Arithmetic

How many sparkly stars can you see in the sky. How many fingers do you have on one hand. One, two, three, four, five. I help you count them all. I am the reason you can share your yummy snacks with a friend so you both get the same. When you stack your colorful blocks up, up, up, I help you see how tall your tower is. I am in every game you play with numbers, making sure everything is fair and fun. I am a secret helper you use every single day.

Once upon a time, a very, very long time ago, people did not have schools or books. But they still needed me. To count the fluffy sheep or the big, tall trees, they used their fingers, just like you. Thousands and thousands of years ago, around 20,000 years ago, some of the first people made little marks on bones to keep track of things. It was like a secret code for counting. Later, in a warm, sunny place called Mesopotamia, people made special shapes for numbers around 3000 BCE. This helped them count all their food and build amazing, big houses. They were learning to use me to add things together and take them away.

All of that happy counting, adding, and sharing has a special name. I am Arithmetic. I am like a kind of number magic that helps you see how the world works. I help you measure cups of flour to bake yummy cookies with your family. I help you count the days until your birthday party. I am there when you play hide-and-seek and count to ten. I am all around you, making life a happy puzzle to solve, one number at a time.