Nature can help your little ones learn how to count

LOGAN, Utah — One of the best and easiest ways to teach your little ones how to count is by going on a walk, Sadie Enright the preschool director for Stokes Nature Center says.

She and her students do that every day when the group walks to and from the building, which is only accessible by a trail. Enright believes the outdoors is the best classroom.

“We get to know the environment, we are in it the whole school year, we watch the changes, we make observations and we just kind of teach them to really connect with nature,” she said.

Enright said the 20-30 minute walk on a third of a mile trail is the perfect opportunity to use nature to teach her students how to count.

“Kids really love to count so we will count steps to the bridge, we will count leaves on the trees, we will count rocks that we find or sticks that we find,” she said. “Once a few of them know how to count, the rest of them really pick it up quickly.”

She encourages all parents to just get outdoors with your children and start using walks as a learning opportunity.

“Practice doing longer walks with them and don’t be afraid to get dirty,” she said.

Jennifer Reeve has seen her 4-year-old son blossom over the last year as a student, especially with his numbers.

“He is counting snails or counting different types of leaves he might see and learning to identify different trees and counting them,” Reeve said. “I think it is really cool when you can link educational goals with the outdoors.” 

For more ideas and resources on using nature to teach your children how to count, visit 5B45kids.com.