8mo–20mo8 minFree playFamily time
Lots and Few Toy Piles
A simple fill-and-empty play routine where you talks about ‘lots’ and ‘few’ while your child moves familiar objects between containers.
What you'll need
Essentials
- two bowls/containers (one can be bigger)
- 8–12 safe everyday objects (blocks, large lids, soft toys, chunky spoons)
Nice to have
- a small cloth or tea towel (to cover objects for a peek game)
- a bag (for ‘in/out’ play)
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneReaches for nearby objectsBody· 4mo–11mo· core· Step 1
- MilestoneFinds a visibly hidden objectMind· 7mo–14mo· core· Step 3
- MilestoneEnjoys filling and emptying containers.Mind· 8mo–20mo· core
- MilestonePuts object into containerBody· 9mo–12mo· stretch
- MilestoneTakes object from containerBody· 10mo–13mo· stretch
What it practices
- Beginning to organise and categorise objects, e.g. putting all the teddy bears together or teddies and cars in separate piles.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Says some counting words randomly.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Knows that things exist, even when out of sight.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Talk to young children about ‘lots’ and ‘few’ as they play.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)