10 Ways to Use an Outdoor Numberline

So I know I usually post about food, but this week's weather has been so divine that I have been more occupied with teaching toddlers than feeding them! We have planted seeds, read books about gardening from the local library, and charted our 5 senses on a graphic organizer. It's amazing how observant children are of the world around them if we'd only pause to ask what they see, smell, hear, and feel! After turning our kitchen garden into a "search and rescue" site for his cars, O dictated:

I smell dirt.

Isn't that one of the best scents of spring?! Fresh earth, worked with a trowel. Fragrant. What was old and decayed all winter now teeming with nutrients to birth new life! But I digress.

When we use the great outdoors for our classroom, I find it natural to incorporate science, reading, language, and even social studies concepts into our experience. But -not innately being a "math person"- I have to draw deep on my teaching training to invent ways play at math outside. This week we built a very simple outdoor number line! Far too often, children find math boring because it is confined to pencil and paper. In my experience with early education students, math should be kinesthetic! Math should be tactile and concrete for the best results.

So, first things first, how do you build an outdoor number line? Here are several easy and inexpensive ways:

1. Start at zero. Ok. So not technically a "way" (that's coming) to make a number line. But it's a very important tip! When I taught first grade, one of the most common errors students made while using a number line was to start at 1 instead of 0 when counting, leading to all their answers being off by a single digit. Make sure your number line starts at zero. The concept of "something" (a numeral) representing "nothing" can be a surprisingly challenging concept for toddlers especially. Try numbering paper cups or little buckets 0-10 to use as your number line. Then either fill them yourself or give your child objects such as craft sticks or rocks to fill each one with the correct amount. This will help him visualize "zero".
2. Use chalk. Don't have a yard? No problem! Just draw a quick number line on your driveway or sidewalk.
3. Line up paper plates. If you want something very inexpensive but that can be set up and cleaned faster than drawing and washing chalk, try a paper plate number line. Be sure to purchase a heavy duty "cardboard" textured plates if you want them to stand up to multiple uses. Simple write the numbers on them with markers, set them out, and get started.
4. Invest in paving stones. Build a more permanent fixture in your yard using stone pavers or tiles. You can paint the numbers on, or draw with chalk if you'd like the pavers to have dual decorative and utilitarian purpose.
5. Repurpose a clothesline. Use a clothesline (or string) and clothes pins to create a sorting number line that children can build and rebuild. You can be fancy and laminate decorative numbers to clip along the line, or you can just write 0-10 on index cards and call it a day! See The Preschool Toolbox for ideas.

Now that you've built your number line, how do you use it? Here's the fun part :)

1. Free play. Unstructured play is one of the most important learning activities a young child can engage in. Simple set up an inviting outdoor number line and sit back to see if and how your child will use it. There is no "wrong way" here. 
2. Counting. Practice counting from 1-10 aloud while hoping along the number line. If this seems boring, try:
1. Stomping like a dinosaur
2. Tiptoeing like a mouse
3. Hopping on one foot like a flamingo
3. Counting backwards. It's not just for rocket ships blasting off. Counting backwards is an important foundation for subtraction.
4. Skip counting. Use giant kangaroo jumps to practice skip counting. With a number line I would just model counting by two's (landing on every other number). 
5. Odd and Even. While skip counting, take the opportunity to discuss odd and even numbers.
1. Zero, two, four, six, eight. Johnny's jumping's really great!
2. One, three, five, seven, nine. Jimmy's hopping in a line!
6. Sequence/sorting. This works best if you are using paper plates or a clothesline and pins to create your number line. Give your child the numbers 0-10 (or 0-5 for an easier modification) and have them sort them sequentially to build the number line on their own. 
7. Missing number. This is another sequence activity. The numbers are playing hide and seek! While your child covers their eyes (and counts to 10 ;) ) remove/cover one of the numbers on the number line (leaving its "spot" open) and ask your child to discover which number is missing.
8. Addition.  Here are a few models of how I would phrase addition problems on a life-sized number line:
1. Equation: 2 + 2 = 4 (can verbalize and/or write with chalk)
2. Model: Hmmm... Two plus two. I want to know what two hops and two more hops is. Here is the two. What is two more? Let me take two more hops. One. Two. Oh look! I am standing on the the number four! Two and two (more) is four. Two plus two equals four!
3. Acting out: Adam, can you use the number line to find out what 2 hops plus 2 more hops is? Etc.
4. Story problems: Jeff the Giraffe took 2 wobbly giraffe steps. Then he decided to take two more wobbly giraffe steps. How many steps did Jeff take?
9. Subtraction. See addition.
10. Writing. Take this opportunity to practice writing the numerals.
1. Hard: Write or paint (depending on the style of number line you use) the actual numbers for the line.
2. Moderate: Trace the prewritten numbers on the number line with chalk.
3. Easy: Explore one number by tracing its shape with pebbles or other small objects.