Nursery World - Weight and see

Help children to learn about quantity by exploring the concept of heavy and light, says Lena Engel Area of learning

Area of learning

Mathematical development

Learning intention

Use mathematical language to describe quantity

Young children do not generally become aware of weight until they are asked to help carry items of shopping or a substantial amount of toys - usually heavy objects that they don't want to carry. Exploring ways to compare weight at nursery can, therefore, open up a whole new way of assessing and categorising objects in their environment. Start by introducing simple terms so that the children begin to use the correct language to understand the concept of heavy and light.

What a weight

* Display and label a variety of interesting objects for the children to examine. For light objects, use things such as feathers, wool, balloons, chiffon scarves and bags of cotton wool balls. For heavier objects, try pieces of hard wood, stones, spoons, potatoes, apples and bricks.

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