Currently, we are exploring sorting. This started with a story, Mrs Newman’s muddle, and continued with sorting activities and games. 

We start this problem-solving every day by asking “Are these all the same?” about a collection of objects (see picture).  If a child answers yes they are expected to explain their thinking by saying what is the same. This is the beginnings of mathematical reasoning.  We invite further suggestions from as many children as possible.  If they answer no, the same applies. The problems and challenge cards are carefully prepared to have more than one answer. The children love to find all possibilities.

Of course, this spills out into the child initiated time.  Children have been gathering collections of objects and showing them proudly to a friend or an adult, explaining what is the same and what is different.  This is playful problem-solving at its best.

We highly recommend this as a game for the summer.  Especially suitable for wet days stuck in a caravan (may they be few)!

Additional images show an example of a challenge card and a child's own collection made during child initiated time.