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NurseryMaths Activities

Nursery Starfish Spots: Counting Playdough Mats

Children roll playdough spots and give each starfish the right number, from 1 to 5. • Teacher guide with Development Matters links. • 5 playdough mats, 1 to 5. Linked to Development Matters for three and four-year-olds. Print-ready PDF.

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Starfish Spots: playdough counting mats 1 to 5. Five playdough mats. Each starfish needs the right number of spots. Children roll playdough balls and press them onto the spaces. What’s included: • Teacher guide with Development Matters links. • 5 playdough mats, 1 to 5. Ideas for using it: • Spotty starfish: Roll the right number of spots for each starfish. • Count and press: Count aloud as you press each spot. • Wash away: Take one spot off. How many now? • Find the number: Find the starfish with 4 spots. Linked to Development Matters (three and four-year-olds): • Say one number for each item in order: 1,2,3,4,5. • Link numerals and amounts: for example, showing the right number of objects to match the numeral, up to 5. • Use one-handed tools and equipment, for example, making snips in paper with scissors. • Know that the last number reached when counting a small set of objects tells you how many there are in total (‘cardinal principle’). Supplied as a ready-to-print PDF (A4 landscape). Print, laminate and reuse all year.Read more

Starfish Spots: playdough counting mats 1 to 5. Five playdough mats. Each starfish needs the right number of spots. Children roll playdough balls and press them onto the spaces. What’s included: • Teacher guide with Development Matters links. • 5 playdough mats, 1 to 5. Ideas for using it: • Spotty starfish: Roll the right number of spots for each starfish. • Count and press: Count aloud as you press each spot. • Wash away: Take one spot off. How many now? • Find the number: Find the starfish with 4 spots. Linked to Development Matters (three and four-year-olds): • Say one number for each item in order: 1,2,3,4,5. • Link numerals and amounts: for example, showing the right number of objects to match the numeral, up to 5. • Use one-handed tools and equipment, for example, making snips in paper with scissors. • Know that the last number reached when counting a small set of objects tells you how many there are in total (‘cardinal principle’). Supplied as a ready-to-print PDF (A4 landscape). Print, laminate and reuse all year.

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