Activities to level up your child’s sorting skills

Can your child match objects by more than one attribute—like colour and shape or shape and size? They may be ready to start sorting 🙂 This critical cognitive skill helps children organise and make sense of their environment. It also lays an important foundation for their maths skills. 

The terms “sorting and matching” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re actually two distinct skills. Matching is a precursor to sorting, as it involves fewer items and only one step, like pairing one sock with its mate in a pile of laundry.

Sorting is more complex. It involves identifying, categorising, and remembering multiple attributes to make decisions. In order to sort clean laundry, for example, you have to know what distinguishes a pair of shorts from a shirt, sock, and dress before placing it with the other shorts. 

Here are some ways to support your child’s sorting skills

Simple sorting with basic shapes 

Around age 2.5, your child may begin to sort basic geometric shapes. To help them practise, gather two containers—like food storage containers or plastic bowls. Then, choose two simple shapes from the Reach For the Stars Matching Cards in The Free Spirit Play Kit. Put all of the cards in a pile and show your child how to sort one shape into the first container and the other shape into the second. Invite your child to sort the next card. If they sort a card incorrectly, remove it from the container and name the shape. Point to the other container as you repeat the name of the shape and invite your child to try again.

How to add a challenge

• Introduce a third shape and container.
• Include shapes with more sides—like a star or pentagon—to build visual discrimination.
• Disregard the shape and sort exclusively by colour to strengthen executive function skills. Have them put all of the yellow shapes—circles, triangles, squares—in one container and all of the green shapes in another. 
• Sort objects—like the blocks from The Block Set—by both shape and colour.
• Go on a sorting scavenger hunt by helping your child collect objects of the same shape or colour. Kitchens, closets, and play spaces are good places to start. 
• Turn toy clean-up into a sorting opportunity: “Can you put all the vehicles in this bin and the animals in that one?”
• Sort in everyday life with your child. For example, include them when you sort clean laundry or put silverware away.

The Free Spirit Play Kit

The Free Spirit Play Kit celebrates this stage with playthings that empower independence, encourage curiosity, and strengthen executive functioning. See what’s inside The Free Spirit Play Kit!

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The Block Set

A brilliant set of 70 quality solid-wood blocks for building spatial, language, and problem-solving skills for more than 20 stage-based activities. See inside The Block Set by Lovevery.

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