What you need:

● Egg box
● 20 counters (10 in one colour, 10 in another)
● Scissors
● Coloured card
● Felt pen

Step 1: Cut out your eggbox

We found an eggbox with 10 holes but if you only have one with 12 holes then simply cut away two of the holes.

Trim the edges of your egg box to make it nice and neat

Step 2: Place counters in little containers

Count out 10 counters of one colour and place in a small bowl and 10 of a different colour in another bowl.

You can use anything for your counters.

We used some pretty wooden shapes that we had in the craft box but you could use buttons, lego, pebbles or whatever other small objects your child may choose.

Step 3: Number bond fun

Ask your child to place a certain number of a coloured counter into the egg box. For example you could ask them to place 3 counters of one colour in the box. One in each hole.

Then ask them to count out how many more of the other coloured counters they need to fill their box, and make 10.

Through putting the counters in and counting them your child will begin to see the various combinations of numbers that go together to make 10 in a clear and visual way.

You can guide their play by helping them count up the counters of each colour and saying the sum they have made, e.g. 3 and 7 makes 10 or 3+7=10.

You can extend the activity by asking your child to write down all the sums they make that all add up to 10.

The number bonds to 10 that your child will be learning through this activity are:

0+10=10
1+9=10
2+8=10
3+7=10
4+6=10
5+5=10
6+4=10
7+3=10
8+2=10
9+1=10
10+0=10

Number bonds extension activity

Cut small squares of card and write numbers from 0-10 on them.

Make squares for a + and = sign and one that has a ? symbol.

You can then use these cards to set out sums for your child to solve, using the counters and the egg box.

For example you might ask them to find the missing number in the sum 3+?=10.