Fun ways to learn numbers
5 number games
Images and words: Sara Conway
Give a dog a bone: turn simple sums into a fun game.
You’ll need: a paper cup, coloured paper, tape, a pom pom
- First your child turns the cup into a dog (with a big open mouth) by sticking on the googly eyes and pom pom nose near the rim of the cup.
- Then they snip and stick big floppy ears and a flappy tongue.
- Now they cut out bones to feed the dog.
Try this…
- ADDING: Tell them to give the dog 1 bone. He’s still hungry, give him 2. Can they count how many he’s eaten altogether? (1+2)
- TAKING AWAY: Feed the dog 8 bones. Oh no, he spat 2 out! How many did he eat? (8-2)
Counting cups: fluffy sensory play that teaches counting
You’ll need: cups, coloured paper, a pen, pom poms
- Cut the paper into rounds that fit inside the cups and write on numbers that suit your child’s counting ability.
- Give them a pile of pom poms and tell them to pop the right number in each cup.
Roll the dice: and challenge your child to count and move!
Jump once, kick twice, wave three times, and so on. Use an old dice or make a great giant one like the one in this post.
Number hunt: Can your child find and photograph the numbers 1-10 in real life locations? A door number, birthday card, car numberplate and street sign are all fun places to look. They can make a printed collage of their photographs. Or make an album on your phone and set it to music.
Monster make: can your child mold (or draw) a four-ocious monster?
He needs 4 eyes, 4 noses, 4 legs and 4 gruesome grins.
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