The ‘Notey’ way of learning

‘India marks first anniversary of demonetization’ read the morning headlines on a popular news portal. A year already? I was remembering the disruption that the sudden move had caused in the life of the common man when my 4-year-old daughter, Kaira, joked:

“Mom, my pig is full of pink notes, I need to create a mixture of other colors.”

She was smart, and even though she didn’t understand the value of currency, she knew it was important to her to protect her mini-bank from her brothers’ raids. While her ingenuity captivated me, what troubled me were thoughts of how she could channel her curiosity to increase her interest in math, a subject she feared. And, this in a playful way to keep her hooked.

So, I outlined some fun activities, which could keep her busy during the holidays while teaching her the science of ‘MONEYOLOGY’. Here are some you might think of:

Sort and stack: we open the lock of his little pig and empty it on the carpet. The next step was to ask him to stack all the colored notes separately; coins to be classified and stacked according to their value. The next step was to have him calculate the value of each stack and write it on sticky notes, cutting them out on each package. Dive into the crisp bills, it was a joy to watch her neatly add the bills and coins and enjoy doing it more.

Scaling the length bar: The new coin introduced was thinner and shorter than the previous ones, not to mention the bright colors. This clicked on another idea to familiarize her with the values. I asked her to take a note out of each pile and arrange them according to their length. I followed this session by asking you to identify the highest and lowest value on the stack. Once this was done, I had to place them in ascending and descending order, one after another. Look and see! The task was done in the blink of an eye!!

Flip Flop Shapes: Notes of various shapes and colors. Now I asked him to create different shapes with them, including hexagons and octagons. He could use assorted notes to achieve the desired dimensions. Once this was done, I asked her to name the shapes and then summarize the total value of each one.

The Mathematics of National Flags: I merged into Geography to give the game a twist as well as break the monotony of calculations so she wouldn’t understand my intentions. So, I gave him a chart that listed all the national flags in the world along with the names of the countries. I asked him to arrange the notes in the form of creating the national flag of each country. For the missing colors, I would cut paper in the shape of the notes I was using to create the rest of the flag and paint it the color I wanted. A selection there and an arrangement on the other side, my pumpkin was engrossed for hours, matching the colors to the chart and creating the flags. Once done, I pulled out the chart and asked him to name the countries, looking at the national flags. One more subject conquered!!

Mathematical Sting for shopaholics: Kaira is a true fashionista and loves to follow trends. So, I gave her a copy of the latest designs from popular designers, specifically her personal favorites, and listed their price next to the image. All she had to do was look at her new bag and keep the cost of each design on top of the picture. She drooled over the haute couture and carefully calculated the price, putting the final amount on each image. Hello! She knew exactly how many she could grab and the money she would have to scrape together for her next shopping spree.

While my bundle of joy enjoyed the activities, I also enjoyed seeing her engrossed in the little tasks so as not to forget her juggling with the Math monster. Share any cool things you’ve done to help your kids understand forex trading!