The Great Sensory Egg Sort: Counting and Sorting Maths Activity for Easter

This play-based maths activity invites children to hunt for eggs hidden in a sensory tray. It is a fantastic, budget-friendly way to develop early number sense and fine motor skills while tying into the excitement of an Easter egg hunt.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Prepare the Eggs

Cut egg shapes from recycled delivery boxes. Draw clear dot patterns on some and numerals on others. Tip: Make enough eggs so several children can play at once without frustration.

2. Set Up the Tuff Tray

Fill a tuff tray with a cheap sensory base like shredded paper (or dried oats). Hide the cardboard eggs thoroughly. Place sorting bowls or baskets labelled with numbers around the edge.

3. Introduce the Challenge

Gather the children and explain the Easter bunny dropped some mixed-up eggs. Ask: 'Can you help sort them out?' Demonstrate finding an egg and placing it in the matching numbered basket.

4. Explore and Sort

Let the children dig in. Encourage them to use their pincer grip to pick up the eggs. Prompt them as they play: 'How many dots are on that egg? Which basket does the number 4 go in?'

5. Extend the Play

Add tongs or tweezers for an extra fine motor challenge. You can also hide a few 'golden eggs' (painted yellow) that represent a special number bond or a zero to spark new conversations.

Classroom Adaptations

Large class?

Set this up as a continuous provision station for 4-5 children to access independently throughout the week.

Limited resources?

Use leaves or smooth pebbles instead of cardboard eggs, writing numbers on them with chalk.

EAL learners?

Provide visual number lines nearby and model counting on your fingers as you sort.

High ability?

Challenge them to find two eggs that add up to 5, or introduce simple subtraction scenarios.