A project about size can be exciting and stimulating for children when linked to favourite stories and real experiences, such as trying to squeeze inside large cardboard boxes!
Adult-led activities
Giant step
Giant Hiccups is a wonderful, multicultural book, which takes a new look at traditional tales of giants and makes a good starting point for a project on size.
Key learning intentions
Communication, language and literacy: To show an understanding of the sequence of events in stories
Communication, language and literacy: To listen with enjoyment and respond to a story
Personal, social and emotional development: To begin to understand their own needs, and those of other people
Adult:child ratio 1:up to 8
Resources
* Giant Hiccups by Jacqui Farley (Tamarind, 4.25) * posters and books about giants * posters and books about size (showing small, medium and large) * dressing-up clothes * vegetables of various sizes
Preparation
* Place the resources to support the story in a labelled box.
* Set up a stimulating interactive display to support the story, including the book, props and posters.
* Present the assortment of vegetables in an attractive wicker basket.
Activity content
* At story group time, show the children the cover of the book, and ask them to predict what the story might be about.
* Talk about and name the characters.
* Read the story to the children, encouraging them to join in with the sound effects - hiccup!
* Support the children retelling the story using picture clues from the book.
* Discuss, name and describe the vegetables.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Giant, huge, small, enormous, trembled, gigantic, shuddered, disturbance, apology, pedestal, scramble, earthquake.
Questions to ask
Would you be scared if you met a giant? Were the villagers scared of the giant? Can you make a loud hiccup sound?
Extension ideas
* Plan opportunities for the children to retell the story independently, using the story props from the group storytime.
* Provide magnetic props of the main characters and a magnetic board for the children to use to retell the story.
* Introduce a story box about giants, using a shoe box, small world people and props.
* Make a version of the book with the children's own words and pictures.
* Make a display with pictures of the giant and speech bubbles containing the children's own suggestions for words that mean 'huge'.
* Play a game of 'follow-the-leader' with giant strides and tiny pixie steps.
Washing lines
Wash and sort socks
Key learning intentions
Mathematical development: To use language such as 'bigger' and 'smaller' to compare quantities
Mathematical development: To use everyday words to describe position
Physical development: To handle a range of equipment with increasing confidence
Adult:child ratio 1:up to 8
Resources
* Washing line * pairs of socks in various sizes * laundry baskets * water tray with warm soapy water * buckets with clean water * wooden clothes pegs
Preparation
* Hang the washing line outdoors at child height and in a place away from 'through traffic' such as wheeled toys.
Activity content
* Discuss the contents of the laundry basket and the size of the socks.
* Talk about washing and rinsing the socks and make links with washing clothes at home or at the launderette.
* Encourage the children to work co-operatively, washing the socks and then sorting them into identical pairs.
* With the children, order the pairs of socks by size, pegging them on the line.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Pair, small, smaller, smallest, big, bigger, biggest, order: first, second, third, next, last, next to
Questions to ask
Who do you think these socks belong to? Would these socks fit your feet? Are they too big, too small or just right? Which pair is the biggest?
Extension ideas
* Provide washing activities as part of everyday water play.
* Provide a washing line in the home corner and encourage the children to order clothes by size.
* Provide dolls and dolls' clothes in various sizes as a matching activity.
* Add a washing line and tiny pegs to the doll's house as a stimulus for imaginative play.
* Use the Higgledy Piggledy cardboard socks for a similar activity, or make pairs of cardboard socks with different patterns and sizes (see Resources).
Child-initiated learning
Creative workshop
Additional resources
* Square and rectangular wooden blocks in assorted sizes * round objects in assorted sizes, such as round blocks, cotton reels, potato halves, carrots with their tops sliced off * ready-mixed paints in a variety of colours, in shallow trays * sugar paper in various sizes * small display including books about size
Possible learning experiences
* Exploring the materials, objects and paint.
* Noticing similarities and differences.
* Making connections between objects that are the same shape, but different sizes.
* Continuing, repeating and creating simple patterns.
* Using mathematical language to describe shape, size and position.
* Discussing the shape and size of the objects.
* Developing fine motor skills by dipping the objects into the paint and making prints on paper.
* Creating 2D designs using the printing materials.
The practitioner role
* Ensure that the area looks interesting and stimulates children's interest.
* Introduce and reinforce the use of mathematical vocabulary.
* Ask questions about the patterns.
* Support children's conversations, extending ideas.
* Encourage children to find 'sets' of objects that have the same property, such as small.
* Promote children's autonomy through independent use of materials and tools.
Role play
Additional resources
* Usual home corner furniture with some 'huge' objects added such as a giant pencil, mug and plate, salad serving spoons, serving plates and bowls, large Wellington boots, shoes and socks * a giant's family photo album * wig, giant glasses, 'false teeth', huge 'gold' coins and assorted 'giant' dressing up clothes * giant letter * Jim and the Beanstalk by Raymond Briggs (Puffin, 4.99)
Possible learning experiences
* Using language to recreate roles.
* Using imagination in role play.
* Becoming more familiar with stories about giants.
* Using mathematical language about size.
* 'Reading' the letter from the giant.
* Writing responses to the giant.
The practitioner role
* Create a role play area based on traditional stories about giants.
* Make the area more stimulating by including lots of 'giant' resources.
* Read out the letter from the giant.
* Model the use of literary vocabulary from the traditional stories, using phrases such as 'once upon a time'.
* Act in role, introducing significant events into the play and following the sequence of the stories - beginning, middle and end.
* Support the children in the development of their creative role play.
* Introduce and use mathematical and comparative language by comparing the size of furniture, bowls, spoons etc.
Dry sand play
Additional resources
* Assorted jugs and bowls * assorted tea, dessert, wooden and serving spoons * number chart with picture clues
Possible learning experiences
* Making connections between the sand play provision and events in their home lives.
* Predicting the number of spoonfuls of sand to fill a container and then counting to confirm.
* Refining fine motor skills when moving sand from one container to another using a spoon.
* Developing imaginative play by recreating roles such as preparing food.
* Using mathematical language to compare sizes.
The practitioner role
* Encourage the children to predict by asking open-ended questions such as, 'How many big spoons of sand do you think it will take to fill the biggest jug?'
* Ask questions about the purpose and size of the spoons, such as, 'Which spoon would you use to eat a yoghurt?'
* Introduce and reinforce number names.
* Encourage children to recognise and name numerals.
Outdoors/carpet area
Additional resources
* A4 laminated cards with pictures of a huge dinosaur or small chicken on each * washing line and clothes pegs
Possible learning experiences
* Developing gross motor skills by exploring different ways of moving.
* Creating patterns with A4 cards.
* Matching the patterns from the cards with movement patterns.
* Experiencing the difference between 'huge' and 'tiny' movements.
* Giving and following instructions.
The practitioner role
* Hang the laminated cards in a pattern, for example two dinosaurs, one chicken, two dinosaurs, one chicken and verbalise the instructions.
* Model a sequence of movements to reflect the pattern on the cards, for example, take two huge dinosaur strides, one tiny chicken step, two dinosaur strides, one tiny chicken step.
* Encourage the children to create their own patterns.
Outdoors/carpet area
Additional resources
* Cardboard boxes for children to fit inside * pieces of fabric
Possible learning experiences
* Using the resources to construct dens.
* Predicting if one, or more children, can fit inside a cardboard box, or hide under a piece of fabric.
* Developing imaginative role play about hiding.
* Describing the size of the boxes and fabric pieces.
The practitioner role
* Reinforce the use of the rhyme 'Jack in a box, Jack in a box, open the lid and up he pops!'
* Encourage the children to work co-operatively to build dens, hide in boxes or under fabric.
* Introduce and reinforce the use of the comparative mathematical language.
Maths area
Additional resources
* Boxes or cases in three sizes * linking elephants in three sizes or other sorting equipment in three sizes * pattern cards for the linking elephants, or place elephants on a photocopier to form outlines of patterns (see Resources)
Possible learning experiences/activities
* Making sets of elephants of the same size.
* Matching elephants by size.
* Developing fine motor skills when fixing the elephants together.
* Continuing, repeating and creating patterns using elephants of different sizes and colours.
* Estimating and then counting the number of elephants that fit into the boxes/cases.
The practitioner role
* Introduce and reinforce mathematical language comparing size, such as small/er/est and big/ger/gest.
* Help children to match the smallest elephant to the smallest box/case.
Judith Stevens is an early years adviser, Lewisham Education
Resources
* Round stacking boxes (IKEA, 2.99), three round boxes (9.99), five pastel suitcases (14.99), three suitcases (spotted, starred and checked, 9.99), five Russian nesting dolls (7.99), from Letterbox Toys, tel: 0870 6007878, www.letterbox.co.uk.
* Linking elephants (set of 120 in six colours, 29.95), linking elephant activity cards (24 cards, 19.95), linking elephants pattern cards (24 cards, 9.99), linking elephants activity mat (16.95), Higgledy Piggledy Street Socks on a line (23 pairs of socks, 24.95), from Hope, tel: 08451 20 20 55.
* My First Books - Are elephants tiny? (Dorling Kindersley, 4.99).
* Sizes (Dorling Kindersley, lift-the-flap board book 4.99)
* Once There Were Giants by Martin Waddell (Walker Books, 4.99).
* Giant Hiccups by Jacqui Farley (Tamarind Books, 4.25).
* Jim and the Beanstalk by Raymond Briggs (Puffin, 4.99).