The activities in this section are arranged into four categories: Mathematics in the Home, Mathematics at the Grocery Store, Mathematics on the Go and Mathematics for the Fun of It. For each activity, you'll see a grade span—from preschool through grade 5—that suggests when children should be ready to try it. Of course, children don't always become interested in or learn the same things at the same time. And they don't suddenly stop enjoying one thing and start enjoying another just because they are a little older. You're the best judge of which activity your child is ready to try. For example, you may find that an activity listed for children in grades 1 or 2 works well with your preschooler. On the other hand, you might discover that the same activity may not interest your child until he is in grade 3 or 4.

Feel free to make changes in an activity—shorten or lengthen it—to suit your child's interests and attention span. Most of the things that you might need for these activities are found around most homes.

As a parent, you can help your child want to learn in a way no one else can. That desire to learn is a key to your child's success, and, of course, enjoyment is an important motivator for learning. As you choose activities to use with your child, remember that helping him to learn doesn't mean that you can't laugh and have a good time. In fact, you can teach your child a lot through play. And you can play with and make games out of almost any math skill or concept. We hope that you and your child enjoy these activities and that they inspire you to think of additional activities of your own.