Today the children were invited to participate in a numeracy experience focused on recognising and forming numbers. Number cards from 1–5 was placed in front of each child, and they were encouraged to use their fingers to recreate the numbers in a sand tray.
The children showed curiosity and enthusiasm as they explored the shapes of the numbers through sensory play. Some children confidently formed numbers 1, 2, and 3, while others benefited from educator guidance. Numbers 4 and 5 presented more of a challenge, providing opportunities for educators to scaffold learning by slowly demonstrating the strokes and encouraging the children to try again.
Benefits of this experience include:
• Developing early numeracy and number recognition
• Strengthening fine motor skills and finger control
• Supporting sensory learning through tactile exploration
• Encouraging confidence and persistence when learning new skills
• Providing opportunities for intentional teaching and educator guidance.
Hands-on experiences like this help children build foundational numeracy skills in an engaging and meaningful way.