This playful counting activity helps your toddler explore numbers in a hands-on way! Using everyday objects or toys, you’ll count together, sort items, and build early number sense, all through fun, movement, and play.
Research shows that babies start to notice quantity even before they can count. By around 6 months, they can tell the difference between larger and smaller groups, like spotting more apples in one pile than another. By 10 to 12 months, they may even use this skill to make choices, like reaching for a bowl with more snacks.
Around age 2, many toddlers begin labeling small groups (saying things like “two blocks”) not because they’re counting yet, but because they’ve linked the word “two” with a group of two. It’s an early mix of quantity awareness and language development.
Guide your baby through their first steps in math with fun books, wooden coins, stacking rings, and more.
About This Play Plan:
Use this play plan to gently introduce your toddler to early counting through hands-on, sensory-rich activities. With the help of books, songs, and simple toys like coins and rings, your child will begin to connect number words with real objects they can see, hear, and touch.
How to Use This Plan:
- Gather Your Materials: Check the list below for everything you’ll need.
- Follow the 5E Tabs: Each tab provides step-by-step guidance, creative ideas, and reflection prompts to make the experience more meaningful.
- Let Your Child Lead: Observe how your child interacts with the materials and adjust based on their interests and developmental stage.
Spark your child’s curiosity:
Start by reading a toddler-friendly counting book together, preferably at bedtime. We love to read Lovevery’s Baby Math, Winnie the Pooh’s 1, 2, 3, and Paddington’s Counting Book.
Point to the objects on each page as you read, and count them out loud using your fingers to help your child connect the words to the quantity.
You can also play or sing songs like 10 Little Numbers to introduce sequencing in a fun, easy-to-remember way.
Encourage hands-on exploration:
Bring out the Lovevery Wooden Coin Bank Set from the Babbler Play Kit.
Let your toddler interact with the coins, such as holding them up and dropping them into the slot.
Provide simple, age-appropriate explanations:
As your toddler drops each coin into the slot, count out loud slowly: “One… two… three…”
This helps them connect the number words with the action and the sound of each coin dropping.
Repetition like this builds early number recognition and helps your child understand that numbers represent real things they can see, touch, and hear.
Expand on the activity:
Bring out Lovevery’s Wooden Stack & Slot to build on the counting practice.
Invite your child to stack the wooden rings one by one while you count together: “One ring… two rings… three rings!”
Eventually, you can introduce playful prompts like, “Can we stack five rings?”
This visual stacking activity helps your toddler see the growing quantity, reinforcing the concept of “more” and making counting feel like a game.
Reflect on how your child responded to the play:
- Did they show interest in the books or counting materials?
- Did they attempt to count aloud or imitate your voice?
- Were they able to place items one by one as you counted?
- Did they recognize when a group got bigger or smaller?
- Did they stay engaged and want to repeat the activity?
Some toddlers love to drop the coins and stack the rings right away, while others prefer to watch and listen first. There’s no rush; follow their pace and enjoy each little moment of curiosity as they explore numbers in their own way.
Materials List:
- Counting board books for toddlers, such as Lovevery’s Baby Math.
- Toys for counting, such as the Lovevery Wooden Coin Bank Set and Stack & Slot (both from Babbler Play Kit)
- Optional: a small tray, bowl, or mat for organizing coins and rings
- Optional: Simple counting songs like 10 Little Numbers and 10 in the Bed
Tips for the Grown-Ups:
Follow the Child’s Lead:
Observe how your child interacts with the playthings. Let them guide the session by following their interests. If they show a preference for exploring textures, sounds, or colors, embrace it. Be a silent observer, ready to expand their learning with gentle, supportive language.
Create a Calm, Inviting Space:
Set up a clutter-free area that encourages focused exploration. Use natural light and simple setups to inspire curiosity. If the weather permits, take the play outside for a richer sensory experience, connecting with the natural world.
Encourage Open-Ended Play:
Embrace imaginative twists and unexpected uses for the toys. If the activity takes a surprising turn, celebrate this as a sign of growing cognitive flexibility and problem-solving.
Our Own Play Experience
The first time we opened Baby Math from the Thinker Play Kit, our daughter reached out and ran her tiny fingers over the bumpy textures. She was 10 months old then, and something about that book just clicked. Maybe it was the textures, maybe the patterns, maybe the gentle rhythm of counting. Whatever it was, that book became a regular part of our days.
We’ve read it so often I’ve practically memorized every page. She’s 14 months old now, still not saying numbers, but when we count together, I can see it: the little spark of recognition, the way her eyes track each item, the way she enjoys tapping each picture that we’re counting and then clapping her hands afterward.
Then came the Babbler Play Kit, and with it, the coin lid box. Another instant favorite. I showed her how to slide the wooden coins in, making a big show of twisting and fumbling the coin before dropping it in (she finds my clumsiness hilarious, thankfully). It didn’t take long before she was doing it herself with full concentration.
The same goes for the stack-and-slot play thing. She stacks each ring one by one, carefully, almost ceremoniously. And when she places the last one? Applause. From her. For herself. Every time.
And if one ring’s missing, she knows. She scans the floor, crawls off to find it, and won’t rest until the stack is complete.
Watching her explore early math this way has been surprisingly fun for both of us. I didn’t grow up loving math; in fact, it was my weakest subject in school. However, I want it to feel different for her. I want numbers to feel familiar, not scary. And thanks to these little moments, these simple toys, and that worn-out book, we’re off to a pretty great start.
Please Note: I am a proud Lovevery subscriber and fan, and many of the play plans shared here feature Lovevery playthings. However, this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Lovevery. All ideas and recommendations are my own, based on my experiences as a mom who values meaningful, play-based learning.
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