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Pipe Cleaner Numbers

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Purpose:

You can help your child learn to read numbers to 20.

What you need:

  • A packet of pipe cleaners
  • Cards or pieces of paper with the numbers from 1 to 20 written on them
  • Buttons, stones, pegs, small toys or other small objects to count with

What to do:

Start with the numbers to 10.

Show your child a number, for example, 2.

  • Ask: What is this number? Tell your child the number if they are not sure. Help your child to count out 2 small objects to put beside the card.

Get your child to make the number with a pipe cleaner.

Repeat over a few days until all digits to 9 are made. Keep each number as you make it.

Once you have all the numbers from 1 – 9 ask your child to put the pipe cleaner numbers in order. Read them together "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9."

Ask your child to count out buttons, toys or other small objects to match each number. Put the corresponding number card beside the pipe cleaner number and the collection of objects.

To extend the idea: help your child to make another set of pipe cleaners numbers and use these to practise reading two digit numbers such as 34, 42, and 58.

What to expect your child to do:

Read and write numbers to 10, then to 20 then to 100.

He Kupu Māori:

order, sequence raupapa
porotiti counter
count tatau (-ria)

He Whakawhitinga Kōrero:

  • He aha tēnei tau? (What is this number?)
  • Tēnā, tatauria kia rua ngā kohatu. Me waiho ki te taha o te tau rua. (Lets count two stones. Put them beside the number 2.)
  • Hangaia te rua ki te waea nei. (Make a 2 out of this wire.)
  • Raupapahia ngā tau. He aha te tau tuatahi? He aha te tau whakamutunga? (Put the numbers in order. Which comes first? Which is the last number?)
  • Pānuihia mai ngā tau. (Read the numbers.)
  • Kia hia ngā porotiti mō tēnei tau? (How many counters for this number?)
  • Tatauria mai ngā porotiti. (Count the counters.)
  • E hia ngā kōhatu kei konei? (How many stones are here?)
  • Whakatakotoria te tau e tika ana ki te taha o ngā kōhatu. (Put the correct number beside the stones.)

Download a file of this activity:

PDF (160KB)