Exploring Numbers and Shapes

Overview

This 10-minute session for Reception children will focus on developing early mathematical skills through continuous provision activities, both indoors and outdoors. The plan aligns closely with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) mathematics framework, which is the statutory framework for Reception in England under the National Curriculum guidelines. It develops children’s number recognition, counting, sorting, classification, and early observation skills, embedded naturally in play.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, children will:

• Count objects reliably within 10.
• Sort and classify objects by size, shape, and quantity.
• Recognise basic 2D shapes and explore patterns.
• Develop fine motor skills through pencil control activities.
• Use observational skills to explore natural materials and link outdoor exploration to mathematical concepts.

EYFS Early Learning Goals covered:

• Number: Children count reliably with numbers from one to 20, place numbers in order and say which number is one more or one less than a given number. They use quantities and objects to add and subtract two single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer.
• Shape, Space and Measure: Children use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money to compare quantities and objects and to solve problems.
• Physical Development: Using small tools to develop control and coordination.

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Resources Needed

• Maths tuff tray filled with assorted natural and classroom items (e.g., counting pebbles, coloured shapes, number cards, shells)
• Reading area with number storybooks and counting rhymes
• Art area with shape templates, coloured pencils, crayons, and paper
• Pencil control worksheets or whiteboards with patterns for tracing
• Outdoor mud kitchen and outside tuff trays for sensory play
• Nature scavenger hunt checklist or pictures (leaves, sticks, stones, flowers)
• Collection baskets or bags for outdoor materials

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (1 minute)

Gather children around and briefly introduce the day’s maths exploration, emphasising how numbers and shapes are all around us – in the classroom, outside, and in nature. Explain the scavenger hunt as a fun challenge to find natural items to count and sort later.

2. Continuous Provision Activities (7 minutes)

Children self-select from the following activities, encouraging independent learning and exploration:

• Maths Tuff Tray: Children explore counting and sorting items such as shells, pebbles, or counting bears. Encourage them to sort by colour, size, or shape and count each pile aloud. Prompt with questions like “How many stones do you have?” or “Can you find the biggest shell?”

• Reading Area: Children look at number-themed storybooks or join in counting rhymes. This supports number recognition, language development and counting sequences.

• Art Area: Children use shape templates to trace or colour in different 2D shapes. Encourage discussion on attributes of shapes like "Can you find a triangle? How many sides does it have?"

• Pencil Control Activity: Children practise pre-writing patterns on worksheets or whiteboards, focusing on fine motor skills essential for number formation later on.

• Outdoor Continuous Provision – Mud Kitchen & Outside Tuff Trays: In the mud kitchen, children experiment with filling containers and measuring quantities using cups and spoons, exploring volume and capacity informally.

• Outdoor Nature Scavenger Hunt: Children find leaves, sticks, stones, and other natural materials. Suggest sorting their findings by size, colour, or type to reinforce classification. Then bring items back indoors for sorting and counting, linking outdoor observation with maths skills.

3. Plenary and Assessment (2 minutes)

Gather children together to share one or two of their sorted/searched items. Ask targeted questions such as:

• “How many leaves did you find?”
• “Which group had the most/least objects?”
• “Can you describe the shapes you traced today?”

Observe children’s ability to count, classify, and discuss their objects and shapes. Note their motor control during pencil activities.

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Differentiation and Inclusion

• Provide number cards alongside counters for children who need visual support.
• Offer simpler sorting choices (e.g., big vs small) or more complex (sorting by shape, colour) depending on ability.
• Support children with fine motor challenges with chunkier tools for pencil control or tracing shapes with fingers in sand trays.
• Outdoor activities encourage sensory and language development opportunities for all learners.

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Teacher Tips to Wow the Class

• Use natural materials in your tuff trays for tactile learning: leaves, pinecones, or feathers.
• Integrate counting songs or rhymes during transition times to reinforce number familiarity.
• Encourage children to verbalise their sorting decisions and describe objects to develop mathematical language.
• Consider setting up a "maths observations journal" where children draw or glue collected items and annotate with numbers or shapes to extend learning across the week.

This highly interactive, cross-environment approach not only meets the EYFS requirements for Number and Shape, Space and Measure but fosters a love for mathematics through playful discovery.