Make a counting rope
A great activity to practice fine motor skills and tool use ending up with an outdoor maths abacus.
Read More about Make a counting ropeINSPIRATIONS - outdoor maths
A collection of outdoor maths activities for the early years and primary age using natural materials.
Introduction
Maths is everywhere and to quote Juliet Robertson "Every moment is a maths moment!"
There are a lot of fab ideas out there for exploring maths outdoors. We have put together a few simple favourites in this inspiration activity page to get you started.
*Muddy Faces actively promotes child-led outdoor play & learning. We recognise and believe in the curiosity that children have and their drive to explore and discover. We hope that you will bear this in mind when considering more prescribed activities like some of those here - often much more creative ideas will occur if resources are simply provided and children are given the time and space to explore independently.
What you'll need
This activity has been provided by
Useful items from our shop
- Outdoor Maths Colossal Collection
- Natural Materials Shape Exploration
- Maths Poles
- Maths Bench
- Fractions Plank
Item available from our shop
Environmental Considerations
Consider the environmental impact of preparing, carrying out & completing this activity. Could this impact be reduced? Specific considerations for this activity could include:
- natural resources - only gather fallen sticks, don't pull them off a growing tree or bush
- leave no trace - take your resources home with you
Health & Safety Considerations
Follow your usual operating procedures and carry out appropriate risk benefit assessments.
Some considerations particular to this activity include:
- safe use of tools or fire
Number & Counting
Use sticks to...
Use string to...
Explore Spirals
Measure the girth of a tree
Estimate the age of tree - a tree will increase its girth by approx 2.5cm in a year
Draw a big circle
Make a compass with stick and string
Some shape ideas
Some estimation ideas
How many sticks are in the pile?
An alternative to how many sweets in the jar!
How long until the first kernel pops?!
How many pebbles to make the container sink?
More pebble problem solving here
More maths activities
Pebble creature maths
Use pebble creatures to make outdoor maths activities more fun!
Read More about Pebble creature maths
Have a look at the maths section of our shop - full of natural resources & our UK Grown wood products.
Disclaimer: Muddy Faces cannot take any responsibility for accidents or damage that occurs as a result of following this activity.You are responsible for making sure the activity is conducted safely.
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Key Features
- Age Range All Ages
- Duration Less than an hour
- Location Anywhere
- Season Any
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Categories:
Curriculum Outdoors
numeracy
Inspirations