Logic, reasoning, counting and sorting


Small wooden counters in a variety of shapes and colours are the perfect loose parts resource for developing mathematical aptitude, naturally lending themselves to the core skills required for counting, sorting, and sequencing. Counting out physical objects helps reinforce the relationship between numbers and their meaning.


All the colours in the rainbow


Sorting or ordering loose parts is a great activity when a large mixed set of counters is available, children can sort by colour or shape. This can be made more challenging for older children, for example, sorting by lightest or darkest colours or ordering by height or shape.


Sensory play


Loose parts are beautifully tactile, having a variety of diff erent shapes, characteristics and sizes makes for a great sensory experience.


Loose parts number grid


Using loose parts in a line or grid can be a fun and engaging way to help children understand more complex mathematical processes, such as addition, subtraction and even multiplication and division.


- If we have 6 mushrooms and take away 2, how many are left?


Look with your hands


Place objects in a bag and encourage your little learners to try and find matching pairs using touch alone. Alternatively, keep one of each shape out on a table and try to find its match inside the bag.


14 For more ideas and inspiration visit ypo.co.uk/littlelearners


- Place 3 acorns across the top of the page and repeat to make 4 rows = 12 acorns in total.


A


A


A


v


v c


c v


c


i


t


i t


i t


i


i


i


t


t


t


y


y


y


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