Children are natural noticers and collectors of bits. It might be a feather found at the park or a pebble from the beach. They may have a special interest in something and collect as many different bits and pieces as they can.The toy catalogue has arrived in the letterbox. Hunt through it and see if you can find any pictures of cars you can add to your collection.Talk to your

When you travel by bus there are many decisions to be made. Where will you catch the bus? How close is the bus stop to your house? If you don’t know what number bus to catch or where to catch the bus from, how will you find out? How will you know when to get off? Do you know the bus stop number or will you look for a landmark?We’re going to take the bus into town today. We’ll

Is it full, is it empty, is it nearly to the top, can you squish one more in before it pops? ​When you are unpacking and putting away the shopping with your child, talk about the capacity or volume of the jars you have bought. Which jar is bigger and holds more? Are all of the jars full to the top or could some of the jars hold more? How do you know what size the jar is?

When you are out shopping with your child talk about the cost of items, explaining that you need to pay for them before you can take it home.Talk to your child about the different ways that you can pay for something. You might pay using cash or by EFTPOS or credit card. Talk about why you have chosen to pay that way. Explain that if you pay by cash there might be change that

Yesterday you planted new seedlings in the garden and today when you look they are not there.Where do you think they went? Did a giant rabbit sneak into the garden at night and take them home for dinner?The insects and bugs have been eating our seedling during the night. We need to go bug hunting in our garden to find them.

I spy with my little eye something that is green, soft and found outside!Next time you are waiting for an appointment, have some spare time, or travelling on the bus, play I-spy with your child.There are many different ways you can play I-spy. You might play using the first letter of the word, the colour and shape of the object or what you use it for. How you play will change

There are shadows all around us - some are inside and some are outside.On a sunny day show your child their shadow on the ground.What happens to the shadow when you move? Can you run away from your shadow? How do you know it is your shadow?Talk with your child about how shadows are formed. Does the shadow change with the sky? Take your child outside at night or when it is

Have you ever noticed how many numbers there are around you? Next time you and your child are out walking take a look and see how many you can find.You might find numbers in surprising places. Remember to look up high and down low. Look on letterboxes and doors, gates and fences.There’s a number on that fencepost. Can you read it?Talk about why houses and buildings have

Stripes, spots, squares and checks - patterns are all around us.Next time you are out walking with your child look for the patterns around you. A pattern is s ordered and predictable, but it might not be even. It could be bricks in a wall or crooked paving stones. Show your child how some things form patterns.Look, the slats in the seat make a stripy pattern. A stripe of wood,

Next time you get a bill, talk about it with your child. What is it for? It might be for work you had done, something you ordered online or from when you last ate out as a family.Explain that the purchase or service received will be described using words, symbols and numbers. These help to tell you how much you have to pay, what you are paying for, when you need to pay and the