Families are invited to enjoy a series of fun and engaging maths-based activities during the summer holidays, as part of Essex County Council’s Essex Year of Numbers initiative.
From visiting county parks to exploring the Essex coast, activities will encourage children to balance indoor activities with outdoor games and exploration this summer.
Designed to make learning fun and invite families to embrace the magic of maths in everyday life, the following activities are available free of charge as part of the Essex Year of Numbers initiative:
Summer Magic Trails: (trails run until 1st September)
A magical adventure awaits at a selection of county parks this summer. Children are encouraged to count the fairies, trolls, unicorns, and dragons that are hiding in the secret corners of Essex’s county parks as part of this year’s ‘Summer Magic Trail’. The trail is available at parks including Belhus Woods, Cudmore Grove, Danbury, Great Notley, Thorndon, Weald Country Parks, and Cressing Temple Barns. A free activity sheet is available to collect at the participating sites or to download at home. Find out more here https://www.explore-essex.com/blog/summer-magic.
Read and Count with Me by the Sea (events run until 28th August)
Families are encouraged to join various ‘Read and Count with Me by the Sea’ events planned across the county during the summer holidays. Activity bookbags are available to borrow from all County Parks and selected libraries, encouraging children to spend time outside learning in the fresh air – especially by the seaside! Also available are ‘Read and Count with Me Under a Tree’ activity bookbags, packed with stories and activities that help improve literary and numeracy skills, and inspire a love of nature from an early age. Find out more about Read and Count with Me by the Sea here https://www.tlc-essex.info/tips-and-links/read-and-count-with-me-by-the-sea/ and Read and Count with Me Under a Tree here https://www.explore-essex.com/blog/read-with-me.
Summer Maths Bingo Challenge: (29th July – 30th August)
Participants of all ages can compete for the chance to win exclusive prizes whilst keeping their maths skills sharp through the ‘Summer Maths Bingo Challenge’. Available via the ‘Essex Year of…’ app, children are invited to tackle a variety of maths challenge each day. The app is entirely free to download and offers a wealth of resources, activities and games that are perfect for unexpected rainy days!
For a full list of Essex Year of Numbers activities this summer, visit www.essexyearofnumbers.co.uk.
Building on campaign ambassador Bobby Seagull’s top tips from the ‘Everyday Magic of Maths’ launch earlier this year, Essex County Council is offering the following advice to parents looking for fun and educational ways to entertain their children this summer.
1. Many children enjoy following sport and this summer is the perfect opportunity to get them involved and excited about the Olympics! You’ll often find TV commentators talking about statistics relating to performance, which will help children understand how closely connected maths and sport really is.
2. Summer is all about having picnics and barbecues with your family and friends. Get your children involved with weighing and measuring ingredients to create some delicious recipes from scratch or invite them to look closely at instructions on how to cook things with you.
3. Have you got a summer holiday or day trip in the diary? With distances, times and speeds to consider, it’s the perfect opportunity to get your children involved in the planning stages. Try to get your children to help so they can see the numeracy skills needed to get from A to B!
4. With festival season in full swing and summer events planned across the county, music is everywhere. One of the first ways children learn counting is through rhythm, so it’s a great way to ease them into recognising the patterns and sequences in music that are fundamental to maths.
Councillor Tony Ball, Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Lifelong Learning and Employability at Essex County Council said: “For families in Essex who are looking for free activities to fill the summer holidays, the Essex Year of Numbers initiative offers a huge range of events to keep the whole family entertained and active.
“By weaving maths into adventures and fun activities for children this summer, we’re encouraging a deeper understanding and appreciation for numbers from a very young age.”
Following the success of Essex Year of Reading, the Essex Year of Numbers programme was launched in September 2023. The £1.5M countywide scheme is funding exciting and informative projects throughout the year. The programme also provides children, as well as their teachers, parents and carers, with resources in order to improve their numeracy skills.
