Use scissors or utility knife to cut sides of cardboard box down to around 3- to 4-inches high.
Cut a flap on one side wide enough for a toy car to fit through, then fold it down to create an entrance ramp.
Use permanent marker to draw 4-inch perpendicular lines around 3 inches apart along the inside edges of the bottom of the box to create parking spaces.
Write a number inside each parking space, from 1 through 15.
Place number stickers on the roofs of 15 small toy cars to create a matching numbered car for each numbered parking space.
Give the cardboard parking lot and numbered cars to your child and watch them play and learn!
Notes
Adaptations and Extensions for Learning:
Choose numbers the child is currently learning.
Adjust the number of cars/parking spaces.
Label parking spaces in numerical order or randomly for greater challenge.
Guide the child to count and touch each car/parking space at the beginning of play and when they get stuck.
Try an auditory number recognition game; call out a random number, and have the child identify the number car and park it in its matching parking spot.
For a Kindergartener or older child learning number sight words, label each parking space with a number word to match each numbered car.
Try an addition and/or subtraction car math game; park 2 or 3 cars in random spaces (or ask child to do so) and have the child add the numbers. Alternatively, drive one car away and subtract that number from the total.