aidemia--modules-lessonstartideas_type	Give a creative idea how to begin a lesson
Which subject	Mathematics
What age group	Reception / Kindergarten
What topic	Number
Quantity	1
Any other preferences

Counting Adventures in the Jungle

Lesson Introduction

Objective:

To introduce children to numbers and basic counting using a fun and engaging storyline.

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Welcome to the Jungle!

Teacher: "Good morning, little explorers! Today, we are embarking on an exciting adventure into the jungle to meet some amazing animal friends. But there's a little problem—our friends need help counting! Are you ready to become number explorers?"

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Storytime Setup

1. Gather the Children: Gather the children in a circle around a large mat or a reading corner. Make sure everyone can see you and the visuals you will use.

2. Introduce the Jungle Theme: Use a large picture book or a colourful poster of a jungle scene filled with animals. Point out a few animals and express excitement about meeting them!

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The Adventure Begins!

Teacher: "Once upon a time, deep in the jungle, there lived 5 playful monkeys swinging in the trees. Can you all show me how you would swing like a monkey? Let’s pretend! Swing your arms and make monkey sounds!"

Encourage children to mimic swinging gestures and sounds for a minute to get their energy flowing.

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Counting with the Monkeys

Teacher: "Oh no! One monkey swung too high and got his banana stuck! Now, we only have 4 monkeys left! Let’s count together!"

Use fingers or visuals to show the numbers as you count down. You can help them count as follows:

• "1 Monkey is swinging, 2 Monkeys are swinging, 3 Monkeys are swinging, 4 Monkeys are swinging—let's hug them tight! 5 Monkeys were here, but now there are 4 monkeys!"

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Interactive Counting Activity

Activity: After introducing the monkeys, encourage children to gather around a table where you have pictures or toys of various jungle animals.

1. Animal Sorting: Give each child a small selection of animal toys or images (e.g., elephants, parrots, lions).

2. Count Together: Ask them to count out loud how many of each animal they have.

3. Group Work: In small groups, have the children combine their animals and count the total number together.

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Conclusion

Teacher: "What a fantastic jungle adventure we had today! We learned about numbers while helping our monkey friends. Can you remember how many monkeys we counted? That's right—4 monkeys!"

• Wrap-Up: "Before we end our adventure, let’s sing the monkey counting song together to remember our new number skills!"

End the lesson on a high note with a fun counting song, reinforcing the importance of numbers in a joyful way.

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Remember: This lesson will not only teach them to count but will engage their imagination and enhance their social skills through collaboration!