How Do You Fit Numeracy Into The Day And Still Have Time For Play?

By Dr. Alistair Bryce-Clegg

Making Maths Fun Through Play

Lots of teachers and early years practitioners say to me ‘Alistair… How do we fit it all in?’ (or words to that effect!).

With so much focus on teaching literacy and maths, it can feel impossible to find the time for play. But here’s the great thing: maths and play aren’t enemies. In fact, research says play is one of the best ways for young children to learn maths.

The trick isn’t about squeezing maths into the day—it’s about weaving maths into the play children are already enjoying.

So, let’s forget boring maths schemes and long carpet sessions. Instead, let’s explore how play can make maths fun and meaningful for children.

---

Why Play is Brilliant for Maths

Children are curious about the world around them, and this curiosity helps them learn. Even as babies, they start exploring maths when they stack blocks or sort toys. Through play, they naturally begin to understand numbers, shapes, patterns, and sizes.

Research says children learn maths best when it’s part of their play. Play gives them the chance to see how maths works in real life. For example:

• Building a tall tower teaches balance and height.

• Pouring water between cups helps them understand capacity.

• Playing shop shows them how to count, add, and subtract.

When children are playing, they’re solving problems, testing ideas, and making connections—all important for learning maths.

---

Why Maths in Play Often Goes Wrong

While play is the best way to learn maths, we sometimes go about it the wrong way. It’s easy to think, If I put maths resources into the play provision, children will use them. But research says it doesn’t work like that.

Why Maths Tools Are Ignored

Things like number lines, 2D shapes, tape measures and rulers often get overlooked by children because they are just not interesting.

For example, popping some plastic shapes in a sand or water tray might seem like a good idea. But they are not relevant to their play, they might just bury them in the sand or ignore them completely. The certainly won’t be turning to their friend and naming three properties of a triangle!

Why Signs Don’t Help

You might have been asked to make signs like “How many cups will fill this jug?” and put them near your water tray. The idea is to get children thinking about maths while they play. But this absolutely doesn’t work well either. It is a waste of your time and effort

Why doen’t it work? Because when children are playing, they’re focused on their own ideas—like making potions or washing dinosaurs. A sign asking them to count interrupts their flow and doesn’t feel exciting or relevant to what they’re doing.

---

How to Make Maths a Natural Part of Play

So, how can we make maths part of children’s play in a way that feels natural and fun?

Follow Their Lead

Start by watching what children are doing. What are they interested in? What stories are they telling? Once you know this, you can join in and gently bring maths into the mix.

Use Open-Ended Materials

Loose parts—like shells, pebbles, sticks, and blocks—are perfect for exploring maths. Children can count them, sort them, measure them, and build with them. Because there’s no “right” way to play with these materials, children are free to follow their own ideas and discover maths naturally.

Play Alongside Them

When adults join in play, they can model maths in a fun way. For example:

• “I’m making a pattern with my shells—red, white, red, white.”

• “If I add another block, do you think the tower will fall over?”

By playing along, you can introduce maths without taking over or interrupting their fun.

---

How to Set Up Play Areas That Encourage Maths

If resources like plastic shapes and number lines aren’t enough on their own, what works better?

Create Invitations to Play

Instead of just adding maths resources, think about how you can spark curiosity.

An environment rich with invitations to play naturally opens the door to mathematical exploration. When spaces are thoughtfully designed with open-ended resources—like blocks, loose parts, and tools for sorting or measuring—children are encouraged to explore concepts like counting, shape, pattern, and size in their own time and way. The best maths learning happens when children are drawn in by curiosity, not directed by adult outcomes. Whether they’re stacking, comparing, pouring, or building, these invitations allow them to discover maths as a joyful, meaningful part of their play.

As I always say, “The best learning happens when children are free to follow their ideas in an environment that inspires them.”

Use Real-Life Play

Children love activities that copy real life, like playing shop, cooking, or building. These activities naturally involve maths—counting, measuring, and problem-solving—all while being lots of fun.

Don’t be Tempted by Tuff-Tray Maths

Using tuff trays to deliver maths objectives—like counting bears, laminated shapes, or number-matching activities—might seem like a playful approach, but it often falls short of truly supporting children’s mathematical understanding. These setups turn play into task-driven activities, limiting creativity, exploration, and deep engagement.

Maths doesn’t thrive in isolated tasks or pre-set activities; it needs context, curiosity, and relevance. Instead of filling trays with objectives, focus on creating environments that invite children to engage deeply and discover maths as a natural, joyful part of their play. That’s where real learning happens.

---

Respecting Children’s Play

Play is more than just fun—it’s how children explore, create, and understand the world. It’s tempting to jump in and turn play into a maths lesson, but this often does more harm than good.

Avoid Interrupting Their Flow

Imagine a child building a castle out of blocks. They’re telling a story about knights and dragons, experimenting with balance, and solving problems. Now imagine an adult stepping in and asking, “How many bricks are in your tower?”

This question pulls the child out of their creative world. Instead of helping, it interrupts their thinking and makes maths feel like a chore.

Instead, watch and wait. Look for opportunities to join in naturally, without taking over.

---

Final Thoughts: Trust the Power of Play

Adding maths to play doesn’t mean ticking boxes or forcing children to do tasks in a tuff tray. It’s about noticing the maths that’s already happening and gently building on it.

Research says play is the best way for children to learn maths. By using open-ended materials, following their interests, and letting them lead, we can help them see maths as something joyful and exciting.

So, step back, observe, and trust in the power of play. When children are given the freedom to explore, the maths will happen naturally—and it will be fun!

---

References

• Broadhead, P. (2020). Play, Learning, and the Early Years.

• Sarama, J., & Clements, D. H. (2021). Learning and Teaching Early Math: The Learning Trajectories Approach.

• Worthington, M., & Carruthers, E. (2018). Children's Mathematics: Making Marks, Making Meaning.

• Moss, G. (2020). Playful Mathematics: Embedding Numeracy in Early Years Settings.