Number and Shape

Monday 12th July

Shape Hunt:

Can you go on a shape hunt and find as many shapes around your home as you can? Can your child say if it is 2D (flat) or 3D (solid)? Can they say how many corners or sides the shapes have? For example: 

Circle – 1 side / 0 corners  

Square – 4 sides / 4 corners 

Triangle – 3 sides/ 3 corners  

Rectangle – 4 sides/ 4 corners  

Can your child have a go at naming some of the properties for 3D shapes? 

• Cylinder (tin) - 3 faces  

• Cube (tissue box) - 6 faces  

• Cuboid (cereal box) - 6 faces  

• Cone – 2 faces  

Tuesday 13th July

Number Hunt:

How many numbers can you find around your home?

Can your child recognise numbers from 1-10 and then 10-20? 

Can they say one more than the given number. What number comes next?  

Wednesday 14th July

Number game:

Play this game with your child.  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zjkphbk/articles/zd4b382 

Can your child recognise and order numbers from 1-10 and then 10-20?

Thursday 15th July

‘I have a box’

Put some objects inside a box. Can your child guess how many are inside by shaking the box and feeling the objects without looking? Ask them how they can find out? (counting). Can they count how many there are using 1:1 correspondence? This means tapping each object once with their finger as they say one number at a time.   

Can they match the number of objects with the correct numeral? E.g. 5 buttons and number 5.  Repeat this game with different amounts of objects.  

Learning Objective: We are learning how numbers can identify how many objects are in a set.

Monday 1st March

Find some objects around your house. Using a piece of paper and pen, make number flash cards from 1-5. Show your child a number and ask them to give you that many objects. For example, show your child the number 2 and ask them what number it is. Can they give you two objects to represent number 2. E.g.  2 cars, 2 spoons, 2 socks etc. Repeat this with the other numbers from 1-5.  

Tuesday 2nd March

Using your flash cards from yesterday, can your child have a go at putting the numbers from 1-5 in order? After this, can your child then have a go at putting the correct number of objects under each number. For example, can your child put one spoon under number 1 and 2 cars under number two etc. (See below for examples). 

Wednesday 3rd March

Using your number flash cards from yesterday, can your child have another go at putting them in order from 1-5?  

Find some objects around your house, e.g. socks, pencils, spoons, buttons, Lego etc. Put a number of objects in the middle of the floor (1-5 objects). Ask your child to count them and say how many there are? Can your child then have a go at finding that number on the flash cards?  Take away objects and repeat. 

Thursday 4th March

Today, make some more number flash cards for numbers 6-10. Ask your child if they could have a go at putting the numbers 1-10 in order. They may need some support with this.  

Put a small number of objects into a clear container (jar/ bottle or Tupperware). Can they guess how many objects are inside? How can we find out? Ask your child to count the number of objects one at a time. Can they say how many there are? Can they find the correct number? Repeat this with different number of objects by taking them out or adding some more.

Friday 5th March 

Use your number flash cards from yesterday. Show your child a number and ask them to say what it is. Can your child have a go at threading that many beads/ cheerios/ pasta onto a piece of string, ribbon or shoe lace. Can your child have a go at threading the correct number of beads/ pasta/ cheerios for each number 1-10. (See below for examples).  

Learning Objective: We are learning to say numbers in order from 1-10. 

Monday 22nd February

Look for things you can count in different rooms of your home.

Can you count 10 socks in your bedroom?

Can you count 10 pens or pencils in your lounge?

Can you count 10 tiles in your bathroom?

Can you count 10 leaves outside?

Remember to touch each item once with your finger as you say the number so you don’t get muddled up.  

 Tuesday 23rd February

Today you are going to count actions.

Can you count 10 claps?

Can you count 10 hops?

Can you count 10 jumps?

Can you count 10 nods of your head?

Can you count 10 taps on your tummy?

Make sure you say the number at the same time as you do each action.  

Wednesday 24th February

Collect some small objects e.g. paperclips, buttons, bottle tops, beads, scrunched up balls of paper etc. You will also need an empty egg box. Start with the objects in one pile next to the egg box. Can you count out the objects one at a time and place them inside the egg box? See photos below.  

Start by putting 1 object in the egg box, touching it and saying “one”, then return it to the pile. Now put 2 objects in the egg box and count those, then 3 and so on.  

Thursday 25th February

Today you will need the egg box and handful of small objects you used yesterday. This time write one number in each of the egg box spaces starting with 0 and going up the number of spaces in your egg box. See photos below. 

Put the corresponding number of objects in each space.  So 1 item in the number 1 space. 2 items in the number 2 space.  3 items in the number 3 space and so on. 

Friday 26th February

Show your child some number cards. You can make your own by writing numbers 1-10 on paper or card and cutting them out. See example photo below. 

Help your child to draw the correct number of dots or stick on small stickers at the bottom of each card. Then arrange the number cards in order in a straight line on the floor.

Ask your child to find 1 toy or pebble or button etc and place it next the number 1 card. Then ask them to find 2 new toys and place them next to the number 2 card. Repeat this with each number card up to five.

If you feel your child is ready go up to 10. See photos below.  

Learning Objective: We are learning to notice simple shapes and patterns in pictures and the environment. 

Monday 1st February 

Go on a pattern hunt around your house. What kind of patterns can you find? Patterns can be made from different colours, shapes, sizes, arrangements etc. Maybe you have a stripy T-shirt, a spotty cushion or zig-zags on a mug. Talk about what the different patterns look like. Can you make your own pattern? You could find different coloured socks and arrange them in a line with alternating colours, you could arrange your toys in a pattern according to their size. See below for more pattern ideas.  

Tuesday 2nd February 

Today you are going to print some patterns onto paper. You can use leaves, flowers, fruit, vegetables, old yoghurt pots, bubble wrap or plastic bottles. Dip one side into some paint and use them to print different shapes onto a sheet of paper. If you do not have paint, you could use crayons. Place the object under some paper and use a crayon to rub over it. What shapes can you see? Can you make a pattern with different shapes or colours? E.g. red, blue, red, blue. See example photos on our website.  

Wednesday 3rd February 

Watch this video about simple shapes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEbRDtCAFdU 

Can your child remember some of the shape names? Use your finger to draw some of the shapes in the air.  

Help your child to draw and cut out some circle, square, triangle and rectangle shapes from paper or card. Once you have a few of each kind see if they can make a picture by arranging the shapes e.g. a house with a triangle roof, square walls, rectangle door and circle windows.  

Thursday 4th February 

Go on a shape hunt in your house, garden and around your street. Can you take a photograph of all the shapes you find? E.g. circles, triangles, squares or rectangles. You might see a circle car tyre, a rectangle door, a square window, a triangle road sign.  Please upload all the photographs of the shapes you have found on Tapestry. 

Friday 5th February 

Today you are going to make your own shapes using things from around your home. You can use cotton buds, small sticks, straws, pasta or pencils to make a square, triangle and rectangle. Arrange the objects flat on the floor or on a table to make each shape. Use a piece of string or some headphone wires to make a circle shape. 

See photos below for ideas. We would love to see some photos of your shapes on Tapestry.  

Monday 8th February

Find some big and small objects around your house. E.g. A small sock and a big sock, a big or small teddy bear, toy car or train, button, tin of food, a coin, stone, mug, shoe etc. 

Ask your child if they can find an object that is ‘big’ and then an object that is ‘small’.

Can your child put all the big objects into one pile and all the small objects into another pile?

Share your activity with us on Tapestry.

Tuesday 9th February

Draw a large circle on a piece of paper and a large square on another piece of paper.

Ask your child to have a look around their home to find any objects that are shaped like a circle and square. E.g. clock, coin, button, orange, jar lid, plate, tissue box, a coaster, book etc.

Can they put the objects onto the correct picture? E.g. put the coin on the drawing of a circle.  

Wednesday 10th February

Find some big and small socks around your house. Put them into a big pile in the middle of the floor/ table. Show your child a big sock and ask them if it is big or small.

Place the big sock on the floor in front of your child and repeat this again with a small sock.

Once your child has understood which sock is big and small, ask them if they can put all the socks in the correct place. E.g. big socks in one pile and all the small socks in another pile.   

Remember to take some photographs and share them with us on Tapestry.  

Thursday 11th February

Collect some sticks from outside. Can you put them in order from the shortest to the longest?

Can you find something in your home that is longer than the longest stick?

Can you find something shorter than the shortest stick?

Take a picture and share it with us on Tapestry. 

Friday 12th February

Have a competition with someone in your house. See if you can find: 

• 5 round objects 

• 4 tall objects 

• 3 objects with straight sides 

• 2 objects with more than 4 sides 

Take a photo of what you find for us to see on Tapestry. 

Monday 25th January

Collect some small toys or objects e.g. cars, dolls, teddies, sweets, raisins on a plate. Start with 1-5 then 5-10.  

Count how many there are. Ask your child to watch you carefully add one more object to the plate.  

Ask your child if the number of objects is still the same. If they say yes, ask them to count to check. If they say no, ask them why? Take it in turns, ask your child to add an object. Can they say if the number is still the same?  

Tuesday 26th January

Hide some objects in a box with a lid. Ask your child to guess how many objects there are by shaking the box. Ask your child how they can check (e.g. counting). When they are counting, ask them to remember the last number they say. Then ask them to watch while you take one away. Can they remember how many objects were in the box?  Is the number still the same? Why has it changed?  

Wednesday 27th January

Sing some nursery rhymes where the number goes down e.g. 

• 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed 

• 5 little ducks went swimming one day 

• 5 currant buns in a baker’s shop 

See lyrics to these songs below. 

If possible, use objects or drawings to show your child how the total number changes when 1 is taken away. 

Thursday 28th January 

With a teddy, explain to your child that it is not good at counting and s/he needs the children’s help. The teddy has some socks but s/he doesn’t know how many. Can your child count how many socks the teddy has? Ask them to close their eyes and either add or take a sock away. When they open their eyes can they see if the number has changed? Start with 1-5 then then 1-10.  

Can they count to see how many socks there are now and say if the number is bigger or smaller? Repeat with different amounts.  

Friday 29th January  

Cut some fruit into small pieces for your breakfast or lunch. Ask your child to count how many they have. Every time they eat a piece of fruit, can they count to see how many they have left. When you add one more, does the number stay the same? Is it bigger or smaller? Use your hands to make a number tower. As you count, move your hands up higher to show the children that the number is bigger/ smaller.

Learning Objective: We are learning that the total number changes when you add or take away some objects.   

Monday 18th January

Collect some small toys or objects e.g. cars, dolls, sweets, raisins on a plate. Get your child to count the total number of objects. Then take a handful away and hide it behind your back. Count how many objects are left. Explain that the total number of objects left has changed, now there are less. Next add 3 objects back to the plate and count the total again. This time there are more objects and the total number has got bigger.  

Tuesday 19th January

Play Kims’s game. Collect a set of toys and lay them out in a line on the floor. Get your child to count the toys. Cover them with a towel or cloth and take one away. Remove the tea towel and ask the child which toy has gone. Count how many toys are left. Talk about how there are less than before. Repeat until there are no toys left.  

Wednesday 20th January

Sing nursery rhymes where the counting goes up. You can change the words to include things you like e.g. dinosaurs, cars, dolls, superheroes. 

• 1,2,3,4,5 Once I caught a Fish Alive 

• Hickory Dickory Dock 

• 5 Little Peas in a Pod 

See lyrics to these songs below.

Thursday 21st January

Sing nursery rhymes where the counting goes down. You can change the words to include things you like e.g. dinosaurs, cars, dolls, superheroes. 

• 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed 

• 5 little ducks went swimming one day 

• 5 currant buns in a baker’s shop 

See lyrics to these songs below. 

Friday 22nd January 

Repeat the same activity you did on Monday where you added and took away objects from a plate. This time ask your child to take some away and say what is happening e.g. “I am taking some away. There are less cars now.” “I am adding some. There are more cars now.”