Learning with paper plates

Ideas for using paper plates for numeracy and literacy

Many of us have a discarded pack of paper plates at home that we have never got round to using. The good news is that paper plates are a really good teaching resource.

In this video, LEYF teacher, Ricky, is going to show us two simple activities that you can do at home with your pre-school child, with a focus on numeracy and literacy.

You will need:

• paper plates
• scissors

What to do

The first activity is to cut two (or more) paper plates in half. Cut them in slightly different ways to help children understand what fits and what doesn’t. Add numbers to the different pieces of the plate, so that children can match the numbers, as well as the shapes.

Learning and development

To help early literacy, cut your plates into three, four or five pieces. Mark each piece of plate with a different letter, to help children begin to understand word blends. Knowing that the pieces all fit together as one will help the child understand that they have made a word.