Early Maths
Apr 10, 2026
Scandinavians don’t teach early maths the way many of us do…
And I think they’ve got this one right.
They don’t rush 3, 4 and 5 year olds into sitting down to “do maths”.
Instead, they make maths relevant, meaningful and rooted in real life.
It unfolds through:
play movement nature everyday routines real experiences
So rather than constantly asking children to count on demand, record numbers or complete adult-led tasks…
they might be:
counting pinecones
pouring and measuring
comparing stick lengths
noticing whose boots are bigger
sharing snack
baking and making food together
spotting patterns in nature
ordering loose parts by size, length or shape
counting jumps, steps and turnsBecause before a child can truly understand the number 5…
they need to experience 5 in a way that actually means something to them.
5 stones.
5 jumps.
5 spoonfuls.
5 footsteps.
That’s what makes maths stick.
It’s not abstract.
It’s not disconnected.
It’s part of their world.
And that’s the bit we often rush.
We want children to record maths
before they’ve had enough time to actually live it.
That’s why so much of early maths should feel like:
exploring noticing comparing ordering building moving talking playingNot just sitting.
Not just worksheets.
Not just “come and do your maths”.
Because some of the richest mathematical thinking is already happening in play…
if we’re willing to slow down enough to notice it.
If this resonates, this is exactly the kind of thinking I go deeper into inside my Hygge in the Early Years™ approach.Have you tried my FREE Introduction to Hygge Training yet?
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