Christmas Challenge Day 1

One Santa’s sleigh – put the presents on Santa’s sleigh

You will need Santa’s sleighs (download and print) and a set of Numicon® shapes. Match the shapes to the spaces on the sleigh.

1. Give children just the shapes they need and let them match them to the spaces on the sleigh.
2. Have a complete set of shapes for children to choose from.
3. When the sleigh is covered, one partner closes their eyes, the other takes away one shape. Which one is missing?
4. For an extra challenge, put the shapes in a feely bag and find the ones you need by touch alone.

Ask:

How many shapes do you need?

Which shape will fit here…..?

Is the shape that goes here big or small? Bigger / smaller than a red one?

Can you take away one shape and put two in its place?

Which shapes are easy to find?

5. Start with the blank sleigh and ask learners to use the Numicon shapes to cover it in any way they can.

How many different ways can you do it? Compare your sleigh with your friend’s. What’s the same and what’s different?

What if…………

You weren’t allowed to use the same shape more than once? How many ways can you do it? Is this more difficult? What are you thinking?

Can you use one shape repeatedly to cover the sleigh? Which shapes will work? Which won’t? Why?

What is the fewest number of shapes you can use? The most?

You use only odd shapes? Only even?

Find more ideas in the Santa’s Sleigh Challenge Booklet