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Learning about numbers and number formation using tin foil

July 31, 2017 by Kate Leave a Comment

Learning about numbers and number formation using tin foil is a wonderful fun activity for kids. It’s hard to believe, but all you need is tin foil! It’s amazingly simple and lots of fun.
Learning about numbers and number formation using tin foil

Possum (aged 5 years) is very good at reading and we have focused quite a lot of learning letters and phonic blends throughout her first year at school. I realised we probably should work a little more on developing her confidence using numbers and so we did this fun activity at home. 

I challenged her to make some tin foil numbers. This was such a great activity that I hope you find time for. 

Recommended ages: 5 years + 
(Strict and active supervision is required at all times) 
school making tin foil numbers

Learning about numbers and number formation using tin foil

To make these tin foil numbers, you will need – 

  • tin foil 

That’s it! All you need to do is tear off some pieces of tin foil and ask your child to make a number 0 – 9. The pieces I tore off were probably about 30cm x 20cm pieces. 

Making tin foil numbers for fine motor development

Number formation & Problem Solving

It was actually a little more challenging than Possum thought it would be. When a child is asked to form a number using the tin foil they have to really think about what that number looks like and how best they can use the tin foil to shape in that way. 

Of course some numbers were easier to make than others. Possum really learn more about the formation of numbers and quickly recognised those numbers that can be made in one piece and other numbers that require more because they are created or drawn using more than one stroke. 

learning and making numbers with tin foil

Fine motor development

Tin foil is an amazing material for children to work with. It’s sensation for children to use in an activity that focuses on buidling fine motor skills. Tin foil really does what it’s told and you can shape it in whatever way you like! Of course the tighter the tin foil is held together, the harder it is to shape. 

I also love that the tin foil can be shaped in such a way it can hold two ends together. Perfect for when you ask a child to create a zero or  they are creating a number that is made using more than one stroke. 

learning to make numbers using tin foil

Learning to read numbers

These tin foil numbers were wonderful to use as a helpful teaching tool to learn to read numbers. You could make as many numbers as you liked and I challenged Possum to –

  • make two digit numbers
  • create three digit numbers
  • choose a four digit number and so on
  • make a number, now make a larger number
  • make a number, now make a smaller number
  • make a number, what number would come before it
  • make a number, what number would come after it
  • what is ten more than __ number

As you can see, there are so many ways to make and get your child to play and use these tin foil numbers. It was lots of fun and I feel like our conversation about numbers using these were very helpful. I hope they help you.

using foil to make numbers

Do you think your child would have fun making and play with tin foil numbers? 

Simple play dough ebook with recipes and play dough activities for kids.

If you liked this idea, check out – 

Sensory baby play fun using tin foil  Guess the objects covered in tin foil  Simple invitation to learn and play with tin foil

 
Great value ebooks featuring Laughing Kids Learn

Zero to Two: Book of Play    Three to Five Playful Preschool ad     ABSs and 123 ebook by Laughing Kids Learn

Follow Kate @ LaughingKidsLearn’s board Laughing Kids Learn on Pinterest.

Filed Under: 3 - 5 years, 5 - 10 years, activities for preschoolers, activities for toddlers, Fine Motor, Numeracy Tagged With: fine motor, maths, tin foil

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Welcome
Hello and welcome!
My name is Kate and I am a mum to two little girls, Possum and Boo. We have lots of fun together learning with play at home and are pleased to share some of what we do with you.
Read my about page to find out more.

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