Exploring the outdoors offers endless opportunities for young learners to engage in hands-on, meaningful learning experiences. One exciting activity is using "found treasures" such as shells, rocks, and sea glass to practice math and counting skills with 10-frame worksheets.
A 10-frame worksheet is a simple but powerful visual tool that helps children understand the concepts of numbers and counting. It consists of a grid with two rows of five boxes each, where children place their found treasures to represent numbers up to ten. By filling in the boxes, children can visually see how numbers are composed, which aids in developing their counting skills and understanding of basic addition and subtraction.
To make this activity even more sustainable, I create 10-frame worksheets using recycled packing paper from Amazon deliveries. I save all the brown packing/shipping paper, flatten it out, and cut it to standard a standard size of 8.5 x 11 inches. After printing the 10-frame grid onto the paper, I laminate the sheets for durability, making them perfect for outdoor use and reuse. My goal was to teach children about math, but now I am implementing a little dose of the importance of recycling and reusing materials. With their found treasures and 10-frame worksheets, children can enjoy a fun, eco-friendly way to enhance their early math skills while exploring the wonders of nature.
ABOUT OCEAN STATE KIDS
Ocean State Kids is a nonprofit organization focused on creating outdoor educational programs for young children in Rhode Island. We believe that the world is the best classroom and we strive to create learning experiences to foster a deeper connection to the earth, inspiring a lifelong love for the outdoors. Ocean State Kids is on a mission to build a vibrant community of like-minded families who share our passion for outdoor learning, nature play, creativity, and allowing our selves to grow alongside our children. Ocean State Kids is committed to protecting childhood at all costs—meeting children’s needs without imposing rules, assessments, or societal pressures. We provide a space for a child’s natural sense of wonder and curiosity to flourish.
