Little Roos
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The Big Summer Scene

Counting out a number of things, and where they go: in, on, up

Ages 3-5 Shapes, colours and noticing Free, no sign-up
Play The Big Summer Scene More in The Bright Spot

How it plays

A summer scene with water, sand and a tree, and a tray of your child's own animals: the ones collected in the Mob. The voice asks for a number of animals in one place ("Put three animals in the water!"). Your child drags them in, or taps an animal then a place, and each one is counted out loud as it lands. Animals put anywhere else simply stay where they were put: it's their picture. It starts at one or two and asks for more as your child gets the hang of it, up to six.

What it's for

Counting out a number of things, and where they go: in, on, up. It adapts as your child plays: after a few rounds that go well it steps up a little, and after a couple of hard ones it quietly steps back. The level number only ever goes up.

There is no score to lose and no way to fail. A wrong move is met with a gentle nudge, and a level ends when it's won.

Away from the screen: Bath-time counting

About two minutes, with things most homes have.

  1. Gather a few bath toys or spoons.
  2. Ask for a number in a place: "Put three in the water!" Count each one out loud as it goes in.
  3. Swap: your child asks, and you count (get it wrong now and then, so they can fix it).

Three questions to ask while they play

If they find it hard

Count together, touching each animal as you say its number. Saying one number for each animal is the big idea. Or try Ten in the Den first: seeing how many, with the dots already there.

A sheet to print

Print the The Big Summer Scene sheet

One A4 page, in black and white or colour.

What it practises

The codes are from the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 (for three- to five-year-olds) and the Australian Curriculum v9 (Foundation to Year 2). Each links to the official wording. Every skill, and the games for it.

What it costs, and what we collect

Nothing, and nothing. There is no account, no advertising and no tracking of any kind. Which games have been played is remembered on your own device and is never sent anywhere. The full version is here, and it's short.

There's sea for a splash and there's sand for a snooze, And a tree for the climbers, whichever they choose. So bring out your mob and count them right through: Three in the water, and up the tree, two!

Where it lives

The Big Summer Scene lives in The Bright Spot — shapes, colours and noticing. It works on a phone, a tablet or a classroom screen, and once it's been opened it keeps working with no signal at all.