3.3y–5y12 minFamily timeDevelopmental playQuiet time
How Did You Solve It?
A quick fairness-and-sharing game where your child poses a small number problem, solves it with objects, and then talks through the method (counting, matching, adding one, checking).
What you'll need
Essentials
- 10–20 small counters (coins, pasta, buttons, or blocks)
- two small plates/bowls (or two pieces of paper as ‘plates’)
Nice to have
- paper and a pencil (for quick marks or a numeral card)
- a small toy (teddy) to ‘teach’ the method to
Movement level: false
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneUses talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events.Mind· 3.3y–5y· core
- MilestoneBegins to identify own mathematical problems based on own interests and fascinations.Mind· 3.3y–5y· core
- MilestoneCounts objects one-to-oneMind· 4y–4.5y· stretch· Step 3
- MilestoneReports the counted totalMind· 4.3y–5y· stretch
- MilestoneLinks statements and sticks to a main theme or intention.Mind· 3.3y–5y· stretch· Step 4
- Milestonecounts up to 5Mind· 2.5y–3.3y· stretch· Step 3
- MilestoneCompares object propertiesMind· 2.8y–5y· stretch· Step 4
- MilestoneTalks about own interests and ideasMind· 4y–5y· core· Step 1
What it practices
- Finds the total number of items in two groups by counting all of them.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Counts an irregular arrangement of up to ten objects.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Uses the language of ‘more’ and ‘fewer’ to compare two sets of objects.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Selects the correct numeral to represent 1 to 5, then 1 to 10 objects.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Talk about the methods children use to answer a problem they have posed, e.g. ‘Get one more, and then we will both have two.’”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)