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National Numeracy Day 2024 Early Years & Primary

Welcome to the toolkit for Early Years & Primary

Thank you for taking part in National Numeracy Day on Wednesday 22 May!

With your support, we can help more children than ever build their skills and confidence with numbers.

NN Day 2023 logo

First things first!

To get the most out of your toolkit, please read our handy Campaign Guide. It contains information about our National Numeracy Day activities and the different ways you can get involved.

Get campaign guide

Guide cover

To help your planning:

Posters

Use these posters around your nursery, school or youth group to get everyone talking about National Numeracy Day and the Number Heroes Competition.

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Bunting

Download and print this bunting to decorate your school spaces or community areas, and get in the National Numeracy Day spirit.

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Smartboard displays

Use these smartboard displays around your nursery, school or youth group to get everyone talking about National Numeracy Day and the Number Heroes Competition.

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National Numeracy Day Live – supported by Numberblocks

Catch up on National Numeracy Day LIVE: our interactive, space-themed, celebrity-led livestream!

Supported by CBeebies Numberblocks, the event is suitable for all children aged 3-11.

Image showing Bobby and Katya

Number Heroes Competition

Create a picture of you doing your dream job or hobby and tell us how it uses numbers. Let your imagination run wild and win a fantastic prize for yourself and a prize bundle for your nursery, school or youth group.

The 2024 competition has now closed. Winners will be contacted on or before 25 June 2024, and runners-up will be contacted on or before 3 July 2024.

Celebrity ambassador activities

Poetry slam with Harry Baker and Numbots

Our master poet Harry visited Parbold Douglas Academy in Wigan to roll out his activity this year. What a day they had!

Watch the video, and download the resource pack for tips on how to create your own, teacher guidance, and certificates for participation!

Download the NumBots resource pack (KS1)

Download the Times Tables Rock Stars resource pack (KS2)

Dance with Strictly's Katya Jones

Strictly Come Dancing’s star Katya Jones is helping get the nation get number confident with some cowboy swagger! This activity helps boost children's number confidence using movement, and there’s nothing to stop the grown-ups joining in too!

Get baking with Peter Sawkins

Bake Off winner Peter Sawkins has created a recipe for the perfect scone! Don't fight over how to pronounce these delicious things, just get baking by using the download button below. You can also watch his video introduction on YouTube

peter

Money activities from Mr MoneyJar

Finance expert and podcaster Timi Merriman-Johnson, aka Mr MoneyJar, has created a set of resources to help children learn about savings, in a fun and imaginative way. It’s not about having lots of money, but about learning to use what you do have wisely – a subject dear to Timi’s heart.

Number confidence tips for children from Rachel Riley

Countdown's resident arithmetician shares four fantastic tips that anyone can use to build their confidence with math and numbers. It's not always easy to get the hang of maths at school and that's where remembering these tips comes in handy.

Fun with the Numberblocks!

We've got a host of space themed activities here to celebrate our space themed National Numeracy Day LIVE event

They're aimed at children aged 3-6 years old and there is a range of difficulty levels.

You can also learn how to build a rocket with Bobby and do Katya's dance with Numberblock One!

Space activities levels 1 and 2

Start by loading some aliens into their space ships! 

Then try this Numberblocks version of Tetris. 

Level 1 to 2

Level 3

The terrible twos are causing havoc, can you sort things out? 

Then help some aliens pay the right money for their rocket rides.

level 3

Level 4

The rectangles are having a relay race in space. Find the right ones to zoom along the rays. 

level 4

Level 5

Find the square Numberblocks and help Numberblock One get to the moon.

level 5

NumBots Bot Bingo!

Bot Bingo is a fun, interactive, downloadable game from Maths Circle that can be played in the classroom.

Who will be the first to call "BOT BINGO!"?

Bot Bingo is a fun and engaging way for students to build core maths skills starting from the basics with subitising. Subitising is the ability to recognise small quantities of objects without counting. With Bot Bingo, as well as subitising, numbers are shown in familiar pictorial representations, including bar models and cherries. Students need to recognise the number and find it on their Bot Bingo card. Suitable from age 5 to 95!

Download game

NumBots Bot Bingo

For adults:

Promoting the National Numeracy Challenge

The National Numeracy Challenge is an online tool that builds numeracy skills and confidence, with 300+ everyday maths questions and tutorials, multimedia resources, technology that adapts to individual learning levels and signposting to further support.

The Challenge is the perfect way to boost the number confidence of anyone over the age of 13, all year round, and is a great next step after you have had a Big Number Natter.

Instagram image to promote the National Numeracy Challenge

Your Big Number Natter resources

Everything you need to plan your Big Number Natter: 

Plan your session

Get started planning your Big Number Natter sessions with these notes for organisers. Then get stuck in to all the other resources.

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Big Number Natter posters

Use these editable posters to promote your sessions.

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Your Number Natter Slides

Hold a 15-30 minute session using these slides, provided with presenter notes.

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Quick Number Natter talking points

Use these ideas to spark a less formal conversation about numbers.

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Ideas for Number Nattering on social media

Use these ideas to encourage everyone to follow up on your session with some social media ideas for individual Number Natters.

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Tips for talking about numbers

Training Officer Ishraq Li-Rahman held a Number Natter with National Numeracy's own staff, and here shares his learnings and advice for holding your own.

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Be sure to tag us in any social media activity and use #NationalNumeracyDay and #BigNumberNatter so we can see and share what you're up to! You can find us on: