Learning through play: Big and Small concepts for Toddlers 🦕🦖

Hello guys,

Along the way, I created different scenarios, games and activities for my baby boy to teach him the concept of 'BIG' and 'SMALL' .

This activity is one of them. The photos are taken when my toddler was exactly 2yrs old, but it's that kind of activity you can do it earlier or later this age, depending on the kid's development.

Sorting dinosaurs by size

Stacking and sorting toys are a great way to teach children the difference between big and small.

This activity is really easy to set up. If you want to simplify everything, then you'll only need those dinosaur figurines and if you don't have letters to represent big/small, you can write these two notions on paper.

I even used a book (actually two), to make this activity more complex, trying to identify the type of dino figurines with the ones in the books.

He loves playing with figurines. We have a lot of them, a full bucket of animals (and dinosaurs) figurines. They are a wonderful learning material, which are close to reality. They are perfect for Imaginative Play with their realistic-looking.

Figurines are fun and educational. They are suitable for girls and boys.

The whole activity consists in putting some dinosaurs in a box and that's it. Then they are classified into big vs small.

🦕🦖 You can even sort the dinosaurs by color, they can be associated with those from the books you already have, they can be counted, etc.

And that's how I created from an activity that initially seems trivial, an activity that stimulates thinking, patience, concentration, attention.

It doesn't matter that the dinosaurs are placed in a plastic bowl, in a baking tray or a cardboard box .

Whether it's sorting, classification, art and painting, handcrafts, letters and writing, numbers and math, it's important to present the activity being fun and interesting for the child.

What we did here, it's called "Learning Through Play" method.

It means that learning happens in a playful enviroment and through social interactive experiences.

It's the most efficient way to develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally, and gain the self-confidence

How to Teach Big and Small to Preschoolers

I found these easy examples of how to easily teach our kids the concept of Big and Small, so I leave you the link source here, if you want to read about it. You can find more informations and other learning activities on the subject.

Show him picture books demonstrating the difference between the two concepts. You can take it a step further and show him real objects that highlight difference in size.
Mix different sized balls or blocks, and ask him to sort the big from the small.
Make a box of assorted items containing things in 2 sizes.
Try and use the terms ‘big’ and ‘small’ in daily life as much as you can, even in normal conversations with your child. Show him examples of big and small as you go about your routine.
Games are always fun and all children love them, especially outdoors games. Take your preschooler to the playground and give him fun instructions like “Put something small in your pocket”, “Hide behind something big”, and “Touch the biggest thing you see”.

Have a wonderful day and

Enjoy playing with your children!