Clothesline Counting

In this activity, your child will practice sequencing numbers, while she gets some fresh air. Take the learning outside, and sneak in a little fine motor practice on the fly, as your child works on early math skills. This is an unusual hands-on way to practice counting.

What You Need:

• Clothesline
• Spring-style clothespins
• Marker
• Assortment of small children’s clothes
• Picture of clothes hanging on a clothesline

What to Do:

1. Have your child help you put up a clothesline at a height that he can reach.
2. Help your child label the clothespins with numbers 1–10, using the marker. Then mix up the clothespins, so they're no longer in order.
3. Engage your child in a discussion about the different ways of doing laundry.  You can talk about using wash boards, and clotheslines, and using washing machines and dryers as well. 
4. Set out the clothespins. Show your child how to open the clothespins and use them to hang things on the line. Working with clothespins helps build hand muscles, which will help kids with writing... an extra bonus!
5. Let him lay out the clothespins in numerical order. Younger children can get some help, by taking peeks at a piece of paper with numbers written in sequence.
6. Mix up the clothespins again and ask your child to pin the clothes on the line in numeric order.

In warm weather, children will enjoy washing the clothes first and hanging them outdoors to dry.  No clothes on hand? Hang paintings to dry instead of clothing!