Make numbers available in the child's surroundings from the time he is a toddler. Hang posters with pictures of numbers at the child's eye level on playroom or classroom walls. Use colorful images that are fun for the child to look at. Discovery Education has clip art pictures on its website that show numbers as silly characters that will catch a child's attention. If he is exposed to what numbers look like, it will be easier for him to understand the concept of numbers later on.
Work numbers into conversation with the child. Parents can count out the seconds it takes for the child to brush his teeth. Teachers can count out loud as they divide children into groups for different activities. On walks, point out flowers or animals to the child; "Look at the ducks. I see one, two, three, four ducks." Each morning, count out how many days have passed so far that month. The child will learn not only what the names of numbers are but will start to understand the concept of counting.
Teach the child songs about numbers. Songs are fun for the child to sing, and will help him to memorize the name and orders of numbers. "The Ants Go Marching," "Ten in the Bed" and "Five Little Ducks" are songs that include numbers and are appropriate for preschoolers.
By the time the child is 3 years old, start integrating worksheets with numbers into his daily schedule. Start with sheets that have large images of each number that he can color or paint. Next, give him worksheets that show the numbers zero through 10 in dotted lines that he can trace. This exercise will help him learn his numbers and practice his writing skills. Scholastic provides printable worksheets on its website.
Now that the child is familiar with basic numbers, start teaching counting to help him put numbers into practice. Cooking can be a useful way for him to start learning about counting and measurements, and he will enjoy making his own food. Try Scholastic's "1-10 Salad" that requires the child to count out each ingredient from one cucumber to 10 lettuce leaves.
Now that he knows his numbers and understands counting from one to 10, play counting games that require him to count with minimal help from adults. Scholastic suggests playing games with dice, dominoes and playing cards to help children practice their counting and sorting skills.