1.

Talk about numbers when you see them in your everyday life. Look around for representations of numbers—for instance, on billboards, signs, or vehicle license plates. Ask your child to say the numbers you see on signs, on television, or in the newspaper. Say a number to your child and see if he or she can write it correctly.

2.

The numbers you see around you can be expressed different ways. For instance, 1/5 of something is the same as 20%. A quarter is 1/4 of a dollar. You can talk about prices, speed limits, percentages, statistics, clothing sizes, cooking measurements, etc.

3.

Have your child look for license plates with whole numbers as they increase in size. For instance, you will first look for the number "1," then "2," and so on, to 50 or 100. The person who first finds the most numbers wins! This is a version of the license plate game many of us played as kids.

4.

At the grocery or department store, talk with your child about how prices are numbers represented in the decimal system. Ask your child to group all items that cost less than $1.00 together, all items that cost more than $1.00 and less than $5.00 together, and so on.

5.

When you stop at the gas station, ask your child to estimate how much it will cost you to fill up your vehicle. Then, fill up your vehicle and see how close your child's guess was. You can also ask your child to figure out your gas mileage based on the odometer readings between fill ups.

6.

Talk about angles and shapes wherever you see them. What shape is a stop sign? Are its angles obtuse, acute, or straight? What shape is a football field, a hockey goal, a football stadium, the moon? What shapes make up a honeycomb? Ask your child to describe the shapes he or she sees.

7.

Ask your child to help you follow a recipe. You can talk about the different sizes of measuring cups, spoons, and bowls. Note that 1/2 cup is larger than 1/3 cup, and that a tablespoon is equal to three teaspoons. Ask your child to double or halve a recipe.

8.

On car trips, ask your child to use the mileage key on a map or the mile markers on the highway to estimate the time it will take you to get to your destination. Using your speedometer, show your child that you can estimate how long it will take you to get where you are going.

9.

Note the different ways that things are measured. What instruments are used to measure various things? What might one use to measure the angles in a triangle?

10.

Watch your local newspaper for tables, charts, and graphs. Discuss how charts help us track and organize information and statistics. You can track the weather, or follow sports or the stock market.