Match quantities up to 8  

2 Plastic pots

Up to 16 pens/coloured pencils

1. Put out 2 pots one in front of yourself and one in front of the child

2. Get child's attention and slowly count 3 pens into your pot. Say 'Your turn' to the child and, if necessary, give hand over hand support to help the child put 3 pens in his/her pot.

3. Reward with praise and/or a sticker.

4. Repeat the activity with different numbers of pens working up to 8 at the end.

Pile of Lego bricks

1. Make a tower of 3 Lego bricks. Count the bricks so the child can see you count.

2. Hold out some Lego to the child and say 'You make a tower with 3 bricks'.

3. Praise for matching your tower and move on to work with 4 bricks and so on.

Peg board and pegs

1. Make a row of 3 pegs in the board and count them so the child can see.

2. Offer the child some pegs and point to your row of pegs and say 'You do it'.

3. Reward for success or give hand over hand guidance if the child does not understand what you want.

4. Work up to using 8 pegs to make a variety of rows and columns on the peg board.

5. Can the child take his/her finished work to show someone else for additional praise?

Paper and pens

1. Draw 3 circles (or squares, cats or dogs etc.) on a piece of paper.

2. Count the items.

3. Give the child a pen and say 'Look you make 3 circles (or squares, dogs etc'.)

4. Praise for success and give a sticker.

1. Take a group of forks at dinner, count them and ask the child to do the same.

2. Make a group of cups at the table and count and ask the child to do the same.

3. Count the number of children at a table who needs pens, paper or scissors etc and see if the child can take the right number of items to hand out exactly to his/her peers.

4. Reward!