Sorting Nature's Treasures

[20 Minutes]

Next time you take a walk, collect some treasures from nature so your child can practice sorting skills.

You'll need:

• paper or plastic bags

What to do:

1. Take a walk around the neighborhood with your child and encourage her to pick up samples of different objects that she finds. Provide your child with a paper or plastic bag in which her finds can be kept.
2. After the search is over, invite her to sort what she has found by telling her to group together things that are alike in some way.
3. If she needs help deciding how to create groupings, show her two items that are similar except for one difference--two differently colored leaves, one rough piece of tree bark, one smoother type, one leaf with smooth edges, one with rough edges. Help her decide on sorting categories.
4. Encourage her to talk about the piles or groupings she has created.
5. Next time you see a collection of objects, remind her that she knows how to sort.

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• What do you think you'll find on our walk? What have you seen before?
• Do you think you'll find something you've never seen before?

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, this activity helps your child develop sorting skills and matching skills.