Easy shapes for toddlers

6 PROVEN Ways To Teach Your Toddler Shapes (2023)

Why is that?

“It’s because color and shape are two very noticeable attributes of the world around us. Color and shape are ways children observe and categorize what they see. These very recognizable characteristics encourage children to define and organize the diverse world around them”. – Scholastic

For example, we have a bunch of colorful eggs currently around the house since it’s close to Easter. My son will see the eggs and say purple or oval every time he sees them.

We are surrounded by shapes!  It only makes sense that this is the first subject that you are teaching your child.

Since I have been on the adventure of teaching shapes to both my kids,

Tip #1.

When you walk down the toy aisle at Target, do you see your child’s eyes light up at all the different toys?

Most of the time, I try to distract my kids as we walk by this section!

But, all kidding aside, there are times throughout the year when I buy new toys. I especially love buying educational toys because children learn through play every day.

Side note: Most of these toys don’t say the shapes out loud, so your involvement in playing with these toys is crucial for them to learn!

Melissa and Doug puzzles have worked wonders with my children. These puzzles are the first thing that I introduce when starting to teach things like shapes, alphabet, numbers, etc.

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Hands-on learning is the way your child will learn best! By repeating these shapes daily, your child will start to pick up the names of the shapes.

Who doesn’t love a great on-the-go toy? I am always looking for great toys to take in the car, on long weekend trips in the hotel, or events where I know that my kids will be bored within 10 minutes :).

What makes this toy so great is that it packs up easy, and it’s small, so it’s easy to carry around! 

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I love buying a toy that can be used for several years because you can work on different learning skills with it!

This clock is excellent for learning shapes, numbers, and how to tell time!

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Toy #4: Shape Sponges

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I like this toy because it’s different than the other ones that I mention. Plus, I love the fact that these sponges have handles, so it’s easy for little hands to hold and use them.

There’s only so many times that your child will want to play with the same puzzle, so adding in some different tools or toys will keep them engaged in the learning!

I don’t know about you, but my kids are obsessed with Play-Doh!

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In this specific pack of Play-Doh cut-outs, there was an oval, circle, triangle, and square! These are great shapes to start with, especially for little ones!

Does anyone else’s toddler enjoy pulling off all the refrigerator magnets at home?  These magnets are also great, so you can get some cooking done in the kitchen while your little one is close by.

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Tip #2.

When you are trying to leave the house, how many times do you have to tell your kid(s) to get their shoes and jacket on before you go?

It seems like hundreds, right? That’s how I feel!

One day they will get it! But until then, I keep having to repeat the directions.

The same goes for learning shapes or any other new skill! Repeating the information, especially to toddlers, is crucial. Even though my son knows his shapes, I still spend at least 5 minutes a day playing with shape toys or checking for understanding, so he remembers the information.

Lucas can finally use stickers because he isn’t putting them in his mouth! This sticker book was a fun and cheap way to review shapes. The best part about this book is that the stickers are reusable!

It is exciting and engaging to also present it in different ways to kids so they don’t get bored with the same toy, which I will explain in the next section.

Tip #3: Shape Learning Activities

Think about how you learn best. If you are learning something new, do you like to use the same program, slide show, or worksheet?

I sure don’t! 

Variety is crucial when teaching kids. You want to make sure they are not just memorizing one toy. By doing different activities every now and then, they will be eager to learn and excited to show you what they know.

You need the following items for this activity:

• Paper plate
• Construction paper
• Glue stick.

I pre-made all of the shapes, so this activity was ready to go for my kids. The best part about the project is you can let their creativity flow! You may have to help with the glue, so your house doesn’t become all sticky 🙂

To differentiate for older kiddos, you can add in more complex shapes like hexagons, trapezoids, and pentagons. On the worksheet, I also added a question on how many sides each of the shapes have. As a bonus, my daughter worked on her handwriting as well by writing the number of each shape she had on her pizza and how many sides each shape has!

• My Shape Pizza- Toddler My Shape Pizza- Preschool

• My Shape Pizza- Preschool

You will need the following items for this activity: Contact paper and cardstock paper.

This activity did take some prep work, but the kids loved it because it was something different that we have never done before! It works on differentiation and sorting shapes.

I drew a circle, triangle, and square, cut them out using the contact paper, and placed an outlining of the shapes with cardstock paper to help with differentiation.

Then, I made smaller circles, triangles, and squares so they could place them on the contact paper.

To do this activity, all you need is sidewalk chalk!

It’s cold out where we live, so anytime that we can get outside, we take advantage of it! This activity is simple; all you have to do is draw a few shapes on the ground with sidewalk chalk. You ask your toddler to jump from shape to shape.

Every time I set up an activity for my son to do, my daughter is right there waiting to be part of the action. I try to differentiate the activities for her to make them a bit more challenging. In this case, I had my daughter work on shape patterns and drawing the shapes. These are two critical skills for her to have in Kindergarten.

Activity #4: Shape Mini-Eraser Worksheets

It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with mini-eraser activities.

I’m not ashamed to say that every time I walk into Target, I check their dollar section to see if there are new mini-erasers available. Anyone else with me on this one?

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Directions:

1. First, print my 7 FREE SHAPE MATS HERE!

2. If your toddler is learning shapes, make sure to talk about what shape you are building with them! When working with older ones, ask them to see if they know what shape it is and if they know how many sides it has!

3. Get out your mini erasers and have your child either use their fingers to place the erasers in the circles to make the shapes or use kid-friendly tweezers to pick up the erasers and place them on the circles to improve their fine motor skills!

4.  With preschoolers, set up some erasers in a pattern and see if your little one can finish the entire shape in that pattern!

Tip #4: Focus on a few shapes at a time.

This picture is overwhelming to me; I can’t imagine how difficult it would be for a toddler to differentiate these shapes!

When teaching toddlers, you must start slow, or they won’t understand the information you’re presenting them. Choose one or two shapes to start.

I would start by teaching these to your toddler then move onto more complex shapes.

I did some research and saw that many school districts believe that a child should know these shapes before entering kindergarten: triangle, circle, square, rectangle, oval, star, diamond (rhombus), and heart.

You may want to remove certain shapes from toys or activities when you are teaching, so your toddler can focus on the one you are trying to teach.

Check for understanding to see if they can differentiate between the shapes you started with to see if you can move onto other shapes!

Tip #5: Check for Understanding

I feel like I am always talking to my son. I am either identifying something to him or asking him questions to see what he knows throughout the day.

He is probably so annoyed with me, but luckily he can’t verbalize it to me yet 🙂  

Checking for understanding is crucial to see what your child knows so you can keep building on that knowledge or identify what you need to review with them. 

Take a look at the video below to see one way that you can see what your child is retaining!

In this video, I used a Crayola My First TouchPad. This product entertains my kids, so I knew that it would be a great way to see what my son knows.

If your toddler makes a mistake while you are checking for understanding, make sure to provide them with positive/corrective feedback.

Here’s an example: If you asked your child, “Where is the triangle”? And they touched the circle, all you have to say is “that is a circle.” Then go on to show them the triangle.

If you are seeing that your child is getting one or two shapes wrong each time you check for understanding, try presenting the information differently by using a variety of different toys, books, or drawings to see what works best for them!

Tip #6: Be their biggest cheerleader!

If your toddler is not able to identify shapes or isn’t interested in learning quite yet, don’t get frustrated. The learning process for each child is different.

It’s easy to compare your child’s skills (cognitive or physical) with another child their age. Some children have learned their shapes by 15 months, and others aren’t interested in learning quite yet, and they are 20 months.

THAT IS OKAY!

The important thing is that you keep a positive attitude, play with shape toys daily, and repeat the information. Please try not to get frustrated!

Be patient, and stay confident in your child!

Teaching your toddler about shapes is a fun but challenging adventure!

It’s important to start slow, play with shape toys they can manipulate and practice each day.  Try to mix up the activities that you do with them to keep them engaged and excited to learn!

I would love to help in your journey, teaching your toddler shapes. Whether you need some creative ideas or you need more helpful suggestions, please leave a comment below.

If you have any great ideas that you would like to share as well on what helped you teach numbers to a toddler, please share them with us too!

And I’d love to know:

What is your favorite way to teach toddlers colors?

How to Teach Your Toddler Shapes

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Are you looking for the easiest ways to teach your toddler shapes? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

We are surrounded by shapes, so it’s only natural that we begin teaching our kids to recognize shapes at an early age. In fact, many teachers choose to teach shapes and colors first in their early learning classrooms.

Kids quickly begin to notice shapes and we can teach them to recognize basic shapes as toddlers. 

There are so many fun activities for teaching shapes! Keep reading to discover the best ideas and activities to teach your toddler shapes, from playdough mats to tracing pages and everything in between.

You don’t want to miss these fun toddler shape activities and ideas.

What shapes should a toddler know?

You might be wondering where to begin when teaching your toddler shapes. Around age 2, kids start to notice the shape of objects, but that’s not the same as being able to identify basic shapes.

You can help your kids to identify basic shapes: square, circle, triangle, rectangle) before preschool with lots of fun activities and lessons.  

Once your toddler knows basic shapes, you can continue learning by teaching more advanced shapes like oval, star, heart, and diamond.

By learning to recognize shapes and colors at an early age, kids begin to organize and understand the world around them.

Remember, every child is different. Some kids learn their shapes quickly and others need more time. Try some of the fun shape activities for toddlers mentioned in this article to help your toddler become more familiar with shapes and have fun learning.

How do I teach my toddler shapes?

Begin by taking advantage of everyday learning opportunities with your toddler. Point out the shapes you see in your natural surroundings.

Teach your toddler shapes by helping them to recognize the shapes they already see every day. Notice the shape of their pillow, their plate, and the front door.

Your toddlers will get excited by looking for shapes when you’re out and about too. Before you know it, he or she will be pointing out circles and triangles everywhere you go.

One fun way to encourage identifying shapes is by going on a shape scavenger hunt.

Tape shapes around the house and set your children loose on a shape scavenger hunt to find all the shapes they can.

I like to add an extra sense of fun with this by using magnifying glasses. If you don’t have your own, this shape activity bundle comes with a printable one to use!

When your children are ready, you can also have them go on a real life shape hunt and identify the shapes they see in real life.

Teach shapes through play

The next step to teaching shapes for toddlers is purposeful play. Young children learn best through play. It’s important to use that to your advantage. Take advantage of teachable moments as you play, but be careful not to push too hard or overwhelm your little learner.

Geometric blocks are one of my favorite ways to encourage shape exploration and learning with toddlers. As you build, say things like “Oh I love that triangle block you used!” or “Can you hand me the rectangle?” In this way, toddlers naturally build shape recognition skills.  

Shape books for teaching your toddler shapes

Books provide another fun way to explore lots of early learning concepts with toddlers, including shapes. Here are some of our favorite books for learning all about shapes with toddlers at home and in the classroom:

• Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh
• Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald
• This Is a Book of Shapes by Kenneth Kraegel
• Round Is a Tortilla: A Book of Shapes by Roseanne Thong and John Parra
• The Shape of Things by Dayle Dodds
• Shapes that Roll by Karen Nagel
• Icky Bug Shapes by Jerry Pallotta
• Shapes are Everywhere by Nikita Floyd
• Which Shape Should I Be by Pamela Kennedy

In addition to being a fun way to learn about shapes with your toddler, reading aloud is the best way to help kids fall in love with books.

You can encourage your toddlers to love reading and begin to develop an interest in learning to read while building their vocabulary and teaching them about shapes with some great books.

If you really want to encourage a love for reading, grab my shape book. This real life shape book is an easy reader with repetitive text, making it simple for kids to read independently.

Your toddler will have so much fun identifying the shapes inside the book and creating a real life object from it.

What are the geometric shapes?

You might be asking yourself, what are the geometric shapes? That’s easy. The common shapes we learn as toddlers and preschoolers are the geometric shapes. The basic plane geometric shapes are triangles, circles, squares, rectangles, trapezoids etc.

Keep reading to learn about 2D shape activities you can do at home with your children.

Shape Crafts for Preschoolers and toddlers

One way I like to introduce shapes is through shape crafts. These adorable Halloween shape crafts for preschoolers are a fun way to teach all about basic shapes in Fall.

Just choose a Frankenstein shape face to build this not so spooky shape craft. Then use my template to finish the rest of this Halloween character craft and record the number of shapes used.

Need even more Halloween shape crafts for kids? Try my witch shape craft, my scarecrow shape craft, or my bat shape craft and have the double the fun learning shapes in October.

Winter Shape Crafts for Kids

Continue the shape crafts throughout winter with this adorable Christmas Tree shape craft for kids. Your toddlers will love identifying basic shapes like circles, triangles, and squares as they build their very own Christmas tree this winter.

Activities for teaching shapes

There are tons of fun activities for teaching shapes to toddlers!

I’ve put together lots of great printable pages you can use to create meaningful lessons with your toddlers without spending lots of time prepping elaborate activities.

Check out our favorite ways to teach your toddler shapes:

Playdough Shape Mats

I love using these playdough shape mats to teach shapes to toddlers. Kids love playing with PlayDoh so it’s a great way to get them engaged in the lesson from the very start. Toddlers will begin by rolling their playdough into “snakes” which builds finger strength and coordination, so it’s great for fine motor skills. Then, teach your toddler shapes by using your playdough “snakes” to form the outline of each shape on these adorable playdough shape mats. 

You can add even more learning fun by asking kids what their shapes look like. It’s a great way to extend the lesson with toddlers. Say “Hey, my triangle looks like pizza!” and so on. This will help toddlers connect the shapes they’re creating on the mats to the shapes they see in everyday life.

Geoboard Shapes

If you’re looking for another fun, hands on way to teach your kid shapes, try using geoboards.

These geoboard shape cards are a fun way for kids to make shapes. This set comes with 8 cards to make several different 2D shapes.

Learn Shapes in Real Life

Your little learner will have to study the pictures carefully to identify the real life shapes on these clothes pin clip mats.

This shape activity printable is an easy way to see if your toddler can identify shapes in the world around them all while strengthening their fine motor skills. Simply identify the shape in the center and clip clothes pin on each matching real life shape.

Shape Coloring Pages

Coloring pages are lots of fun, but they’re also great tools for early learning.

Toddlers can build important early learning skills like concentration, learn proper pencil grip, and practice color recognition too with these shape coloring pages.

I love teaching shapes to toddlers with shape coloring pages because they help kids to see that shapes are a part of our natural world and we encounter them daily. 

Shape Sorting Activities

With sorting activities, toddlers learn to separate objects according to their similarities and differences. Shape sorting activities help toddlers develop early problem solving skills by requiring them to determine whether an object is more like a quadrilateral or a triangle and make decisions about the attributes of each shape.

Here are all the skills your toddler can learn from sorting shapes:

• Problem solving skills
• Visual discernment
• Pattern identification
• Fine motor skills

You can create your own super easy shape sorting activity at home using only colored paper, a marker, and scissors. Begin by drawing 4 columns on a piece of paper. Then, use your scissors to cut out 4 basic shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle). Place a triangle in one column, a circle in one column, etc. Then, have your toddler sort the remaining shapes into the proper columns. 

Make this shape sorting activity easier for your toddler by making each shape the same color. For example, make all the rectangles yellow. To make this activity more challenging, use lots of different colors for every shape.

Printable Shape Activity Pages

I’m in love with these printable shape worksheets because they have a hands on element your toddlers will love!

Kids can use toy cars to learn about shapes with these printable shape worksheets where shapes are formed with “roads. ” Toddlers can drive their toy cars around the shape to discover how many sides and corners each shape has. It’s a great way for kids to build familiarity with each shape while having fun.

Plus, these printable shape worksheets have an activity at the bottom to help your toddler recognize shapes they see in everyday life. For older kids, there’s a fun tracing activity at the top for practicing pre-writing skills by tracing the name of the shape.

Learn Shapes with Dot Marker Activities

Don’t you just love dot markers? Dot markers are super easy for teachers and moms, and they’re lots of fun for toddlers too.

You can use dot markers to teach your toddler shapes. Toddlers can improve their hand eye coordination as they aim and stamp each circle provided on these dot marker printables. 

Your toddler will be building fine motor skills, strong finger muscles, working left to right, and exploring their own creativity with these dot marker printables too. Let them use as many colors as they like to complete the shapes on these dot marker pages.

Shape Neighborhood Matching Game

Have you heard of gameschooling? Gameschooling is all about using games to teach important skills and lessons. Using gameschooling with toddlers is a fun way to boost connection and learn through play with your kids.

Check out this shape neighborhood matching game to explore teaching shapes to your toddlers with a fun game.

Matching games are a fantastic way to develop visual discrimination skills, problem solving, build memory, and practice fine motor skills too. You can use this shape neighborhood matching game to help your toddlers identify shapes in the world around them by matching the shaped items to the correct shape houses in this printable game. 

This game also involves sorting shapes which will help your toddlers develop important early learning skills while they learn to identify basic shapes.

Printable Snowman Shape Activity

Just in time for Winter, this snowman shape activity is an adorable printable your toddlers will love! My favorite way to use this activity with toddlers is to have them build their own snowmen by matching the everyday shapes on each snowman piece.

Can your toddler identify the square shapes they see every day and match them up with the square snowman head? With this fun Winter activity, you’ll be able to teach your toddler shapes while having fun.

Printable Shape Hats for Kids

Preschool shape hats are a great way to reinforce the shape of the week in school. After the days shape lesson, print these free shape hat templates out and create an easy shape hat for kids.

These printable shape hats are great because they reinforce real world objects that are the matching shape and handwriting skills as your students trace the shape name.

In Conclusion

How will you teach your toddler shapes this year? What’s your favorite activity or book for learning about shapes with toddlers?

Share your favorite ideas and activities for teaching shapes at home and in the classroom in the comment section. I can’t wait to read all about your learning journey and try some of your shape learning ideas with my toddlers too.

How to teach a child to count - examples Grade 1

Counting is one of the basic skills that a preschooler should have. Teaching a child to count is not difficult, you just need to know how to properly organize the learning process. Children first develop visual-effective, and then visual-figurative thinking, so any mathematical operations must be demonstrated with practical examples. Let's see how easy it is to teach a child to count.

When to start teaching counting?

The optimal age for learning to count is between 3 and 5 years of age. At three years old, the thinking of the crumbs is already sufficiently developed to master this skill. Some babies are taught to count at an even earlier age by their parents.

Children who go to kindergarten learn numbers and the basics of counting there. But if your kid does not attend kindergarten, you can take care of his education yourself. Counting is one of the basic skills that is desirable to master before the child goes to school. Of course, no one will require a first-grader to solve complex mathematical problems. But the ability to add and subtract will greatly facilitate the student's learning process.

The first step in learning to count is getting to know numbers. Already at 1.5–2 years old, you can show the crumbs the numbers and tell what they are called. At this age, the baby is still unable to count objects, even knowing the numbers, but he already understands the difference between "one" and "many". To solve this problem, CUVYRKOM has an excellent set of magnetic numbers and signs.

From the age of three, a baby can learn to count from 1 to 10 using specific tangible objects - sweets, apples, windows in a house or stairs. From 4–5 years old, the baby is already able to use not objects for counting, but numbers and count up to 20. And by the age of six, he can easily master counting up to 100 (and this is not the limit), as well as learn addition and subtraction.

Do not forget that everything is individual here. Some children learn mental counting almost from the cradle, while others can’t really add 2 + 2 until the school itself. And if your baby still can’t count, don’t be discouraged. Perhaps it is still small and you just need to wait a bit.

Methods for teaching counting

There are quite a few ways to teach a child to count correctly. Let's consider the most common.

• Finger counting. This is the easiest and most affordable method for which no manuals are needed. Fingers are always with the baby, so you can practice anytime and anywhere, for example, during a trip or standing in line to pass the time. You can learn to count up to ten on your fingers. But it’s difficult for a baby to remember ten numbers at once, so start with one hand. How to teach a child to count to 5, you can connect the second hand.
• Counting sticks. This is a popular teaching tool used in kindergarten, school, preschool preschool. These sticks are usually sold in office supply stores and school supply stores. If you don't have chopsticks, you can replace them with matches or toothpicks.
• Counting cards. Cards are similar to sticks. You can buy a set of cards or make your own out of cardboard.
• Montessori method. It is very easy to teach a child to count using the Montessori method. It's like playing shop. You will need coins of different denominations and various items that the child will "buy".
• Doman technique. Is a set of cards with red dots. A certain number of dots are drawn on each card - one, two, three, etc.
• Zaitsev method. The main feature of the method is to immediately show the crumbs the numbers from 0 to 100. This is necessary so that he understands how many tens and ones are included in each number. To teach this technique, a set of special cards with numbers is used.
• Polyakov's method. This way to teach a child to count involves the use of cubes, a special box with cells for cubes and a set of cards with numbers.

You can choose any technique you like or try everything and choose the one that suits your son or daughter the most. If you don’t want to buy teaching aids and master the intricacies of different methods, you can teach a child of 4–5 years old to count on fingers and improvised objects. And it’s also convenient to learn to count through the game. This can help you tabletops from CUVYRKOM.

How to teach your child to count to 10

The easiest way to learn to count to 10 is to use your fingers. You can count on your fingers without even knowing how the numbers are written. The main thing is to remember their name and order. As a rule, babies do not have these problems, and they quickly learn to count on their fingers. Then you can teach your child to count from 10 to 1 (back counting).

To make the baby learn faster and easier, do the following:

• Focus on numbers as often as possible. Say to the baby: “Now you are three years old, and next year you will be four”, “I bought five apples and three oranges”, “It's time to go to bed, it's already nine o'clock”, “In two days grandmother will come to visit us”. The child will learn that numbers and numbers are everywhere present in everyday life.
• Show pictures showing objects, people, animals within ten.
• Constantly train. Encourage your child to count anything - cars, trees, toys, people. You can do this on the way to the kindergarten, on a walk, at home.

Buy number cubes or a set of magnetic numbers. The kid will be happy to play with them, at the same time remembering how each number visually looks. When he can confidently count to ten, move on to the second ten.

How to teach a child to count to 20

To teach your son or daughter to count to twenty, you can use two pairs of hands - the child and yours. Sticks, cards and any other counting instruments are also suitable for this purpose. Explain to the baby the concept of "composition of a number." Show how two-digit numbers are formed by adding one single-digit number to another.

Take 10 counting sticks or any other items and place them in a row. Then add a stick of a different color to make the number 11. In the same way, demonstrate how the numbers 12, 13, and so on up to 20 are made.

Explain that the word "twenty" is an old word that means "ten." “One twenty” - it turns out 11, “two twenty” - 12, etc. That is, adding a number to ten, we get a new number and so on until we get “twenty” - two tens.

Take twenty sticks or other counting items and practice with them. When the baby learns to count well up to 20, you can move on to counting up to 30, 40, etc. If he understands how two-digit numbers are formed, there will be no difficulties with further learning.

How to teach a child to count to 100

If the child already knows how to confidently count to twenty, you can move on to counting to one hundred. First, practice remembering the correct sequence of tens of numbers: 10, 20, 30, 40 ... When the son or daughter remembers the sequence of tens, move on to adding ones, as described in the example with counting up to 20.

Do not try to learn all the dozens of numbers at once, so as not to overload the baby. Learn one ten a day. Before you take on the next ten, be sure to repeat the previous one. Take your time. Go to each new ten numbers only when the child firmly remembers the previous one. Otherwise, he will get confused and lose interest in learning. Consistency and patience are the main rules of training.

Also CUVYRKOM has kits for learning to read

Teaching addition and subtraction

When preparing for school, it is useful not only to teach a child to count quickly, but also to solve elementary examples of addition and subtraction. The easiest way to get started with basic arithmetic is with sticks, dice, or other counting items. Fingers will work too.

Start teaching addition to your son or daughter with the simplest example: 1+1=2. Take one item and add another to it. Show the result. Now add two to the first item, then three. Let the baby practice on his own by adding different numbers.

Be sure to tell him that the amount does not change from changing the places of the terms. Let him verify this by adding 3+5 and 5+3, 2+4 and 4+2. After the kid has successfully mastered addition, proceed to subtraction.

And in this article you can read about learning to multiply.

Explain to him that addition and subtraction are related operations. Show this relationship with an illustrative example. Take three sticks, add one to it - you get four. Now remove one stick and show that there are three left, as it was at the beginning. When the kid learns this principle, he will easily be able to solve examples for subtraction.

To make the rules easier to remember, translate them into simple, easy-to-understand examples. For example: “You have three sweets. You will share one with your mother. How much will you have left? or “Mom gave you two apples, and dad added three more. How many apples have you got? For greater clarity, you can take these sweets, apples, invite dad and reproduce the conditions of the problem in reality. Such activities will arouse much more interest in the crumbs than the boring memorization of abstract numbers.

Games and fun ways to help your little one learn to count

The easiest way to teach a child to count is through play. The following helper methods will help you with this.

Counting songs

Children perfectly perceive information by ear and easily memorize songs and rhymes. There are a lot of funny counting rhymes on YouTube that help just teach a child to count. You can turn them on to your little one, memorize with him, and then sing along throughout the day. With the help of these funny songs, you can learn not only numbers, but also the elementary rules of addition and subtraction.

Sorting items

Buy your son or daughter a sorter - a box with slots in the form of shapes of different shapes and a set of matching inserts. The task of the kid is to pick up his figure for each hole and insert it there. This educational toy is very useful for children 2-4 years old. With its help, they learn to distinguish shapes in shape and color. The sorting process develops logic and teaches the basics of geometry. Another popular game is also suitable - Segen boards.

You can use not only the sorter for this purpose, but also the items at hand. Invite the baby to sort buttons by color or size, spoons and forks, etc.

Lego

Games with the construction set perfectly train the mind and logical thinking. Since the details of the designer have different lengths and shapes, when assembling them, the kid has to think about what to attach to what. While the child is small, buy him a universal designer, consisting of simple rectangular and square blocks. As you grow older, you can buy themed sets in which you need to collect a certain figure (car, ship, tractor or robot).

Memory Cards

This aid helps your child learn to count quickly and correctly. Buy a set of mnemonic cards that show numbers, and next to them - certain items in the appropriate amount. For example, 1 is one pear, 2 is two oranges. Such cards create a stable connection in the child's brain between the image of a number and its actual value.

It's good if the cards catch the eyes of the baby as often as possible. There are magnetic models that can be hung on a special board or refrigerator. There are also cards designed in the form of a large poster that is hung on the wall.

How do you know if a child has learned to count well?

Mathematical knowledge of a preschooler can be called solid if he:

• without hesitation lists numbers from 1 to 10 (20) and in reverse order;
• understands the "neighbors" of a given number: which of them is greater and which is less;
• can count the number of items within five just by glancing at them;
• can count not only on fingers and objects, but also in the mind.

The ability to count, like any other skill, is improved through numerous trainings. It is not enough just to teach a child to count numbers, you need to apply the knowledge gained in practice. Teach your baby to count as often as possible to hone the skill to automatism.

Here you will find materials on how to teach division and motivate your child to learn.

Information on enterovirus infection. | City Children's Polyclinic No. 6

Enterovirus infections in children are acute infectious diseases caused by intestinal viruses (enteroviruses) from the picornavirus family. Clinical manifestations of enterovirus infection in children are polymorphic; the disease can occur in the following forms: catarrhal, gastroenteric, enterovirus fever, enterovirus exanthema, herpangina, serous meningitis, myocarditis, newborn encephalomyocarditis, conjunctivitis, uveitis, etc. PCR, ELISA, and RPHA methods are used to detect viruses in biological fluids. Etiopathogenetic treatment of enterovirus infection in children is carried out with interferons, immunoglobulins and other drugs.

• Causes of enterovirus infection in children
• Classification of enterovirus infection in children
• Symptoms of enterovirus infection in children
• Diagnosis of enterovirus infection in children
• Treatment of enterovirus infection in children
• Prognosis and prevention of enterovirus infection in children
• Prices for treatment

Enterovirus infections in children

Enterovirus infections in children are a broad group of diseases caused by RNA-containing non-polio viruses (Coxsackie, ECHO, unclassified human enteroviruses) and poliovirus. Due to the specificity of the lesions caused, poliomyelitis stands somewhat apart in the series of enterovirus infections in children, therefore, we consider it separately. As part of this review, we will focus on enterovirus infections of non-polio etiology, common among children.
Along with SARS, enterovirus infections are quite common in pediatrics. Annually, among the total number of patients with enterovirus infection, the proportion of children is 80-90%; of these, half of the cases occur in young children. Given the polymorphism of clinical manifestations, enterovirus infections in children are of interest not only to specialists in the field of infectious diseases, but also to neurology, gastroenterology, cardiology, ophthalmology, and otolaryngology.

Causes of enterovirus infection in children

The causative agents of enterovirus infections of non-polio etiology in children are Coxsackie A (24 serotypes), Coxsackie B (6 serotypes), ECHO (34 serotypes) and unclassified human enteroviruses 68-71 seropips. All non-polio enteroviruses are united by resistance to low temperatures (freezing, thawing) and rapid inactivation at high temperatures (boiling) or exposure to chlorine-containing solutions, iodine, formalin, hydrogen peroxide, UV radiation.
Sources of enterovirus infection can be children and adults who are virus carriers or sick with a manifest form of the disease. Transmission of infection from person to person is carried out by airborne droplets or fecal-oral routes; transplacental transmission is less common. Seasonal rises in the incidence of enterovirus infections among children are observed in late summer - early autumn. The highest incidence is recorded among children aged 3 to 10 years. Adults and older children are less likely to get sick, which is explained by the presence of immunity in them, formed due to asymptomatic infection. Along with sporadic cases and epidemic outbreaks of enterovirus infection in children's groups, there are large epidemics that affect entire regions.
The penetration of enteroviruses into the body occurs through the mucous membranes of the digestive and respiratory tract. Virus replication occurs in the lymphoid tissue, epithelium of the oropharynx and gastrointestinal tract, therefore, early clinical manifestations of enterovirus infection in a child may be herpetic sore throat, pharyngitis, diarrhea, etc. Further spread of viruses throughout the body occurs by the hematogenous route. Possessing organotropism, enteroviruses can affect nervous tissue, muscles, integumentary tissues, eye vessels, etc. After an enterovirus infection, children develop type-specific immunity to the serological type of virus that caused the disease.

Classification of enterovirus infection in children

Depending on the leading clinical syndrome, typical and atypical enterovirus infections in children are distinguished. Typical forms can manifest as isolated or combined lesions: herpetic sore throat, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, gastroenteritis, epidemic myalgia, enterovirus fever, enterovirus exanthema, hepatitis. Damage to the nervous system during enterovirus infection in children can proceed as encephalitis, serous meningitis, neonatal encephalomyocarditis, paralysis; heart damage - in the form of myocarditis and pericarditis; eye damage - in the form of hemorrhagic conjunctivitis and uveitis; damage to the genitourinary system - in the form of hemorrhagic cystitis, orchitis, epididymitis. Atypical forms of enterovirus infection in children include cases of an erased and asymptomatic course.
Given the severity of clinical signs, enterovirus infection in children can have a mild, moderate and severe course. The criteria for severity are the severity of local changes and intoxication syndrome. According to the nature of the course, enterovirus infections in children are divided into uncomplicated and complicated.

Symptoms of enterovirus infection in children

Despite the polymorphism of clinical manifestations, the course of various enterovirus infections in children has some common features. The duration of the incubation period is from 2 to 10 days (average 2-4 days). The manifestation of the disease is acute, with high fever (39-40 °C), chills, headache, weakness, sleep disturbance, lack of appetite, repeated vomiting.
In any form of enterovirus infection in children, there is hyperemia of the skin of the face, neck and upper half of the body, injection of the vessels of the conjunctiva and sclera. Perhaps the appearance of a polymorphic maculopapular rash, hyperemia of the mucous membrane of the tonsils of the arches and the posterior pharyngeal wall, cervical lymphadenitis. It is believed that intrauterine infection with enteroviruses can cause sudden infant death syndrome. A link between enterovirus infection in children and the development of type 1 diabetes has also been proven.
In addition to the general symptoms, the clinic of various forms of enterovirus infection in children has its own specific manifestations.
Enterovirus fever in children (minor illness, summer flu, three-day fever) is caused by different serotypes of Coxsackie and ECHO viruses. The infection is characterized by an acute manifestation with fever, myalgia, moderate catarrhal phenomena. The child has common signs of enterovirus infection: injection of sclera vessels, facial hyperemia, swollen lymph nodes, etc.; enlargement of the liver and spleen may be noted. This form of enterovirus infection in children is mild, usually no more than 2-4 days. In rare cases, enteroviral fever lasts 1-1.5 weeks or has an undulating course.
Intestinal (gastroenteric) form of enterovirus infection is more common in children under 3 years of age. The disease proceeds with minor catarrhal symptoms (rhinitis, nasal congestion, hyperemia of the mucous membranes of the oropharynx, cough) and dyspeptic syndrome (diarrhea, vomiting, flatulence). Severe intoxication, dehydration and colitis are not typical. The duration of the intestinal form of enterovirus infection in children is 1-2 weeks.
Catarrhal (respiratory) form of enterovirus infection in children proceeds according to the type of acute respiratory infections. There is a short-term fever, nasopharyngitis, laryngitis. Perhaps the development of false croup syndrome.
Enteroviral exanthema associated with ECHO and Coxsackieviruses is characterized by the appearance of a skin rash at the height of the fever. The nature of the rash may resemble that of scarlet fever, measles or rubella; elements are located mainly on the skin of the face and trunk. Less common are blisters in the mouth, resembling herpes (pemphigus of the oral cavity). The course of enterovirus infection in children is favorable; rash and fever disappear within 1-2 days.
Epidemic myalgia (Bornholm's disease, pleurodynia) is an enterovirus infection in children caused by Coxsackie and ECHO viruses. The leading manifestation of the disease is intense muscle pain that accompanies high fever. More often, children complain of pain in the chest and upper abdomen, less often in the back and limbs. When moving, the pain intensifies, causing blanching of the skin, profuse sweating, tachypnea. Epidemic myalgia requires differential diagnosis with pleurisy, acute appendicitis, or peritonitis. Outside the pain attack, children feel much better. This form of enterovirus infection in children often occurs in conjunction with herpangina and serous meningitis.
Serous meningitis is a typical form of enterovirus infection in children. The clinical picture is characterized by high body temperature, severe headache, repeated vomiting, restlessness and agitation of the child, delirium and convulsions. On the part of the respiratory tract, the phenomena of pharyngitis are noted. From the first days, meningeal symptoms were expressed: positive symptoms of Brudzinsky and Kernig, stiff neck muscles. Usually after 3-5 days, the symptoms regress, but post-infectious asthenia and residual effects may persist for 2-3 months.
Poliomyelitis-like (paralytic) form of enterovirus infection in children is one of the most severe. As with poliomyelitis, damage to the anterior horns of the spinal cord can lead to the development of flaccid paralysis and paresis of the lower extremities. In mild cases, limping, weakness in the legs, and decreased muscle tone are reversible and gradually disappear after 4–8 weeks. In severe forms of enterovirus infection in children, death is possible due to impaired function of the respiratory and vasomotor centers.
Neonatal encephalomyocarditis is caused by Coxsackie type B viruses and is typical for premature babies and children in the first months of life. Against the background of general symptoms (lethargy, refusal of the breast, subfebrile condition), the phenomena of heart failure (tachycardia, shortness of breath, cyanosis, arrhythmia, expansion of the boundaries of the heart and liver) are increasing. With encephalitis, fontanelles bulge and convulsions develop. Mortality in this form of enterovirus infection among children reaches 60-80%.
Hemorrhagic conjunctivitis is caused by enterovirus type 70. Manifested by photophobia, lacrimation, foreign body sensation in the eyes. Objectively, edema and hyperemia of the conjunctiva, pinpoint hemorrhages are determined. With the addition of a secondary infection, bacterial conjunctivitis and keratitis may develop. Usually, all symptoms of enterovirus infection in children subside after 10-14 days.
Enteroviral uveitis mainly affects children of the 1st year of life. This form of enterovirus infection occurs with fever, intoxication, intestinal and respiratory syndrome. Damage to the choroid of the eye is persistent and can lead to dystrophy of the iris, clouding of the cornea, the development of uveal cataracts and glaucoma, subatrophy of the eyeball.
Features of the course of herpetic sore throat are analyzed in the corresponding review.

Diagnosis of enterovirus infection in children

Enteroviral infections in children are diagnosed on the basis of a typical symptom complex, taking into account seasonality and epidemiological data. Mandatory for diagnosis is laboratory confirmation of enterovirus infection in children: detection of enterovirus RNA by PCR, determination of the titer of specific antibodies using ELISA, RSK or TPHA, etc. from the nasopharynx, scrapings from skin rashes, fecal samples, cerebrospinal fluid (if indicated for lumbar puncture), organ biopsy specimens, etc.
Depending on the leading clinical syndrome, children may need to consult a pediatrician, pediatric cardiologist, pediatric neurologist, pediatric otolaryngologist, pediatric ophthalmologist, and other specialists.
Various forms of enterovirus infection in children require differential diagnosis with poliomyelitis, measles, rubella, scarlet fever, mumps, SARS, AII.
Treatment of enterovirus infection in children
Treatment of mild isolated forms of enterovirus infection in children is carried out on an outpatient basis; hospitalization is required for serous meningitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, severe combined lesions. In the febrile period, rest, bed rest, sufficient drinking regimen are shown.
Etiopathogenetic therapy of enterovirus infection in children includes the use of recombinant interferons (alpha interferon), interferonogens (oxodihydroacridinyl acetate, meglumine acridone acetate), polyspecific immunoglobulins (in severe cases).
In case of myocarditis, meningitis and other forms, the appointment of glucocorticosteroids is indicated. At the same time, symptomatic treatment is carried out (taking antipyretics, detoxification therapy, irrigation of the nasal cavity, rinsing of the throat, etc.).

Prognosis and prevention of enterovirus infection in children

In most cases, enterovirus infection in children ends with convalescence. The most serious in terms of prognosis are enteroviral encephalitis, neonatal encephalomyocarditis, meningitis, generalized infection, and bacterial complications.
Children with enterovirus infection are subject to isolation; contact persons are quarantined for 2 weeks. Disinfection measures are being taken in the epidemiological focus. Due to the wide variety of enteroviruses, a specific vaccine against the infection has not been developed. Nonspecific prophylaxis includes endonasal instillation of leukocyte interferon to children and adults who have been in contact with a patient with an enterovirus infection.

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