Mathematics

Learning Maths Through Our Values by being Curious, Auahatanga | Creative and Capable 

Explore with Water

Encourage curiosity by experimenting with water in different containers in the sink, bath, or outdoors. Use descriptive words like “full,” “empty,” “overflowing,” or “halfway.” Ask capable questions such as, “Which container holds the most water?” or “Can you find one that’s smaller?”

Positional language

Using positional language helps children develop spatial awareness and descriptive skills. Encourage your child to use words like above, below, next to, in front of, behind, between, under, and on top of through playful activities. For example, create a treasure hunt by hiding objects around the house and giving clues such as, “The toy is under the table” or “Look behind the chair.” You can also build a block tower together and describe where each block is placed: “Put the red block on top of the blue one” or “Place the green block next to the yellow one.” Another fun idea is to play a game with stuffed animals, asking your child to place them in different positions: “Can you put the bear in front of the couch?” or “Let’s hide the rabbit behind the pillow.” These simple activities make learning positional language engaging and practical.

Kitchen Adventures

Spark curiosity by involving your child in snack preparation, like making sandwiches or fruit salad. Use action words like “add,” “mix,” or “stir” as they count slices of bread or pieces of fruit. Challenge their capabilities with questions like, “How many pieces do we need for everyone?”. Introduce fraction words and symbols such as 'whole', 'half' 1/2 and 'quarter' 1/4. 

Counting with Everyday Objects

Cultivate their capability by gathering small items such as buttons, crayons, or coins. Encourage your child to count, sort, or group them into collections. Prompt their curiosity by asking, “Can you make a group of 5?” or “Which group has the most or least?”

Dress-Up Explorations

Foster curiosity about sizes and fit with dress-ups or clothing. Use words like “bigger,” “smaller,” “tight,” or “loose” while asking capable questions like, “What goes on last?” or “Does this fit?” Turn it into a matching game with socks or shoes.

Sorting Treasure

Encourage curiosity by creating a treasure box filled with items like bottle caps, leaves, shells, or toy cars. Let them explore and sort by size, colour, or shape. Ask capable questions such as, “How many red ones are there?” or “Which group is the biggest?”

Shape Explorers

Nurture curiosity with a shape hunt around the house or outdoors. Find objects shaped like circles, squares, or triangles. Challenge their thinking by asking, “What shape is the clock?” or “Can you find something that’s a rectangle?”

Puzzle and Block Play

Build capability through jigsaw puzzles or by constructing towers with blocks. Explore patterns, sizes, and colours while asking, “How tall can we make this tower?” or “Which piece fits here?”

Games and Cards

Inspire curiosity with card games like Go Fish or memory games. Practice counting, matching, and using strategy words like “more,” “less,” or “equal.” Play "snakes and ladders". 

Get your child to explain their thinking. By encouraging auahatanga | creativity, curiosity and fostering capability, these activities help children explore, discover, and develop confidence while learning through play.

More information can be found here.