It's not just about counting!

Hands up who likes maths?

The word "mathematics" can conjure up a myriad of emotions, sometimes not always positive, but if we are asked about the word "play" then reactions can be very different.

However on a daily basis children are learning maths all the time through a wide variety of play experiences and this week is no exception.

Playing with water and sand this week offered children opportunities to explore shapes, volume, capacity, concepts such as bigger, smaller and opportunities for counting.

Stories eg "A squash and a squeeze", climbing and construction activities incorporated problem solving skills and spatial awareness, introducing vocabulary such as more, taller, longer.

Even in the home corner we worked out how many cups and saucers we needed for our guests (1:1 correspondence) and how many pieces of cake we were allowed each (fractions). When I said I should have all the cake the children reminded me I had to share and proceeded to give me one piece!

We learned about time, looking at the clock while we waited for snack and recognised numerals everywhere - books, bricks, jigsaws... and who doesn't like a game of snakes and ladders with a friend?

"It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’, talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes." EYFS Statutory Framework (2021)