That's too much!

This estimation game reminds me of Goldilocks and the Porridge and bed that was "just right". Gather a collection of objects (i.e. button jar, pocket of coins, bag of candy, etc.). Ask your child to give you an estimate of the number of items in the collection, but make the estimate TOO HIGH! Then they should give you an estimate that is TOO LOW! Finally, they should provide an estimate that they think is "just right". The power with this activity comes in the explanation. With each step, ask your child to explain how they are sure that their estimate is "too high", "too low", or "just right". As with many Math concepts, communicating our mathematical reasoning is key to a more complete understanding of the concept of numbers.