Three Years Mind builders
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Number of the Day
Choose a number for the day.
You can say,
- Today, is TWO day. Let’s see how many things we can find that are “two.”
During the day, talk about things that come in twos. For example,
- You wear two shoes.
- You have two eyes.
- A bicycle has two wheels.
- There are two strawberries on your plate.
See how many things your three-year-old can find or create in twos. Help them find pairs of socks or shoes.
When you walk, count your steps in two’s,
- One, two, one, two, one, two.
Show your child what the number two looks like. Look for the number two in a book or a magazine. Write the number two on a piece of paper. Ask your child to write their own number two or to trace yours. You can use chalk to write it on the sidewalk.
What is Different?
Use pictures of things that have something in common for this activity. You can cut out pictures from a magazine or draw pictures. You might have your child cut out or draw their own pictures. Groups of fruits, or shoes, or trees, or furniture can work. Make at least three groups of pictures with three pictures in each group. You will have a total of nine pictures.
Lay out four pictures for your child to see. Three pictures will be in the same group and one different picture. For example, lay out three pictures of fruits, and one tree.
Ask your child to point to the picture that does not match. If they cannot find the one that is different, give them clues.
You can say,
- Three of these you can eat, but one you cannot.
- Can you find the one you cannot eat?
- It is something you can climb on!
Do the same thing with the other groups of pictures. Talk with your child about the pictures and how they are the same and how they are different. Your child may have ideas about how they are the same and different!
What’s the Missing Word?
Read the same book or sing the same song with your child several times. Then, see if your child can fill in a missing word. Try this:
On each page, read the first part of a sentence, but leave off the last word. If the book says, “The mouse wants a cookie!” Say,
- The mouse wants a _______.
See if your child will say cookie to finish the sentence.
If they can’t think of the word, read it to them. See if they remember it the next time you read it. This works well if the words in the story or song rhyme.
Treasure Hunt
Hide three or four objects around the house or in a small area outside. You can hide small stuffed animals, blocks, balls, or socks. At first, let your child watch while you hide the objects. Then, ask them to find the hidden treasure!
Then, hide the items while they are not watching you. Ask them if they can find the treasures. If they need help searching use words like “close” and “far” to let them know if they are getting close to finding a treasure.
You can say,
- You are getting close, close, closer! Or,
- Ooh, you are far away, farther away, even farther away!
I Spy!
You might know how to play the I Spy game. Ask your child to play with you. Tell them you are going to find something nearby and ask them to find it. You can say,
- I spy with my little eye, a brown dog. Or
- I spy with my little eye, something green. Or
- I spy with my little eye, something that is round.
Let your child answer until they guess the correct item. After a few times, let your child think of something for you to find.
You can play this game any time during the day. Play it while you are making dinner. Try it waiting in line. Play while you are driving or on the bus.
