Let's explore learning numbers in a playful way with these printable number shells! Keep reading to see how we have used them in a sensory play tray.
Learning through play is a fun and easy way to help children learn! We used these printable shell numbers to create a beach themed sensory tray. This sensory tray was not only fun to play with, but supported some number learning 1-10 too!
Adding in numbers to a set up like this is a gentle way to add some exposure to the numerals and allow your child/ren to use them in their play if they wish. They may come up with many different ways to use them in their play, or they might not want to include them at this stage. Following their lead is key!
These printable shells could also be set up to be used for hands on learning activities that are more structured, or used as part of a provocation to explore numbers in the classroom.
*Important - All play was supervised. Play ideas for ages 3+ as they use small parts.
Some ideas for using the printable numbers 1-20 on shells:
Sand play - add to a small tray of sand, a sandpit or a tuff tray filled with sand
Hide the numbers - for a fun hide and seek activity. Print out an extra copy of the shells and leave as a whole sheet for children to match number shells to as they find them.
Count the gems to match the number on the shells.
Beach Themed Sensory Play Tray
A fun way to explore numbers to 10 & a range of resources using this sand tray.
We used:
Inspire My Play PlayTRAY
Kinetic sand
Shells
Gemstones - Bunnings
Ocean rollers - Yellow Door
Seashells numbers printable
Book - Australian Animals from beach to bush by Brentos (Brent Turner) 2023. This is a beautiful book that explores different Australian habitats and the animals that live there in a seek and find style book. It also talks about the conservation status of each of the animals and how we can help them. Miss 4 turned the book to the ocean page for this play set up.
Allow your child/ren to explore and play how they wish.
We used this tray in a few different ways. First Miss 4 asked me to hide the number shells in the sand for her to find. Then we counted them together and put them in order from 1-10. We then added in some turtles and Miss 4 made a small world for them.
Adding some animal figurines from the tray to start with would have been the only thing that I would have changed with this set up.
How to get the Free Printable Numbers 1-20 Shells
These printable numbers 1-20 on shells can be downloaded now in the VIP Free Playful Library, which can also be found on the main menu.
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Thank you for reading this blog post!
I hope you found some inspiration for learning numbers 1-20 in a playful way. I'm sure you can come up with some great ideas for using these shell numbers to support learning.
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Until next time, have fun learning in a playful way!
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