30/01/2026
This week at preschool we have been busy exploring numbers 1–5 through lots of hands-on, playful activities! Learning through play is such an important part of early years development, and the children had a wonderful time building their early numeracy skills in fun and meaningful ways.
Art Activities 🎨
We got creative while developing number recognition and fine motor skills:
• We made number pizzas, carefully matching the correct number of “pepperoni” to each pizza
• Created colourful jellyfish, using cue tips to paint the correct number of dots
• Enjoyed gluing collages to show the number of years old we are
• Explored finger painting, tracing and forming different numbers with paint
Tuff Tray Activities
Our tuff trays encouraged problem-solving, counting, and number matching:
• Matching cut-up paper plates to their corresponding dot patterns
• Rolling playdough balls and finding numbers on the number mat
• Creating cute number caterpillars
• Building numbers using number blocks
Circle Time & Music
We brought numbers to life through listening, movement, and rhythm:
• Playing number-listening games like Cookie Jar and Rainbow Numbers, where children found the number they heard
• Clapping the number we heard and using rhythm sticks to count and keep a steady beat
• Singing favourite number songs such as Hickory Dickory Dock, Five Little Monkeys, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive, and lots of fun finger games
✨ Why This Matters
Learning to recognise numbers through play helps children develop strong early numeracy skills, supports language development, and builds confidence. By making learning fun and interactive, children are more engaged and eager to explore new concepts—setting a strong foundation for future learning.
What a fantastic week of counting, creating, and having fun with numbers! 💛