Sorting activities are great learning tools for children. I recently bought a sorting activity for a few of my students that I thought would enjoy it…and I was right. They LOVED it!

Sorting items is so much fun. They can be grouped by size, color, shape, texture, etc. Sorting helps us create order in our world of chaos and we like to be able to group things. The activity that I purchased had a neat feature of being shaped like a pie and then was divided into “slices”. The divider can be removed and there are several “wheels” (for lack of a better word) that can be placed underneath the dividers to indicate how the objects should be grouped.

Grouping objects is a wonderful introduction to the wonderful world of mathematics.  When children sort, they are learning how objects are similar and different and they group according to what characteristics are important to them.  According to the Michigan State University Extension, the process of sorting usually involves three steps: Children decide which characteristics to use to sort,  they will physically sort the objects,  and then they will be able to describe their rational for sorting.

Another thing I really liked about this particular sorting activity is that it also came with tongs that my students really need to use to improve their fine motor skills. They are handy when using manipulatives. If you’re interested in knowing more about this particular item, click on the image or the link below

Learning Resources Super Sorting Pie

Of course you don’t have to purchase an activity specifically for sorting. I did simply because I needed something that I would always have on hand (glad I did because I really do love this activity!). You can use pretty much anything that has a variety of characteristics and that can be grouped. You can also even make your own objects using several colors of playdough which in and of itself is an awesome activity using sensory play.