Shortest to Tallest

What You Need

A group of 5-10 different-sized objects from around the home

What To Do

For this activity, you and your child will work together to sort objects by features like height or width. Start by collecting 5-10 different-sized objects from around your home. Ask your child to help you find the shortest item first, and work together to sort the items from shortest to tallest. If this is too challenging, try starting by asking your child to pick out any item. Place this item in front of your child and instruct them to then pick another item to compare. Work together to decide whether each new item is taller or shorter than the items you have already sorted until you have sorted all of the objects.

What To Know

This activity is an extension of our three year-old activity “Large vs. Small” and is a terrific option for slightly older children, or for those that are ready to move on to a new challenge. This activity lets children explore how measurement features such as height, length, or width can be used to relate different objects to one another.

Moving On

Move on when your child can easily sort 5-10 objects independently. You can increase the difficulty by adding more items to be sorted, or make it simpler by starting with fewer objects. You can also change things up by switching the measurement feature you are using to compare objects. For example, if you were using height, try sorting objects by widest to narrowest instead. Have fun exploring the different ways you can compare objects based on various measurements.