Kids with hypernumeracy don't just love numbers. They love anything that has numbers or let's them explore math, time, and patterns. So, you might notice that they gravitate towards a lot of everyday household objects with numbers on them instead of more traditional toys.
For instance, back when my son was a preschooler, we took calculators with us everywhere we went. There was always one in my purse. One in the diaper bag. One in his car seat. One or two in his hands. Calculators literally went with us everywhere.
Below you will find a list of common everyday objects or items that kids with hypernumeracy find enjoyable or enticing. Items that you might want to consider having on hand (if you don't already) or giving to them as a birthday or Christmas gift.
10+ Everyday Objects Hypernumeric Kids Can't Get Enough of
The following objects can spark so much joy for kids with hypernumeracy because they incorporate a lot of numbers or math related concepts. After all, numbers are everywhere and these kids notice them all.
You might already notice your child playing with some of the following objects, but you could also use this list to generate possible gift ideas, activity suggestions for play, or things you could make for your child. I've tried to include specific examples of things I've made over the years too. That way you have some inspiration for things you could try.
Here are some of the most popular favorites among hypernumeric kids:
1. Calculators
I've already mentioned how calculators went with us everywhere when my son was younger, but, even as a teenager, he always keeps a calculator nearby and handy. For a birthday one year, a good friend of mine gifted my son one of those accountant printing type calculators (something like this) and it was so well loved! By the way, if calculators are your child's thing, then you have to try these calculator word riddles as a way to practice WH questions. They're super fun!
2. Dice
My son has loved dice for as long as I can remember so we frequently buy him new colors and types of dice. You can even buy fractions dice, for instance, as well as alphabet dice or dice with pictures (e.g., Story Cubes). But, if your child loves numbers and math as much as mine does (which I'm assuming they do since you're here reading this!), then some good old regular dice or a set of D&D dice will likely be enticing enough.
3. Clocks, Watches, Stopwatches, Timers, & Countdowns
Perhaps you have a little one who loves time and clocks. Maybe they enjoy watching countdown videos on YouTube. If so, then you might want to consider having some spare clocks, watches, stopwatches, or timers on hand at home for your child to explore and play with. My son used to carry around this one monkey clock around with him everywhere he went. It was named Momo and it was supposed to be one of those "ready to wake clocks" and you can probably guess how well that worked, considering it went everywhere with us...haha.
4. Rulers
Whether it's a small ruler or a big yard stick, rulers can make for a great and fun toy for hypernumeric kids. Seriously, you can't go wrong with keeping some rulers on hand for your little one to play with. Plus, they have been a lifesaver tool for helping us with bath time anxiety (i.e., "let's add two inches of water to the tub and you can measure, okay?") and a fun addition to outdoor play (e.g., measuring leaves activity).
5. Cash Registers
While there are lots of great toy cash registers available to purchase, you might want to consider gifting a real cash register instead. Seriously, one of the best "toys" we ever had in our house was an old cash register that my parents had given us after they retired it from their storefront. You can see it featured here in one of our old playroom layouts.
I'm also going to mention here that many hypernumeric kids enjoy looking at receipts so if you do go with a real cash register, consider adding some register tape so they can print some receipts as well.
6. Tape Measures
You could try soft measuring tapes like the ones used for sewing, a retractable one, or pick up one of those paper ones when shopping at IKEA. Just a word of caution, though, some retractable tape measures can be sharp and slice fingers (ask me how I know...haha) so something to watch out for.
7. Calendars
You can also obviously find lots of numbers in calendars so it's probably not surprising that some hypernumeric kids really love to look at calendars. Perhaps you could try setting up some calendar themed activities like this gross motor calendar activity or this calendar hopscotch game. Or, you could buy them a calendar to hang in their room. I highly recommend a daily calendar. Perhaps a sudoku themed one to really lean into those numbers? At least, that's my son's current favorite at the moment.
8. Scoreboards
One of the most beloved toys I made my son was this felt scoreboard. He LOVED to keep track of scores all the time. Much like how he loves to watch sports tickers, scoreboards, stats, etc. whenever we watch basketball on TV. You might notice your little hypernumeric learner likes to watch scores and stats too so a scoreboard of their own might be a good idea.
9. Thermometers & Weather Displays/Apps
One of my son's other favorite non-toy toys is probably his digital weather station. We've upgraded it a few times over the years so he has a pretty fancy one now, but he loves to know the temperature, humidity, etc. all the time. So, having one in his bedroom has been helpful over the years. Prior to getting him one, he was always asking about the weather, temperature, etc. And he loved to look at thermostats when he was a preschooler! (Side note: curse whoever thought it would be a good idea to put a chair under a thermostat in the waiting room at the child development center. Of course, he would try to press buttons on it! You should have considered that...like come on...)
10. Scales
Scales can be fascinating to many hypernumeric kids, whether that's a kitchen scale or one to measure your body weight. So you might want to consider leaving a scale out for your child to use and weigh different objects since it can be a lot of fun for them.
11. Anything with Numbered Panels (e.g., elevators, telephones, keypads, ATMs)
Now, obviously, you're not going to go out and buy an ATM or an elevator here...However, you could give your child an old telephone to play with or create your own elevator using a giant cardboard box (it has numbered floor buttons too!). You could also make something like this telephone quiet book page with personalized phone book.
12. Speedometers/Odometers
You might notice your child commenting on your speed whenever you're driving. That's because they're always watching the speedometer and traffic signs. So, like the numbered panels thing above, you might have to get a bit creative in incorporating speedometers or odometers. For example, I made my boys a car sensory dashboard that had a speedometer and odometer incorporated (although those numbers nor the speed never changed, but he still liked it).
13. Step Counters or Fitness Trackers
I remember the first time we gave our boys each a simple pedometer to wear around the house and they thought it was the best thing ever, running around and counting their steps. So, if might be a great gift idea that you might not have considered before.
Some Reminders About Hypernumeric Play
Remember, for kids with hypernumeracy, their play might look quite different from their peers and that's okay. Numbers, patterns, and math are their playground. It's how they learn and explore the world around them. So, you might see them opting for things like rulers and timers over LEGO bricks and cars and that's 100% okay. You want to embrace the dice, calculators, and clocks. Don't discourage these interests.
Having said that, if you're interested in finding some more traditional toys or books that might appeal to those number-loving kids, then you'll definitely want to check out the complete hyperlexia gift guide here. You'll find lots of other great suggestions your child will love.
