Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Math Is Everywhere

Keep children engaged when you have to wait

• Note sequences and patterns
  Order is important in math. Notice sequences with your child: “Looks like we’re the second in line!” Find simple patterns together, such as the colors of floor tiles or how far apart light fixtures are placed.
• Spot spatial relations
  This has to do with shapes and locations of objects. You can “hunt” for shapes together: squares, triangles, rectangles, and circles. Use words like on, under, and inside to describe where you see the shapes. Drawing shapes in the air can also be fun.
• Estimate and predict
  Children often like to make educated guesses. “Which is higher, a stack of five dimes or five pennies?” Make a guess first, and then check to see how close your guess came.
• Measure and estimate time
  Your child may like timing games: “How many times can you count to 10 before we are first in line?” “How long can you stand on one leg?”