when we use items children are already familiar with (like spoons) and place them in their hands to touch, think, and learn through play, sorting by size becomes sticky.
We have a fun frame of reference the next time we talk about the sizes-small, medium, and large.
Remember when we sorted the spoons by size is a lot more meaningful than remember when you colored all the little shapes blue on that worksheet?
We can take higher-level concepts and create playful learning prompts such as this for our preschoolers.
RELATED: Here are 40+ indoor games for toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids.
Here is how to teach your child how to sort
Begin with a simple task such as sorting objects by two different colors. Allow your toddler to move back and forth, placing the objects on the correct colored square. Continue building on with more colors and introducing variations to sorting.
- Introduce a few colors at a time. We do this with primary color sort.
- Add everyday objects and water as we do in this apple scoop and sort.
- Sort with movement! Transportation toy sort is a great example of this.
- Classify colors outside with this run and sort activity.
- Show how letters can look differently when sorting curves and straight lines.
There are so many hands-on ways to introduces sorting toddlers and preschoolers!
Grab your spoons! It’s time to set up.
You know it. The supplies are probably already in your drawers. But just in case you haven’t stocked up, here are supplies we use throughout this corner of the web. Everything is used again and again with our Breakfast Invitations.
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- White paper roll – the one we use
- Markers – this 40 pack is great!
- Spoons
First, tape down your white paper and gather a collection of small, medium, and large spoons.
Next, place the spoons on the white paper and begin to draw rectangles around each one.
PRO TIP: For toddlers, you may want to outline the spoon rather than making a rectangle.
The final step is inviting your preschooler to play!
Start by placing one of each spoon at the top of your paper. Identify each one as a small spoon, medium spoon, and large spoon. This was a lot like when we played sticker sort!
Now your child is ready to get sorting! Watch as they take each spoon and find the correct space for each one.
Stay flexible. Depending on the stage and age of your child, you may notice their focus coming in and out. When the activity looks like it is coming to a close, come back to the main idea that we are sorting by size.
Try Spoon Size Sort today!
