Using cut-out letters, blocks or other separable alphabet materials, mix up the letters and present them to your child or children. This game will work best if you have already taught your child the ABC song to give him the basics of the alphabet. Letter by letter, have your child arrange the alphabet in order. For older children, you can make the game more difficult by using pictures of objects beginning with each letter, having them decode which letter the picture represents (a picture of an apple could represent "A," for example) and then putting the letters in order.
Take a small fishing pole (this can be just a stick attached to a string with a magnet at the end) and a variety of letters with small magnets attached to them. Have your child stand a foot or two away from the pile of letters and "go fish" for them. He or she can then take them out and place them in order. This game makes for an excellent way to combine questions into your child's education. Asking questions such as, "Does F come after C?" and "What letter do you hope you get next?" can help children make predictions and better absorb the game's lessons.
For children who are just learning how to count, using animals can help reinforce the practical applications of these lessons. Take a variety of "animals," whether these are pictures, stuffed animals or small figurines, with different numbers of markings on them. For example, find a ladybug picture with two spots, a zebra with five stripes, a butterfly with three patterns on its wings and so on. Have your child put them in order, going from the smallest number to the largest number of markings. For younger children, stick with the same animal to begin with (for example, a ladybug with two dots, one with three and so on).
When you and your child are in a potentially boring situation -- on a long road trip, waiting for a doctor, etc. -- make the wait more exciting with "I Spy." You can spy, for example, two red items, which your child will then have to identify. Next, have your child produce his or her own counting "I Spys" to reinforce the lesson.