5 The Role of Play in Learning Math

E arly L earning MATH
at
HOME
H elping your
children
learn and enjoy
mathematics
P lay is fundamental—a fun AND mental activity. When young children

play they are growing intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally.
Time spent playing is productive, valuable, and essential to a child’s
The role development. Play is a child’s work: when children play, their bodies and
minds are at work. Children learn as they play and, in turn, play gives
children an opportunity to practice what they have learned. At the earliest
ages, children begin to discover and explore their world—including the
of play in world of mathematics—through play.
When children are exposed to a variety of interesting objects and
situations during play, they actively think about relationships such as bigger
learning or smaller, more or less, longer or shorter, heavier or lighter, and nearer or
farther away. Although play at a young age does not guarantee mathematical
learning, it offers children rich possibilities for mathematical investigations,
math insights, and discoveries. Play helps them develop powerful mathematical
understandings well before they enter school.
W hy should you make time for unstructured play ?
The American Pediatric Society recommends that young children have a
minimum of 60 minutes a day of unstructured play. Unstructured play is play
children choose for themselves, often done alone or with another child, and
without adult interference. When play is controlled by adults or carried out
by adult rules, children attend to adult concerns and adult desires. When play
is child-driven, children use their imagination and
creativity, practice independent decision-making, and
develop problem-solving skills. Most importantly,
free play, such as playing with blocks, allows boys
and girls to seek out their own interests, move at
their own speed, and follow their own paths to
discovery. Children who have ample opportunities for
unstructured play often have an advantage when they
enter school because this play helps them develop
longer attention spans, solve problems on their own,
and gain self-confidence—all of which are important
Photo by Paul Giganti, Jr.
in school and throughout life.

W hat art the best toys for unstructured
mathematics play ?
The best toys for unstructured play are those with
the fewest rules and most possibilities. The famous
© 2013 by the California Mathematics Council Early Learning, Math at Home n 1

architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, credited the wooden
blocks his mother gave him as a child with his early
interest in architecture. We know children use their beware of choking hazards!
imaginations when they pretend to be pirates or
ballerinas, but children use their imagination just as When choosing small toys or blocks for children
much when they build with blocks, sort buttons, or under age three, take special care to avoid anything
fill and empty containers with water. Toys that require that has lead content or may be a choking hazard.
children to create and invent their own uses help The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
children develop early math concepts such as balance, recommends that the minimum size of any block or
shape and size, sorting, order, pattern, counting, and toy part not be smaller than a cylinder measuring
problem solving, while at the same time developing 1¼ inches wide and 2¼ inches long. Pictured
small motor skills and eye-hand coordination. Open- below—shown life-sized—is the recommended
ended toys that are also natural tools for developing minimum size block to avoid choking.
math skills and concepts include the following:
■ Toddler busy boxes with knobs to turn, bells to
ring, and all sorts of colorful things to move

■ Toys with pieces that stack from largest to smallest
■ Shape sorting toys with pegs and holes that have
different sizes, shapes, and colors

■ Boxes, bowls, cups, plastic tubs—and different
stuff such as water at bath time or sand in the

backyard—so they can fill and empty them
■ Felt boards with a variety of geometric shapes and sizes
■ Blocks that join together in different ways—for boys AND girls
■ Wooden cubes, plastic colored shapes, or pattern blocks
■ Large beads of different colors, sizes, and shapes for stringing patterns
■ Magnetic shapes for building 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional creations
■ Geometric 3-dimensional shapes and blocks for building
■ A plastic balance scale, along with uniform objects (such as cubes) for
weights—and a lot of different objects around the house to weigh

■ Collections of different, but related, objects—such as coins, buttons,
keys, plastic lids, stamps, and nuts and bolts—to sort in different ways
■ Measuring cups and spoons, and containers to fill, empty, and compare
W hat are the roles of parents in young children ’ s play ?

Parents play an important role in children’s unstructured play. Only you
can plan for a balance in your children’s lives, including setting aside enough
time for play, providing multi-purpose toys, and making sure your children
have a safe place to play without too many distractions. While television can
promote learning, it is passive learning since the child is only a watcher, not
an active participant. TV time should be limited for young children in favor Permission is granted to
of active play. Turn OFF the TV when it’s not TV time; studies show that TV reproduce and share this article
for instructional use by parents,
disturbs children’s active play—even when they aren’t watching it!
guardians, teachers, and families
And don’t forget, when your children are quietly playing, take this provided it is duplicated with full
wonderful opportunity to carefully observe them in their world of play. credit given to the author and the
Watch closely and you will discover the different ways your children choose California Mathematics Council.
to learn, and what you learn can help you encourage your children’s unique Any other use of this article is a
talents and interests. violation of the copyright.
© 2013 by the California Mathematics Council Early Learning, Math at Home n 2

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E arly L earning MATH

P lay is fundamental—a fun AND mental activity. When young children

in school and throughout life.

© 2013 by the California Mathematics Council Early Learning, Math at Home n 1

ring, and all sorts of colorful things to move

■ Shape sorting toys with pegs and holes that have

different sizes, shapes, and colors

stuff such as water at bath time or sand in the

■ Blocks that join together in different ways—for boys AND girls

■ Wooden cubes, plastic colored shapes, or pattern blocks

■ Magnetic shapes for building 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional creations

■ Geometric 3-dimensional shapes and blocks for building

weights—and a lot of different objects around the house to weigh

W hat are the roles of parents in young children ’ s play ?

© 2013 by the California Mathematics Council Early Learning, Math at Home n 2

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