1.  Counting Fingers & Toes

Children can draw round their own hands and feet, or a friends.  Counting and numbering each digit. 1-10 and 1-20.  This can lead onto learning Times Tables.

  

 

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2.  Number Sequencing

An Everyday Story (2016)  Number and Letter Sequencing. Available at: http://www.aneverydaystory.com/2014/06/03/number-letter-sequencing/ (Accessed: 21/11/16).

  

This practical activity is great for learning the correct ordering of numbers, as well as fine motor skills.

An Everyday Story (2016) suggest that the following could be progression activities;

• ‘matching capitals and lowercase letters
• matching even numbers or odd numbers
• simple sums: 3 + 5 = 8
• C-V-C words: c + a + t
• creating simple blends: s+h, c+h, t+h’

 

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3. Pairs game – e.g. 3 paired with *** (3 dots/ counters/ pictures).

   

Software: 2Do It Yourself

 

For example:

Count On (none) Maths Pairs. Available at: http://www.counton.org/games/flash/circus/pairs.swf (Accessed: 21/11/16).

 

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4.  Whats the time Mr Wolf?

(Kidspot, 2015) Rules: ‘One player is selected to be Mr Wolf.  While the others stand in a line at the other end of the play area.  Mr Wolf turns his back to commence play.

All the players call out, “What’s the time Mr Wolf?” and Mr Wolf turns and answers with a time (i.e. 3 o’clock).  Then they take 3 steps.  Then another player, asks “What’s the time Mr Wolf?”

Once the line of players is close to Mr Wolf, he can respond to the chant with “It’s dinner time!” at which point, he will chase the players back to the starting line with the aim to catch one of the them, who will then become Mr Wolf for the next round of the game.’

 

Graham (2013) Whats The Time Mr Wolf? Available at: https://goo.gl/images/T7g6Sp (Accessed: 21/11/16).

Kidspot (2015) What’s The Time Mr Wolf. Available at: http://www.kidspot.com.au/things-to-do/activities/whats-the-time-mr-wolf (Accessed: 21/11/16).

 

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5.  Connect 4

Connecting 4 red or yellow counters in a row, or counting how many counters have been played.

e.g.  4 red counters have been placed in a row, from the bottom left.

 

Wikimedia Commons (2008) Connect 4. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/w231iY (Accessed: 21/11/16).

 

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6.  Hop-scotch

   

Play following the typical rules, or can use the numbers that are written on the ground a template to learn number identification, and how to construct and form numbers.

 

Wikimedia Commons (2010a) Toddler Hopscotch. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/7RWv1L (accessed: 21/11/16).

Wikimedia Commons (2010b) Hopscotch on Foam Board. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/hch0ZO (Accessed: 21/11/16).

 

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7.  iSpy

Following the typical rules, or ispy for 5 sticks (in the garden) and then find them or point them out.

Can also link this to activity 12 & 13 below, when you hunt for garden/ outdoor items and collect a set number of leaves.  This can then progress onto leaf rubbing, and the rubbings can be used for decoration, cutting out different shapes to make something else, like a picture.

 

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8.  Jumping/ exercise/ starjumps, etc

To count a set number of starjumps, for example: parent asks child to jump 5 starjumps, hop on one leg 5 times…

 

Alpha (2009) Alpha Star Jump. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/j9hFtf (Accessed: 21/11/16).

 

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9.  Count steps

   

To count steps as identified in these pictures, or to take a step in relation to counting the letters in the child’s name, can be a group or individual game. For example: someone would say to me to take a step if I have the letter E in my name, and as I have 2 E letters in my name (Emilie), I would take 2 steps.

 

Bill G (2007) Baby Steps. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/ZxDekA (Accessed: 21/11/16).

Clker-Free-Vector-Images (2012) Child Climbing Stairs. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/g34ji9 (Accessed: 21/11/16).

 

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10.  Count sweets, can then eat them

   

Count a handful of sweets/ nuts or other snack items, from hand to a snack bowl, or from one bowl to another.  The child can then eat all the snacks as a reward.

 

YouTube (none) Learn Colours for Children. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/ffVVIO (Accessed: 21/11/16).

Wikipedia (2016) Candy Corn. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/hfkb95 (Accessed: 21/11/16).

 

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11.  Planting something – count how many buds, etc

   

Once planted and the plant starts to grow, the number of buds, leaves and petals can be counted.

e.g. the Flora above has 5 petals.

This can be linked to learning about science.

 

Wikipedia (2016) Flora of Madagascar. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/xbxhu5 (Accessed: 21/11/16).

Pixnio (2016) Available at: https://goo.gl/images/gpB3Wu (accessed: 21/11/16).

 

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12.  Class activity. To collect a set number of items from the garden/ forest

e.g. to collect 2 green leaves and 1 red leaf;

  

Wikimedia Commons (2014) Freeman Maple Leaf. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/e5VCGB (Accessed: 21/11/16).

Mobinovyc (2015) Autumn Leaves. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/gNrxlb (accessed: 21/11/16).

 

Also,

Learning Through Landscapes (none) Open Up To Outdoor Mathematics! Available at: http://www.ltl.org.uk/nsgw/documents/LTL-Maths-Early-Years-Booklet-final1432742138.pdf (Accessed: 21/11/16).

 

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13.  Crayon Rubbing Leaves

Childcare Land (2009) Leaf Rubbings. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExuW4ks6Uf8 (Accessed: 21/11/16).

Leaf rubbings can be used as class decoration, locker decoration, covers for books, or for patterned paper that can be used to cut out different shapes for other pictures. For example: using the rubbings to cut out shapes of people to then glue into another picture.

(Craig, 2013a) 

(Craig, 2013b)  

Craig (2013a) Leaf Rubbing. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/3FMW2R (Accessed: 21/11/16).

Craig (2013b) Leaf Rubbing. Available at: https://goo.gl/images/kaQ1Hn (Accessed: 21/11/16)

 

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