Do you need an easy, free and effective Patterning DIY to start your week? Well, grab a piece of paper and a pen. (I am using wooden alphabet stamps but feel free to use whatever you have handy: a marker, a pencil, etc). Stamp few pattern combinations and draw a horizontal line next to each with vertical marks, marking the beginning and the end of each pattern. Find any small colorful items you have around the house e. i. Lego pieces, Pom poms, buttons, poker chips etc. I am using colorful transparent counters, pom poms and Duplo Lego pieces. Invite your child to re-produce the pattern. Ready, Set, Go! A pattern is only a pattern IF it is repeated twice. The easiest ones are those with just two colors or variables e.i. or shapes ~ referred to as an AB,AB pattern. The more complex patterns include ABC, ABC; AABB, AABB; AAB, AAB; ABB, ABB; ABBC, ABBC, and ABCD,ABCD. Patterns are all around us, from animals (think of a zebra or a tiger), to clothing, to patterns found in nature. Patterning is also a basic mathematical skill upon which many other mathematical concepts are based such as addition, skip counting, times table and others. Learning to be proficient in identifying and creating patterns is the beginning of the mastery of life-long mathematical skills. And as children begin to recognize, understand, and replicate simple patterns, they are then prepared to work with number patterns. Be sure to give your child the opportunity to “read” his/her pattern when it is complete, as to allowing the opportunity to fix any misplaced objects. . You can see this activity on Instagram here. P.S. Always supervise your children while they are learning through play as some items can be a choking hazard, Xoxo