Alice, from Yorkshire, sent in this great idea. Let’s take a look at it…

What did you do?

Learning to count in 2s is an important skill for little ones to master. Counting in 2s, or repeated addition, is the basis for understanding multiplication.
It also allows children to count larger groups of objects at greater speed which is useful for mental calculations and working out calculations in our day to day lives. For this activity I drew a space scene in the lid of an egg box and added 24 sparkly stars.
I then wrote multiples of 2, from 2 to 24, in each section of the box.
The challenge was to count in 2s to work out the total number of stars.

My daughter loved this counting challenge, especially the added Space element. We did the activity several times to really familiarise her with the rhythm of the numbers.
Little ones will need lots of practise to learn to confidently count in 2s. Incorporating this type of counting into children’s everyday lives is a great way to get them confident and familiar with it.

Tell the Housebound With Kids community a bit about yourself…

I’m Alice. I used to be a primary school teacher and Early Years leader in an inner London school.
I have two children, Imogen who is 4 and Ada who is 1.
I now share learning through play ideas on my Instagram page @raising_red_heads and create videos and blogs for educational sites.

How are you finding being housebound so far?

Being housebound with kids definitely has its ups and downs. Although we have enjoyed spending more time together as a family and embarking on some home schooling.

Do you have any tips for other parents?

We definitely thrive on routine and structure. We have a timetable that we (mostly) stick to Monday – Friday and then are more relaxed at the weekend.

Has this website and community helped you?

Housebound with kids is a fantastic collection of resources and ideas. It’s great for inspiration on those days when you need a little bit of help to keep the kids entertained!