Did you know September 25 is Math Storytelling Day? It’s actually a day to celebrate a different way to work with numbers, shapes, and problem-solving. Storytelling with math is a great way to introduce mathematical concepts to preschoolers in a casual, fun, unpressured way. For our preschoolers, math can come alive through imagination, pretend play, and the way they experience the world. So on this day of celebrating math stories, or really on any day, let’s use math stories to show our kids that math isn’t just about counting. Through stories, our kids can discover patterns, solve little mysteries, and have some silly fun with numbers. So here are a few ways to consider using math storytelling with our preschoolers.
Why Math Storytelling Matters
Preschoolers are natural storytellers. They weave adventures with their toys, imagine whole worlds out of blocks, and love sharing “what happens next.” So when we connect storytelling to math, our children see numbers as part of the narrative, not as something separate or intimidating. Then, early math skills like sorting, sequencing, and comparing become part of play, and they set our kids up for future confidence in learning.
Simple Ways to Celebrate
Read Math Stories
There are so many great stories out there that make mathematical concepts concrete and fun for preschoolers. Here are just a few.
For number sense
Two Mice by Sergio Ruzzier
How Much is a Million? by David Schwartz and Steven Kellogg
More, Fewer, Less by Tana Hoban
For counting 1-10
Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme by Marianne Berkes
On the Launch Pad: A Counting Book About Rockets by Michael Dahl
Quack and Count by Keith Baker
Over In a River also by Marianne Berkes
Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno
1,2,3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle
For counting to 100
One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor Pinczes
The Big Book of Counting to 100 by Ekaterina Ladatko
100 Things That Make Me Happy by Amy Schwartz
Sing Fun Math Songs
Did you know that classic songs like “Five Little Ducks” or “Ten in the Bed” are math stories in disguise? And kids love to sing them. We can make them even more fun by acting them out with finger puppets or stuffed animals.
You’ll find several fun math songs over at My Signing Time. Math songs are a great way to repeat information and get it memorized without drills or cards. Try Five Little Monkeys or Eight Planets and see how fun it is for your kids.
Singing these fun math songs is another way to use math storytelling with our preschoolers.
Make Up Your Own Math Stories
If we really want to get into math stories, let’s see if we can make up our own math stories. And let’s invite our kids to make up math stories too! They don’t have to be complicated or deep.
Here are some really simple examples:
Three dinosaurs went on a picnic. They had five apples. How do you think they shared them?
You built a tower with five blocks. What happens if you add two more?
Two frogs are sitting on lily pads. Three more jump onto the pond. How many frogs are there now?
And then let your kids take off with all the silly details as they also work with the ways to split up 5, or how many frogs there are altogether.
It can keep going too. What if another dinosaur joins the picnic? What if we use our blocks to build two towers?
It’s as easy as starting a silly story and then letting our children solve the math problems as they continue through the story.
Keep It Fun
Remember, the goal of Math Storytelling Day isn’t to teach equations or raise a math genius. The point is to build up our children’s curiosity and interest. Remember, each time our preschoolers play with numbers in a story, they’re learning that math is fun, creative, and part of everyday life. This attitude can set them up for success instead of fear when they go to school and start learning those equations.
Using Signs in Our Math Stories
Head over to our free Signing Time Dictionary for signs about numbers. Check it out here!
Even though today is Math Storytelling Day, we can consistently be using math storytelling with our preschoolers every day. Math storytelling helps our kids feel more comfortable and confident, and it makes learning fun!
How will you start using math storytelling with your preschooler?