Maths through snack time: the ten minutes a day you're already spending

Six questions that turn snack into maths

1. 1‘Count your crackers onto the plate.’ (one-to-one)
2. 2‘Eat one. How many now?’ (subtraction)
3. 3‘Who has more? How do you know?’ (comparing)
4. 4‘Can you break it in half? Are the halves the same?’ (fractions, fairness)
5. 5‘What shape is your plate? Your napkin? Your cheese?’ (shapes)
6. 6‘Line up your grapes biggest to smallest.’ (ordering)

Rules

• One question a day, not six.
• Numbers to five for threes, to ten for fours.
• Let children pour and serve — that's measurement.
• Never make eating wait for maths.

The photo

A finger on each cracker, tagged ‘Counting’. Parents who think maths starts with sums see a five-year-old do subtraction with a snack. More at preschool maths activities.