Teaching Numbers? Try This Simple Bathroom Number Chart
Teaching numbers doesn't always need to involve flashcards, worksheets, or sitting at the table. One of the simplest things I did when I was teaching my child numbers was to put a number chart on the wall in front of the toilet.
Yep. The bathroom.
Every time my child went to the bathroom, we'd take a few seconds to look at the numbers. We'd count. We'd point. We'd talk about the numbers.
That's it.
It became a tiny part of our everyday routine instead of another lesson we had to sit down and do.
Start Small
I started with 1–10. We would point to each number and say it together: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
Once those became familiar, we added more. Then 1–20. Then 1–30. Eventually, the chart went all the way to 100.
As the numbers became familiar, we could start playing with them in different ways. Can you find 7? What comes after 14? Can you find 20? What number is before 30?
These little questions take seconds, but repeated over and over, they add up.
Look for Patterns
A number chart becomes even more interesting once you start looking for patterns. With the numbers arranged in rows of ten, children can begin to notice things like: 10, 20, 30, 40... That's an easy way to start noticing counting by tens.
You can also notice the 5 column: 5, 15, 25, 35, 45…
That's a great way to begin noticing patterns when counting by fives.
And eventually, you can start talking about ones and tens. For example: 23 has 2 tens and 3 ones. 47 has 4 tens and 7 ones.
You don't have to formally teach place value all at once. The chart gives you something visual to point to while you're talking about it.
Why I Like This Approach
For us, it worked because it was short, repetitive, and part of something we were already doing.
There wasn't a lesson to prepare. There wasn't a worksheet to print. There wasn't anything extra to remember.
We just used a few seconds of a normal part of the day. And because we did it again and again, the numbers became familiar.
That's something I really like about learning at home. Not every learning opportunity has to look like school. Sometimes learning happens while you're cooking dinner. Sometimes it's counting things on a walk. And sometimes it's looking at a number chart while you're in the bathroom.
Try It at Home
If you want to try this with your child, start with whatever number range makes sense for them.
Beginning with numbers? Start with 1–10.
Ready for more? Move to 20, 30, 50, and eventually 100.
Once the numbers are familiar, start asking little questions:
Can you find a certain number?
What number comes next?
What number comes before it?
Can you count by 2s?
Can you find the numbers ending in 5?
Can you count by 10s?
How many tens are in 60?
What happens when we add 10?
You don't need to do all of these. Follow your child's curiosity and build from what they already know.
How to Set up the Chart
My first chart was made with blank flashcards. I turned them vertically and wrote one number on each card. Later, I used a cheap set of flashcards instead. Both worked great. It wasn't anything fancy, but it worked wonderfully.
Arrange the numbers like this:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
... and so on. This makes the last column: 10, 20, 30, 40,..100
This setup gives many different ways to look at the patterns of numbers.
It doesn't have to be the bathroom
The bathroom worked for us because we were already there several times a day. But the same idea could work anywhere your child naturally spends time, near the breakfast table, by a desk, on a bedroom wall, or next to a favorite reading spot.
The point isn't the bathroom. It's finding a place where the numbers can become part of your everyday routine.
Keep It Simple
This isn't about turning every bathroom trip into a math lesson. It's about finding tiny opportunities to practice something you're already learning. A few seconds here. A few seconds there.
Over time, those little moments can build familiarity, confidence, and number sense.
Start small. Stay consistent. Watch them grow.
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones that stick.
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