Number collage

Here's a way of learning numbers in a creative way and best of all the children won't even realise they are learning!

I found these fantastic large numbers on Twinkl  http://www.twinkl.co.uk/ and had planned to update our number line but my mind was blank on the best way to use them and make them inviting enough to encourage two 3 year olds to actually go to them and use them.

So instead I thought about how I could use then as an alternative learning tool. Then it came to me whilst collecting materials for collaging (another post coming soon) why not use them to collage with. Collaging and glue based activities is something I seem to forget about I tend to head for paints first.

I had some great pieces of large square scrap booking paper which were perfect for these large numbers. So set this activity up for the 3 year olds.

Straight away they were naming the numbers they were using and at times were even arguing over who was having which number and whether they were having the blue ones or pink ones (yes girls have pink and boys blue!! - Why did I pick these ones?)

Anyway enough arguments. The first numbers are being finally stuck down, I'm then asked by M "what do we have to do?" I respond asking "what do you mean? You just use the numbers to make your pictures" M says "Do we have to use are finger?" She then uses her finger to 'write' the number over the top!
Perfect! I wasn't expected this so is an added bonus to what I expected the outcome to be.
Then she gets the glue and carefully drizzles it over the number two again following the way it forms.

Once they had both finished and used up all the available numbers J was talking about what numbers he had and which numbers M had. We then used to art work to discuss which numbers were missing from each one too.

I liked the way that they both tried not to cover the numbers with other numbers where they could and were really concentrating on the space they had and the way they were going to arrange it.

       














To extend this learning further...
- Encourage the numbers to be put in the correct order
- Use two numbers to discuss what bigger numbers they are eg. 10, 11,12 etc
- Encourage addition, subtraction, multiplying and dividing by using some numbers used