Sorting and classifying are important skills for pre-schoolers to learn. By using ordinary playing cards the child will also begin to gain familiarity with the numbers, suits and characters involved in playing cards. This preliminary understanding will help them learn to play card games with 'the big kids' later.

What this activity will develop:
Maths and thinking skills

What you'll need:

• Deck of cards

What to do:
Spread out the cards on the table. First the child should sort all the cards by colour into two groups. Then each of these two groups can be sorted by the shapes on the card - heart, diamond, club, spade. Next you could have the child sort out all the face cards and separate them from the number cards. Now you can show your child a new way to sort and match: by the type of card. Children will find that they can make matches and sort groups for each kind of face card and each kind of number card. Each of these groups will contain two colours and four shapes.

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