Kitchen Maths

The kitchen provides a lot opportunities to develop and practise many maths skills.

Set the table

Ask your child to count out the appropriate number of placemat, plates, glasses/cups.

Demonstrate how to set a table.

Where to put the cutlery and glasses.

Then ask your child to set the table just as you did, which is an excellent exercise in patterning and visual skills.

Set the table with cups/glasses of varying sizes and ask your child to use a measuring cup to pour the drinks.

Point out that one cup of water is always one cup of water, but it looks different, depending on the size and shape of the container.

Organise the pantry Your pantry offers a treasure trove of learning opportunities.

Ask your child to help you put groceries away.

Compare different types of cereal, grains or pasta. How are they the same? How are they different?

Point out quantities of items. Which containers have more? Which have less?

Group items under different headings and graph them.

Get cooking

Children of all ages love to help in the kitchen! They learn basic math concepts such as measurement, fractions, and counting. Point out fractions in cooking – ½ cup, ¼ cup, 1 cup. Cut sandwiches, pizza, and fourths, thirds, and halves. If you have a kitchen scale, let your child help you measure dry ingredients.