Here are some ideas to use playing cards as a teaching tool! I don’t have an actual set of playing cards so I printed this large-sized set from www.twinkl.com (search for ‘printable playing cards’).
Sorting by Colour
This is the simplest activity you can do with younger toddlers! Introduce the colours red and black, then invite them to sort the cards into two stacks of both colours. You can also shuffle the cards and call out a colour for them to pick. Or, you can hold up a card and ask them to say the colour.
Sorting by Suit
The next level up from sorting by colour would be sorting by suit. This is a good practice of visual discrimination, a skill necessary for young children to prepare them for reading. Great as a shape recognition activity too.
Sorting by Number
Another way to sort playing cards is to group them by numbers. Younger kids can start by sorting cards into number 2 and number 3 stacks. As they progress, they can sort more cards into more stacks.
One-to-One Correspondence
Playing cards can be used to work on one-to-one correspondence. Use some counters, pompoms or any small items to cover the pips (symbols) while counting out loud.
Number Sequence
Playing cards are also good for practising number sequence. Use all the number cards from the same suit plus the Ace, and arrange them in order. Use the Ace as number 1, but be ready to explain why it says A instead of 1.
Missing Number
Once your child is somewhat familiar with number sequence 1-10, it’s time to up the game by asking them to fill in a missing number. Lay out some cards in order but leave one missing, and have your child pick out the correct card to lay in the empty spot.
More and Less
These cards are also good for comparing numbers – which one is more and which one is less. Or are they the same? Younger children can count the pips to help them understand the concept of more and less, and to compare the value of two numbers.