Welcome back to the "Playful Maths" weekly series brought to you by

  Learn with Play at home and The Imagination Tree

Together, let's make MATHS FUN!

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Last week we brought you 2 great maths activities using paper tubes.

This week we bring you another 2 activities using Paper Tubes. 

Today's activity from us focuses on "Number Recognition and Ordering" 

This activity also includes aspects of counting, one-to-one correspondence, counting-on, sorting and fine motor skills.

Ages: 2+

(M has just turned 4. See the bottom for handy tips to Extend or Simplify to meet your child's needs)

Materials: Paper Tube cut into smaller pieces (we used 1 wrapping paper tube for this), Foam number stickers.
Optional: Counters, playdough & chopstick.

Sorting though numbers to find the right numbers.

Fine motor skills to peel off sticker backing

Sticking on the numbers. We focused on teen numbers. 

Counting on to figure out which number needs to be made next.

Ordering to ensure all the required numbers are made.

Once they are all made. It's up to you how you use this fun manipulative.

Just making them includes tons of maths learning and practice which children need in order to consolidate their understanding of numbers.

Here are some ways you could use your Paper Tube Numbers

Mix them all up and find the numbers one by one and put them in order from smallest to largest.

We had great fun building with them. Adding extra elements of balance and coordination

Add counters, choose one of your Paper Tube Numbers and count out the corresponding amount of counters.

Children could fill the inside of each Paper Tube Number with the corresponding amount of counters/pompoms etc by counting them out..

Ordering vertically was lots of fun. 

Stick a chopstick (or any stick etc) into playdough and thread away.

Choose any number and have the child count-on from that number and thread on the next numbers.

You can have children count and thread numbers backwards or forwards depending on which way they're ordering.

When you're done with your Paper Tube Numbers, thread them onto a piece of string, tie the ends and they're ready for you to get out next time.

Handy Tips:

- Simplify this activity by starting with numbers 1-3. Include higher numbers up to 10 as they are able.

(We focussed on teen numbers as that's where my child needs more work. We made a whole set though)

- You can Extend this activity in many ways:

• Make higher numbers as required
• Use single numbers on each tube and then place tubes together to create new numbers
• Use the number tubes to practice addition, subtraction etc
• Have children paint or write the numbers on the tubes themselves

- Mix it up by sticking the numbers on the tubes with them horizontally instead. They can then be threaded on rope or a broom handle, etc, horizontally. (Much harder to build with! haha)

- To learn new skills and to consolidate their understanding, children need to experience opportunities to practice these same skills over and over again. You will find many of our Maths activities practice the same skills using slightly different materials. This is about making it fun and keeping it interesting for kids. Then, they'll want to learn!

- Here are our 2 Paper Tube Activities from last week from both Learn with Play at home and The Imagination Tree
(click on the pictures to go to the posts)

   

- Playful Maths. Below are the Egg Carton Activities from both Learn with Play at home and The Imagination Tree
(click on the pictures to go to the posts)

           



Don't forget to join us next week for the latest Playful Maths activities.... with Plastic Bottles!

Are there any Everyday Materials that you'd like to see us use? 

Mention it in the comments and we'll see what we can come up with!

Happy playing,

Debs :)

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 Playful Maths Pinterest Board.

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This is a super easy and quick game to set up that includes singing and will challenge your child's memory and help them with their letter recognition.

Your child should be able and ready to play this game if they know how to sing the alphabet and appear to have an interest in letters. To challenge further or play the game in a different way, see the Handy Tips at the bottom.

To play this game you will need a set of alphabet cards or books. You print off a set here for free if you don't have any or you could do a quick google search for ones that appeal to you (there are tons available) or simply make your own in Microsoft Word or other publishing progams.

So proud!

- Place all the cards/books in a big pile. Let your child rummage through them and give them a good mix up

- Sing the alphabet song with your child and then ask them what the first letter of the alphabet is (Repeat the song if needed until your child figures out that Aa is the first letter)

- Let your child find the letter Aa. If they are struggling, try giving them hints until they find it (eg. The capital A has a pointy top. etc or use colour hints if appropriate or Show them the letter Aa in a book or some other form of print as an example and have them find the match)

- Once they've found the Aa and put it aside, ask them what the next letter of the alphabet is and repeat the singing and hints etc until they have found it and put it beside the Aa.

- Repeat until your child has correctly identified and put in a line the entire alphabet. Well done!



Handy Hints

- To simplify this activity, have your child identify which is the next letter that needs to be found by singing the alphabet (and pointing along) and then help them find it (maybe make it a race?). Show them the letter then put it in the line and sing the alphabet again while pointing to the line and have them tell you which is the next letter to be found. Remember to make it fun!

- To extend this activity, try including letter sounds and words as well. What is the first letter of the alphabet? What sound does it make? Can you think of a word that begins with that sound? etc.

- As your child sings the alphabet, have them point to each of the corresponding letters they've already found to help reinforce the connection between the letter name and the symbol.

- Mix it up. Try playing the same game but this time call it, "Find the missing letter." Take one of the letters out and have your child try to identify the missing letter by using the same singing and finding technique.

- If your child loses interest half way through, don't push it. Just leave it and pick it up from the letter you were up to another time when they are interested again. Pushing and forcing learning at this early age level won't help your child develop a positive association with letters and learning. If anything, it could have the opposite effect. Remember to make learning FUN.


Debs :)

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