Big and Small Object Sorting Game

8-10 household objects in clearly different sizes (big spoon and small spoon, large ball and small ball, big book and small book)

2 containers or bowls — one large, one small

Gather object pairs that differ clearly in size. The contrast should be obvious.

Set out two containers: a big one for big objects and a small one for small ones.

Hold up the first object. "This spoon is BIG!" — use an exaggerated voice and wide arms.

Place it in the big container. Hold up the small version. "This spoon is small!" — tiny, quiet voice.

Hand your toddler the next pair. "Which one is big? Which one is small?"

Help them sort. Celebrate correct placements and gently redirect mistakes.

Dump everything out and try again in a different order.

Use the same type of object in two sizes (two spoons, two balls) rather than comparing unrelated objects. It isolates the size concept.

Exaggerate your body language — arms wide for "big," fingers pinched for "small." Toddlers read gestures as much as words.

If your toddler dumps everything out instead of sorting, that's fine. Try again tomorrow — readiness varies wildly at this age.

Once they master big vs. small, add a "medium" category. Three sizes is the next level.