Have you noticed the array of pumpkins and colourful squashes at your supermarket or greengrocers? And have you bought some to decorate your home or your doorstep?
Pumpkins and squashes are brilliant additions to our homes at this time of the year and you can also share them with your young grandchild.
Before you even consider taking a carving knife to a pumpkin or squash, let your grand child investigate them. You can start by talking about the colours of the squash or pumpkin and then let your grandchildren touch and hold them. Along with numbers, learning about shapes and measurements is also part of the Early Years curriculum.
At the weekend Daisy had to show us their pumpkins and told us that they had a Daddy pumpkin and baby pumpkins. This was her way of telling us about the difference in the sizes, in a way that she understands. She also counted her baby pumpkins “one, two” as she picked them up. Then she tried to pick up the Daddy pumpkin but couldn’t lift it and told us “Too heavy!” Number, size and weight, all in a few moments of play.
Daisy has a book of Opposites. Reading this book with her and using words such as big, little/ small in everyday situations helps her to develop her vocabulary and understanding about size.
Using opportunities in everyday situations is a an ideal way to help your grandchildren as they learn these mathematical concepts. The best way to find out is in practical situations so next time that you go grocery shopping with your grand child, let them help you count potatoes into a bag and see how the bananas grow together in a curved group. Let them hold the cauliflower and see how heavy it feels then put it onto the balance scales to watch the needle on the dial move.
Meanwhile, Daisy is taking great care of her baby pumpkins –
Granny Smith says
Once you’ve carved your pumpkin ( if your grandchild will let you), making pumpkin soup is a great activity to share.
Granny Smith's Diary 