When you set the table for a meal, encourage your child to think of different ways to fold napkins or paper towels to make different shapes and sizes. You might say, “What shapes can you make?” “What does this shape look like?” “What would happen if you kept folding the corners down?”

See what your child is learning

Your child is thinking about a familiar thing—a napkin—in new ways as they fold. Having a back-and-forth conversation about what they’re doing promotes curiosity. It also helps them connect shapes and what they look like. The conversation helps develop creativity and critical thinking, all skills they’ll need later in life.


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