Count the ladybirds 1-5! This early maths activity encourages counting and number recognition – can they count the ladybirds spots and find the correct number? There a lots of ways to use this activity and it has been perfect for my 2 year old!
What you’ll need
- 5 large ladybirds – I printed and laminated these from Twinkl https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-n-2071-editable-ladybird-and-spots-cut-outs. You could alternatively draw them on cardboard or even create some out of felt!
- Ladybird spots – I laminated and cut these out to use with blu-tac.
- Numbers 1-5 – This lovely rainbow set is from Tickit – https://www.tickit.co.uk/products/rainbow-numbers?variant=32107443453986¤cy=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2020-10-05&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACJin71gE80toHk_DWxTgVfblYalu&gclid=CjwKCAjw8rW2BhAgEiwAoRO5rLtSbNWn-WYn-P9gvJjZ6LXykzrVCKkJMFOWG_ChAlIkkrVAcK8dYxoCRHoQAvD_BwE
- Optional – I also added some green tissue paper and drew some ladybirds (1-5) onto wooden log slices
Count the ladybirds – How to use:
We started with all ladybirds having their spots (1-5). We then counted the ladybirds spots and found the corresponding numbers – this is great for both their counting skills and recognising numbers. My little one found counting easy, but is still developing her knowledge of what those numbers look like.
We then swapped the activity around. I placed the numbers 1-5 onto the ladybirds, and my toddler had to count the spots and add them to the correct number. This is where it’s useful to use blu-tac or sellotape to be able to stick and un-stick.
We also used the ladybird log slices to match with the correct number.
How this activity supports development:
Mathematics – Number recognition, counting skills and subtilising (being able to recognise the number without counting).
Communication and language – Encourages lots of conversation using mathematical vocabulary. Try questions such as; how many spots are there? Which ladybird has 4 spots? Can you find the number 3?
This activity is all about playing with numbers, counting and number recognition. My toddler chose to line up the numbers and count. We took numbers away to guess which number comes next in the sequence. As the child develops their maths skills further, have a go at numbers 1-10 for extra challenge.
If you are looking for more early years maths activity, why not try this colour sorting activity next – https://theeducatormum.co.uk/early-years-colour-sort-activity/