Pre-Kindergarten algebra · Ages 3–4
The Hiding Game
Algebra starts long before numbers — with a toy under a cup and a pattern that clap-clap-claps.
The one idea
Something can be hiding, and we can work out what it is by looking at what is around it.
Ready?
Pre-Kindergarten algebra · The Hiding Game
Algebra starts long before numbers — with a toy under a cup and a pattern that clap-clap-claps.
Full screen — no distractions
For grown-ups: Pre-Kindergarten algebra
Nothing here needs reading, writing or counting past five. Everything is said out loud and pointed at. The lessons below are written for you; the practice is pictures your child taps.
This page is the right one if they can already…
- Can point to the same picture twice in a row
- Can say “more” and “the same” about two small piles
- Enjoys peekaboo and hiding games
🏠 Try it at home
What comes next?
Line up spoon, fork, spoon, fork on the table. Stop, hand them both, and let them put the next one down.
The same, or not the same?
At snack time, give two plates. Put pieces on one and ask them to make the other plate “the same”.
What’s under the cup?
Three toys, one tea towel. Hide one while they close their eyes. Then swap — they hide, you guess.
Make it fair
Two cups of blocks. Put 3 in one and 1 in the other. “Make them the same” — then count how many they added.
The words, in plain English
- Same
- Just as many on both sides.
- 🍪🍪 and 🍪🍪 are the same.
- More
- One side has extra.
- 🍪🍪🍪 is more than 🍪.
- Pattern
- Something that repeats.
- red, blue, red, blue…
- Hiding
- There, but we can’t see it yet.
- The duck is under the cup.
🌍 Algebra in an ordinary day
- Setting the table: one plate, one cup, one plate, one cup…
- Sharing snack so both of you have the same
- Spotting which toy is missing from the bath
🏁 By the end of Pre-Kindergarten
- Copies and continues an AB pattern (red, blue, red, blue)
- Says whether two small groups are the same
- Works out which of three toys is hidden
- Adds to a small group to make it match another
Where this fits
One idea, twelve rungs. The hiding spot just gets cleverer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What algebra should a Pre-Kindergarten child learn?
Something can be hiding, and we can work out what it is by looking at what is around it. By the end of the year they should be able to: copies and continues an AB pattern (red, blue, red, blue); says whether two small groups are the same; works out which of three toys is hidden; adds to a small group to make it match another.
Isn’t Pre-Kindergarten too early for algebra?
Not the way it is taught here. Algebra is finding a number that is hiding, and at this age the hiding spot is ❓ — something a child can point at. There are no letters, and the ideas match what pre-kindergarten maths already covers.
What is the most common Pre-Kindergarten algebra mistake?
Says the plate with the cookies spread out has “more”. Young children judge amount by how much space things take up, not by how many there are. The fix: Match them up one to one with a finger on each. If every cookie has a partner, it is the same.
Does my child need to read?
No. The lessons are written for you to say out loud, and the practice is pictures and dots your child taps. Nothing needs reading, writing or typing.
Is it free?
Yes. All 4 lessons, the pictures, the worked examples, the balance scale and the practice questions are free with no signup. The practice never runs out — every question is generated fresh and checked.