🔢 Numbers & shapes · Ages 5–6 · about 3 weeks

Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s

Goal: Count in twos, fives and tens, and count to 100 in ones.

For parents: Skip-counting is the start of times tables. Use things that really come in groups: pairs of socks, fingers on a hand, ten-rupee notes.

Do together

  1. Sock pairs

    You need: Pairs of socks or shoes

    Line up pairs and count in twos: 2, 4, 6, 8. How many socks altogether?

  2. Hands up

    You need: The whole family's hands

    Count fingers five at a time: 5, 10, 15, 20. How many fingers in the family?

  3. Hundred chart walk

    You need: A hundred square drawn on paper

    Colour every tenth number. What do you notice? Then colour the fives in another colour.

Talk about it

  • What comes after 30 when we count in tens?
  • Which numbers do we say when we count in fives?
  • Why is counting in twos faster?

Words to use

  • twos
  • fives
  • tens
  • pattern
  • hundred

Play

  • Counting Stars
    Counting
  • Number Train
    Number order
  • Pattern Parade
    Patterns
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