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Maths in Motion

Explore how movement and maths can work together to deepen learning. This toolkit offers easy-to-use activities and ideas that bring the new Maths Curriculum to life through physical education.

Day 2 Wed 20th August

Time - 3.30 pm

Suitable for: anyone

Level: primary - kura tuatahi

Meet Link

Brittany Dimond

Ellen Irish

Stefan Mateariki

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Introduction
Why is movement important?
In, Through and About Movement
Activities
What makes a good active maths activity
Wrap up / Questions

Agenda:

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Introduction: Sport Auckland / Healthy Active Learning

Healthy Active Learning is a joint government initiative between Sport New Zealand, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora. It supports schools and kura to improve the wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi through healthy eating and drinking, and quality physical activity.

As part of Healthy Active Learning, I work alongside schools to build strong relationships and understand their needs, providing tailored support through professional development, co-designing quality learning experiences, and helping create positive physical activity environments that support student wellbeing.

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What do you notice about engagement when movement is part of your lesson?

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How many times do your juniors wiggle during maths time?

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Why is movement in Numeracy important?

Making Maths Tangible

Movement helps children see and feel maths in action.
Jumping along a number line shows “+3” in a real way.
Using bodies to form groups makes multiplication and fractions visible.�Creating shapes and angles with movement turns abstract ideas into something concrete.

Keeping Learners Engaged

Junior students are naturally active. Sitting still for long periods is difficult.
Adding movement keeps the energy positive and focused.
Short bursts of activity help students refocus and stay on task

Building Stronger Connections

Learning through doing makes ideas stick.
Movement strengthens brain connections and supports memory.
Skip counting while hopping makes patterns stick.
Physical actions make learning fun, memorable and meaningful.

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Gill Connell:

Gill Connell is globally recognised presenter and child development authority specialising in the foundations of learning through movement and play. She provides developmental expertise to parents, preschools, schools and companies. Gill’s key message: movement builds the foundations for learning, especially in early years. Quote her idea that “moving is learning”.

	In order to learn, kids’ need to move! Grounded in best practices and current research, this hands-on resource connects the dots that link brain activity, movement, and early learning.
	Moving Smart was designed to help teachers and parents better understand the role movement plays in early childhood development while giving children all they need to move their bodies, build their brains, and develop the foundations they’ll need for a lifetime of learning.
	Webinar: Movement for learning: Q&A with Gill Connell

Link

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Learning in, Through and About Movement:

In movement: Developing physical skills while doing maths (Fundamental Movements)

Example: Students hop along a chalk number line, practising balance and landing skills (PE), while solving addition and subtraction problems (Maths). Example: Throwing bean bags into hoops builds hand- eye coordination (PE), while each hoop represents a number for an equation (Maths).

Through movement: Developing social and personal skills while using movement as the context for maths. Example: in a fractions game, students have to work together (PE) to form groups that show halves or quarters (Maths), practising, teamwork, cooperation, turn taking (PE). Example: Skip counting circle clap game develops rhythm and sequencing (Maths), while encouraging communication and group problem solving (PE)

MOE Statement: ‘By learning in, through and about movement, students gain an understanding that movement is integral to human expression and that it can contribute to people’s pleasure and enhance their lives’ (MOE, 2007, p. 23).

About movement: Understanding the value, purpose and wider meaning of movement. Example: students reflect: “when we moved our bodies into shapes, it helped me see the angles better”. They are learning that movement can support focus, memory, and understanding. Example: Discussing how moving whole counting (e.g. jumping in 2s) makes patterns easier to remember - recognising the connection between body and brain.

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Activity

Phase: 1 & 2	HPE Achievement Objective: B1 Movement Skills Move safely in a range of physical activities. Numeracy Achievement Objective: Recognise and represent halves and quarters in everyday contexts.	Quality Physical Education: Planned learning intentions and success criteria Planned questions Plenty of opportunities to move: enough gear, enough stations.
Unit: Numeracy & PE
Fundamental Movement: Locomotor: Walking, hopping, running
Learning intention: WALT: recognise and match fractions shown in different ways (symbols and pictures). WALT: move in different ways.	Success Criteria: I can: recognise a fraction when it is shown as a number or as a picture. I can: move safely and in different ways around the space.	Questioning: Pre:What different ways can we move? During:Was it easier to recognise numbers or pictures? Why? Post: What fractions did you see today?
Activities & Resources: Set up: Give each student 3 fraction cards (some with numbers e.g., ½, ¼, some with pictures e.g., half of a circle coloured). Warm-up: Students move around the space using a fundamental movement (walk, skip, hop, tiptoe). Change the movement every 30 seconds or on a signal. Game Play: On the whistle, students hold up one card. They must find a classmate with the matching representation (e.g., picture of half a pizza ↔ “½”). Once they’ve matched, they show the teacher or check with another pair. Repeat: Play several rounds with different movements (e.g. crawling, hopping, sliding, jumping) to keep the activity varied.

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Activity

Phase: 2	HPE Achievement Objective: C Relationships with others: Demonstrate fair play, responsibility, and teamwork. Numeracy Achievement Objective: Count in sequences (skip counting forwards and backwards)	Quality Physical Education: Planned learning intentions and success criteria Planned questions Plenty of opportunities to move: enough gear, enough stations.
Unit: Numeracy & PE
Fundamental Movement: Hand eye coordination
Learning intention: WALT: skip count in sequence WALT: move our bodies in rhythm and cooperate with others in a group game.	Success Criteria: I can: skip count aloud with my group (e.g., 2s, 5s, 10s) I can: fairly and take turns with others.	Questioning: Pre: Who can show me how we skip count in 2s? During:Which skip counting patterns did we use? Post: How did we help each other in the game?
Activities & Resources: Set up: 5–10 students kneel in a circle, hands crossed (left hand over neighbour’s right hand). Starting the pattern: Begin with a clockwise single tap around the circle. Each tap must be accompanied by a skip count aloud (e.g., “2, 4, 6, 8…”). Changing direction: If a player taps twice, the pattern switches to anti-clockwise. Play without elimination to build confidence in rhythm and counting first. Create either mixed groups or groups based on the same ability. Start with skip counting in 2s for Year 2. Progress to 5s and 10s (and even 3s for Year 3–4).

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Activity

Phase: 1	HPE Achievement Objective: B Movement Concepts: Develop a range of movement skills, including balance, in a variety of situations. Numeracy Achievement Objective: Recognise numbers, count sets, and compare amounts.	Quality Physical Education: Planned learning intentions and success criteria Planned questions Plenty of opportunities to move: enough gear, enough stations.
Unit: Numeracy & PE
Fundamental Movement: Balance
Learning intention: WALT: use numbers to count and compare different combinations. WALT: balance in different ways with a partner and keep our bodies safe.	Success Criteria: I can: count and use numbers to show how many body parts are balancing. I can: stay balanced for the set time.	Questioning: Pre: Who can show me how we skip count in 2s? During:What numbers did we use today? Post: Which balances were easier or harder? Why?
Activities & Resources: Set up: Each pair of students has a scatter mat (or works on a safe surface like grass or mats). Warm-up: Pairs hold hands and jog/walk randomly around the space until the teacher calls “STOP.”Game play: Teacher calls out a body part combination (e.g., “Three hands, two feet!”). Students quickly move to their mat and make a balance with their partner using only the body parts called. Hold the balance for 10 seconds. Repeat: Use different combinations (hands, feet, knees, bottoms, elbows, backs). Maths twist: After each balance, ask pairs to: Count together how many body parts are touching the floor. Compare to another pair: Who had more/less parts on the floor? Optional extension: Write the combination as a number sentence (e.g., 3 + 2 = 5)

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What makes a good active maths activity?

Keep it simple - activities don’t need to be long or complicated; short bursts of movement can be just as powerful.
Everyone moving - avoid elimination or long wait times so all students stay engaged.
Clear maths focus - make sure the learning intention is obvious and students can connect the movement to the maths idea.
Flexible - can be easily adapted for different ages, abilities, or class size.
Low equipment - use what you have (cones, chalk, bean bags, ropes) so it’s easy to set up and repeat.
Inclusive - ensure every child can take part, with simple ways to scale up or down.
Opportunity for thinking and discussion - build in chances for students to share strategies, explain their thinking, or reflect on how movement helped them understand the maths.

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Questions or Wonderings

Are there any questions or wonderings?

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