Does your child like
to go on treasure hunts? Did you know that treasure hunts are a great
way to build early math skills? Whether you are using a map or a
series of clues to lead your child to the “treasure,”
your child uses skills that lay the foundation for doing geometry
later in life. She also learns to follow directions, another
important skill that she’ll need when she starts school. And,
most important of all, she’ll have a lot of fun while building
these essential skills!
Being able to describe an object’s
position in space relative to other nearby objects is a basic math
concept that your child will apply when she does geometry later in
life. It is not too early to begin laying the foundation for
understanding this concept by helping your child learn vocabulary
that describes an object’s position or location. These are
words and phrases such as between, under, over, next to, above,
Geometry and spatial skills, following directions
3-6 year olds
Hunting for Treasure Up, Down, All Around
Take It Further
Talk with your child about where
things are relative to where she is standing. Ask her questions such
as What do you see
behind you? What is
in front of
you? When you
look up, what do you see
above your head?
and What is
under your feet?
- Box or bag to be as a “treasure chest”
- Small objects (e.g., toys, books, candies, pack of crayons) to be the “treasure”
- Marker or pen
How to Do It:
- Create a
“treasure” by putting a collection of small, inexpensive
objects into a box or bag.
- Hide the
treasure in your house or backyard.
- Write a series
of five or six clues that will lead your child to the “treasure.”
Place the clues in different locations. The first clue will lead to
the first location, where the child finds the next clue, and so on.
Each clue should contain position vocabulary to direct the child.
For example: You’ll find the next clue under the table in
the dining room or The next clue is behind the coffee pot in
the kitchen. Be sure the coffee pot is not on! If your child is
not old enough to read, you will have to read the clues to her.
Other examples of position words and phrases are on top of,
inside, next to, above, in front of, and between.
Play a simple
“location” game with your child by asking questions such
as What can you see under the table?; What do you see on top of
the refrigerator?; I see something next to the fireplace. What is
it?; What is on the bottom shelf of the bookcase?;
or Can you
name something you put inside the refrigerator?
Play the Deep Sea Follow Me game on PBS KIDS
Above and Below by Tami Johnson
Over Under by Marthe Jocelyn; illustrated by Tom Slaughter