Early Years Number Line Activities

About This Primary Resource

This is a seven page document full of ideas of how to use a number line effectively in an early years setting. It will give an outline of how to set up your number line together with detailed activities that can be used to promote core maths skills.

What is a number line?
A number line is a vertical or horizontal line with numbers marked at equal intervals and clear start and end points. There are many ways to construct a number line for use in an early years setting. You could attach number cards to a piece of string using pegs. You could also laminate the cards and place Velcro on the back, then stick them onto a wall or piece of wood. The important thing is to ensure that the numbers can be easily rearranged and that the number line is positioned at a height that the children can reach. However, for safety reasons, if you use the string method, make sure the line is above the head of the tallest child in the classroom.

Number lines are fantastic for various engaging activities as outlined in this document (which you can download below). Fundamentally, they are excellent tools for illustrating number order and how numbers relate to each other. Understanding number order is essential for counting.

It's crucial for children to have a strong grasp of number order before introducing more complex tasks like counting in 2s or 3s. Without this foundation, children may resort to guessing, which can lead to frustration and a loss of confidence when they make mistakes."

Number line resources
We have lots of printable number line resources, some of which are linked to in this document. In fact we have a whole section of our site dedicated to number lines.