Concept of Zero for Kindergarten – Fun Ways to Teach The Concept of “Nothing”

Sarah waited to eat cookies all day long, when she finally got home from school and opened her cookie jar. Guess what happened? There were no cookies! That is the concept of zero, meaning the absence of a quantity. 

What Is Zero? – The Idea of “Nothing”

In order to understand what zero is, try to think about an empty plate or no cars on the road. The concept of zero is that there is nothing present. The number “0” is used to represent the absence of a quantity. 

Why Zero Is Important in Early Math

Zero is an important concept in early math as:

• The number 0 is where counting begins (before the number 1)
• The concept of zero helps children understand the concepts of  “more” and “less”
• The concept of zero is also a foundation for learning subtraction. Children can be taught this example; if you have 2 apples and you eat 2 apples, then you are left with 0 apples!
• The concept of zero also helps children develop logical thinking from a young age

Storytelling Examples to Explain Zero

Here are a few story examples that explain the concept of zero to children:

• Cookie Jar 

Imagine there is a cookie jar that used to be full of cookies, but now there are zero cookies because you ate all of them, there’s nothing there!

• Balloons

Imagine you’re holding onto balloons and a strong gust of wind blows away your balloons from your hands. When your balloons fly away, you are left with none, which means there are 0 balloons.

• Nature 

Imagine there are birds in a nest and they learn to fly one at a time. When all birds fly away, there are no birds left in the nest, which means there are zero birds left.

Fun Activities to Teach Zero

Here are a few fun activities to teach children the concept of zero:

1. Hunt Game for Zero

Children are assigned different objects and they need to find what is zero in the room. This can either be pencils, apples, or anything fun!

2. Zero Rhymes and Songs

Children can learn and sing along to songs about the number zero, like the “5 little monkeys song”, this song is a good example as when all monkeys are off the bed there are 0 monkeys left. Following this explanation, there are various songs that follow a similar concept. 

3. Zero With Toys

Children can learn zero with toys, they can be given blocks and they can be taken 1 at a time, at the end leaving “none” with them, showing the concept of zero.

Zero in Everyday Life

Zero is present all around us in everyday life, here are few examples:

• An empty glass means, 0 juice
• No cars on the road, 0 cars
• No mail in the mailbox, 0 mail
• No cookies in the jar, 0 cookies

Children should try to find the concept of zero all around them!

Teaching Zero in the Classrooms

Here is how you can teach the concept of zero in classrooms of kindergarten students: 

1. Use Repetitive Rhymes and Songs as these allow children to grasp the concept of zero like the 5 little monkey song. 
2. Use Hands-on Materials like beads, blocks, etc. as children being able to visualise blocks and their absence helps them grasp the concept of “0” meaning “nothing”.
3. Use flash cards to show the number zero. Using flashcards will let children see how the number zero looks and how it’s different from the letter “O”.
4. Involve kids in group activities. When children are close in proximity to each other and are actively listening they learn from their peers. They can sing rhymes and play with blocks and then remove them from the play area to grasp the concept of zero. 

Common Mistakes Kids Make With Zero

Here are a few common mistakes that children make with the concept of zero:

• They often become confused between the letter “O” and the number “0”
• Children often times skip zero while counting, although that’s where the numbers begin
• They also sometimes think that zero means “something small” or “little” instead of the concept of “0” meaning “nothing”

Tips for Parents to Teach Zero at Home

Here are some tips and tricks for parents that are trying to teach children the concept of zero at home:

• Parents can use toy blocks to show the concept of zero
• Parents can use snacks, and when there are none to explain the concept of zero
• They can make it into a game of trying to find “0” things around them on their walk or on the way to school
• Parents can encourage learning through questions like “What happens when I eat all the cookies?”
• Use ideas that children are familiar with, for example, the number “0” looks like a donut!

Fun Facts About Zero for Kids

• Did you know zero is the only number that means “nothing” or “none”?
• When rockets are launched, there is a countdown till the number zero before the blast off!
• Zero is neither a positive or a negative number
• Zero is a whole number
• The number zero has deep Indian roots
• Indian mathematicians Aryabhata and Brahmagupta are often credited with the creation of the number zero.
• Indian mathematician, Aryabhata is credited for creating the number zero
• Did you know any number added with zero remains the same?

Conclusion 

Children do you understand now that zero is where counting begins, it is the idea of “none”. The concept of zero is very important in the field of mathematics and logical thinking. With your guardian or teacher you should try to play games about the number zero or even sing a rhyme. Comment down below if you found this article helpful!