EYFS Maths Outdoor Ideas

Wondering how you can make maths more exciting for EYFS children? 

Incorporating outdoor play with maths can help children feel more engaged with learning and spark an interest in maths that they can carry with them through school. It can be really important for ensuring children develop a positive attitude and relationship with the subject from a young age. 

In this blog, we outline why outdoor learning for maths is so important and how play can support mathematical development. We also present 8 fun, maths-related activities that you might want to try out in your very own playground. 

Why Is Outdoor Learning For Maths Important?

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework suggests that outdoor learning can help children develop a strong foundation in numbers and set them up for mathematical success once they start school. 

The framework also states that EYFS children should be confident with counting, have an understanding of numbers 1-10 and the relationships between them, and have started developing spatial reasoning skills related to shape, space, and measurement. Providing engaging and varied outdoor learning opportunities can help aid children in developing these maths skills.

Learn more about creating an outdoor playground using the EYFS Framework, or explore outdoor learning ideas that encourage the development of maths, literacy, and creative skills. 

Can Outdoor Play Support Mathematical Development?

There are many benefits of encouraging outdoor play in EYFS children, and mixing learning and outdoor play can provide varied and engaging opportunities for children to develop their skillset. 

This is particularly true when it comes to supporting mathematical development. The natural environment is full of items of different shapes, sizes, weights, and patterns, all of which can be used to help teach mathematical concepts and skills.

Children also have a natural interest in exploration which lends itself well to outdoor learning. Encouraging explorative play will allow children to find and use natural materials that can teach them about shapes, symmetry, quantity, weight, and volume in a way that feeds their curiosity.

Ultimately, though, it is important to create an environment where children feel confident enough to share their ideas, have a go at things, and not be afraid to make mistakes. This is what will encourage children to engage with outdoor learning and the development of their mathematical skills and problem-solving abilities.  

8 EYFS Outdoor Maths Ideas

Counting Games

Playing counting games with EYFS children is a fun way to encourage children to practice their basic counting skills. Games like ‘Hide and Seek’ and ‘What time is it Mr. Wolf?’ have an element of counting built in, and also allows you to model good counting practices for the children to copy. 

These games are also really versatile and can be played in any outdoor space big enough, though you can use playground markings, like Sovereign Play’s Mr Wolf playground graphic, to add a visual level of support to the game.

Interacting With Number Lines

Creating and interacting with number lines can help teach children how to count forwards and backwards. Games like hopscotch are a great, active way to get children to practice their counting skills. 

Hopscotch grids can easily be drawn onto concrete with chalk, or you could opt to install a more permanent fixture for your playground. Whether you prefer a classic hopscotch outline or something a bit different like ladybird hopscotch or rocket hopscotch, there are markings available to suit any playground aesthetic!   

Throwing Games

Playing throwing games can also help children practice their addition and subtraction. Encourage children to throw balls and beanbags at a target and keep track of their scores. Scores can either be counted up from 0, or subtracted down from an initial starting number. 

You can DIY targets by drawing on concrete with chalk or setting up hula hoops of different sizes or colours. Alternatively, you could add a permanent number target graphic or dartboard to your playground.    

Measuring Objects

Natural materials come in all shapes and sizes. Engaging with the outdoors provides a perfect opportunity to encourage children to learn more about measurements. 

Encourage children to collect different natural items and order them by size, weight, and shape, asking them to think about their items in relation to other items. 

You can even use standard measuring equipment like rulers or install activity panels that help take exact measurements. For example, Sovereign Play’s Oscar the Ostrich height panel can help children compare how tall they are, and our sunflower height panel can be used to measure the height of plants and other structures. 

Toppling Towers

Children enjoy being creative so tasking them with building the tallest, most stable tower can be an exciting way for children to learn more about structure and stability. You can use logs, flat stones, foam play bricks, or wooden building block sets to build towers. 

For an extra bit of fun, allow your children to safely knock over their tower once you’re done! 

Water Tables

Water tables offer a great opportunity for children to learn about volume in a practical way. Provide your children with containers of different shapes and sizes and get them to fill them with water. Ask them questions to make them think about volume – for example, how many smaller containers do they think it would take to fill up a larger container? Which containers will hold the most water, and which will hold the least? 

You can use plastic containers as a make-shift water table, or explore our range of EYFS play equipment for play tables and splish splash tables.    

Mud Pie Kitchen

Encourage your children to make ‘meals’ using natural materials in your very own Mud Pie Kitchen. They can follow made-up recipes created by you, or write their own. 

Not only will this help children flex their creativity, but it will also teach them how to follow and write instructions and get them thinking about concepts like measurements and quantity.

Mark Making

Mark making and recording measurements are important parts of mathematics. Providing your children with opportunities to practice writing down numbers can therefore be beneficial to their mathematical development. 

Use chalk and get children to write out different numbers on concrete, outdoor chalkboards, or other mark making equipment. 

How Can Maths be Included In EYFS Sports Activities? 

There are plenty of ways maths can be included in sports activities. Encouraging counting is one of the simplest ways to do this. You could ask your children to help keep track of any points scored or task them with counting things like the number of laps they complete around a track. 

Other sports activities, like obstacle courses, are also great for teaching children directional and positional language. EYFS physical development equipment offers a versatile and safe way to create obstacle courses that you can then guide your children around using verbal instruction.  

EYFS Outdoor Learning With Sovereign Play 

At Sovereign Play, we have over 30 years of experience in delivering bespoke outdoor playgrounds across different markets, including nurseries and primary schools. We understand how important having a safe, engaging space is for encouraging outdoor learning and teaching children new social, physical, and academic skills. 

Our extensive range of EYFS outdoor play equipment, playground markings, and activity panels means we have everything you need to help transform your playground into your dream space. 

Contact us online or call us on 01702 804200 to find out more about how we can help!

For more information on EYFS Maths Outdoor Ideas talk to Sovereign Design Play Systems Ltd