Enjoy some playful maths activities with this salt tray and gem pattern making provocation! So simple and low cost, with plenty of opportunities for extending the learning and being creative too!
I set out an Invitation to Play and create with two simple materials; fine salt and flat, colourful, glass gems. I found these beautiful gems on Amazon and they have already loved playing with them lots of times as they’re highly tactile and so brightly coloured. They will be great for many open-ended play and learning activities. The tray is a party platter from the supermarket (and we use it for lots of sorting activities!)
Miss 6 used the tray to make simple lines of repeating patterns as she is very into pattern making at the moment. We then talked about symmetrical patterns and she made some using a vertical line of symmetry, while we practised language such as rotation and mirror images.
Miss 4 enjoyed sorting the gems into colours and then lining them up into rows, as well as simply placing them into the tray and counting them.
There were plenty of opportunities for talking about how many shapes we could find and if there were mrs of one colour or another in the mixture. This could be a nice jump off point for counting in groups of numbers, adding small amounts together or copying simple patterns in rows below (to name just a few possibilities!)
Miss 2 loved the tactile nature of the materials and spent time raking her fingertips through the surface of the salt and creating marks and patterns. She moved the gems one by one into the tray and enjoyed putting them into the salt and picking them out again.
We will be getting these out again to use in various play provocations and sensory play trays, as well as using them for a loose material for coining and sorting in a maths area.
What they are learning as they play:
maths: counting using 1:1 correspondence, sorting by one criteria, making simple repeating patterns, creating symmetrical patterns, mathematical vocabulary
physical: fine motor skills and coordination, pincer grasp, transferring
creativity: making pictures and patterns
See all of our other Playful and Creative Maths ideas here.
See our many other uses for Sensory Salt trays here.
[This post contains an Amazon affiliate link for your convenience.]
I can’t seem to find the gems on Amazon, would you happen to still have the link to them? Thanks.
My thoughts exactly! Do you have a link please Anna? 🙂
same here – would really appreciate a link as the only ones I can find are too tiny (and for nail art)
Thank you for the lovely blog by the way – i am a log time lurker and always find it really inspirational!
I would love the link to the gems as well. I looked and couldn’t find these triangular shapes. Also the salt trays you used. Did you get those on Amazon as well? Thank you so much for your blog! Lots of neat ideas!
I love this, my two tots would be in heaven. Although maybe MM might eat a few. lol But what a creative activity. I love that you are always sharing great sensory activities and things to do with the young ones. So creative. Kids really do love playing with things like this. Did you get the salt trays from Amazon too! I really need to start doing more of this now that my youngest is older. Great post hun.
I would also be interested in a link for the gems & the tray. Thanks!
I would love the link as well 🙂 I have round gems, but it would be nice to have these as part of our collection.
Just found them on amazon, they are called crystal glass mosaic tile shapes rainbow mix.
Very pretty and versatile!
Thanks Anna
Thank you Sam! I am going to look them up now! Did you happen to find the trays?
Sam,
I just looked on Amazon. Nothing came up under that search. Is that the exact name they are called? What Department are they in?
I still can’t find them …:(
9
Link to the item on Amazon.UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crystal-Glass-Mosaic-Shapes-Rainbox/dp/B00585JYPE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411054668&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=crystal+glass+mosaic+tile+shapes+rainbow+mix.
Yes, a link for the gems would be greatly appreciated. I couldn’t find anything either.
Would love a link! I can’t find them either.
Hey ladies – Just thought I’d let you know… Anna lives in the UK and I’m assuming most of you are from the US. The tiles that she has are only available in the UK from a place called Hobby Island Mosaics. They are cheap enough but cost and arm and a leg to send to the states. I’ve looked everywhere for them in the states but to no avail. If anyone finds them let us know!
Try searching amazon uk. I found them there. 🙂
Sorry ladies, I’m in the uk and assumed everyone else was!!! It was amazon.co.uk and shipping is a nightmare! Sorry
Well, Boo! I was really wanting them. I will keep my eyes open and definitely let everyone know if I find anything similar.
Colleen
I love those gems Anna! How well do they work for rotating! I never seen these triangular gems – adding some to my shopping list I think. Thanks for sharing your find 🙂
Does anyone know where to get the trays? Thanks Anna for so many inspiring ideas…
Another great idea. Thank you again. Just out of interest, do you provide 3 sets of this activity or just one?
Good news folks……found a tray very like the one in the pics in sainsburys today it’s called a snack tray.
Hope that’s helpful.
E xxxx
Found the same seller on ebay.co.uk- will post worldwide- maybe cheaper?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Crystal-Glass-mosaic-Tiles-Shapes-Various-/251355920151?pt=UK_Crafts_Mosaic_Tiles_MJ&var=550291667803&hash=item3a85faf717
it is critical that your items of gear may include most commonly some of the colors of ebony, off white, blue additionally vibrant.
maintained the american not too joined struggle who have iraq, its cost at this time would discuss no more than $2.50 a gallon or $50 lens barrel mabey $60 a.
i’m a sucker for physical.
Thanks a lot for sharing this with all of us you actually know what you’re speaking about! Bookmarked. Please additionally discuss with my site =). We will have a link exchange agreement among us