Colour sorting with magnetic letters

              

I often set up activities for D, my 4 year old, to do and R usually wants to join in even though it's above his age and skill level. He just loves to try and copy his big sister and do everything she does. However, sometimes I try to set up activities that are just right for him and this colour sorting activity is one of them! Although he's only just turned 24 months, he has a keen eye for colour and enjoys colour sorting.

Sorting of all kinds is the beginning of mathematical skills that are the foundations for more advanced skills such as data sorting later on. Being able to sort into different groups helps a child to to think about the different properties of objects and enables them to distinguish whether they are the same or different.

We do lots of colour sorting activities and here is our latest one; sorting magnetic letters into different coloured bowls. We use these Learning Resources Sorting Bowls (Set of 6) all the time so you will often see them cropping up in my posts. They are an extremely useful resource. To do this activity you will also need some magnetic letters such as these Magnetic Letters. This activity is also great for exposing toddlers to letters and will help to develop their literacy skills.

               

I am trying to follow a more Montessori-type approach at the moment so am trying to incorporate the use of trays into the children's learning. In the Montessori method, activities are set out on trays and I quite like this way of displaying an activity as it keeps it contained within a small and manageable area.

               

Whilst R enjoys these activities, he has quite a short attention span and soon stopped for a snack!