The annual Numberwalk around Cambridge

The sun was shining on Madingley, City and Dame Bradbury’s Reception classes as they joined together for the annual Numberwalk to search for numbers and shapes on the streets, cars, buildings and signs around Dame Bradbury’s. The children used iPads to photograph their finds, noting that numbers are used in a variety of ways: for weight, prices, time, speed limits and phone numbers, as well as on registration plates. Children could be heard spotting odd and even, one, two and three digit numbers and using everyday language to talk about size, weight, distance and time. They also spotted shapes everywhere!

Patterns on manhole covers, shapes in decorative tiled walks, and even the rectangular wood of the park bench were all identified and photographed. The children practised using mathematical vocabulary, talking about the number of digits in numbers, whether they are odd or even numbers and even competed to find the biggest numbers; they also enjoyed identifying 2D and 3D shapes and describing the properties of shapes. They - and our volunteers - discovered that Maths really is everywhere!