Skip Counting Battlements

We’re lucky enough to live in the UK where we have easy access to castles and have 4 or 5 within easy reach of where we live. The kids have loved the castles that we have visited and when it was decided that we were going to have Castles as this weeks #playfulpreschool theme I knew just what we were going to do some skip counting.

Last year we visited a castle in North Wales and J took it upon himself to start skip counting as we walked along the battlements of the castle touching each and counting in 2’s and then counting odd numbers along the next side of battlements, T at the time was took young to get it and just counted along with him repeating 1 to 16 each time. This year however she’s at the stage were we can work on skip counting again, but like you we can’t just pop to the castle to do it so I quickly set up a castle battlements on a piece of paper and found a knight from the toy collection and set up a short activity for her to do.

Materials needed for skip counting battlements

1 sheet Grey Paper
2 sheets Blue Paper
Glue
Marker Pen
Toy Knight

Learning objectives for skip counting battlements

• Practice skip counting in 2’s and 10’s
• Counting on from any number

Preparation needed

Cut out the battlements – on a piece of grey paper I cut out 4 sets of battlements. First fold the piece of paper in half so you have a long thin fold. Then cut in half.

With the paper cut in half cut out the battlements along the middle of this piece of paper as below

Repeat on the other sheet and you will have 4 sets of battlements. With a piece of blue paper fold in half as before and cut along the fold. On the bottom edge glue the battlements.

If you wish to make the battlements reusable you could laminate them and then use a dry wipe marker to add the numbers on with your child.

Skip Counting Battlements

With our battlements complete I started off writing the number 1 on the first battlement and placed the knight on the battlement. I explained that we were going to skip count in 2s with the knight along the battlements. First with T counting I wrote the numbers along the battlements so that she could see the numbers as well as count along with them.Then I explained counting in two’s, she’d heard J do this along the side of the street as in the UK houses on one side are all odd and the other side even numbers. The rule that a knight had to go on ever 2 nd battlement skip counting in 2’s to protect the castle from invaders.

As we counted she counted on 2 battlements each time and sat the knight down or stood him up as we went along

On the next set of battlements I started at 12 and the knights (and pirates) had to skip count in 2’s from there. T was quick picking up the pattern of every other number and saw the pattern in the battlements quickly.

Sticking the last two sets of battlements together we started at 10 and skip counted in 10’s from there – 10, 20 etc… and then reinforced by the knight going along the battlement counting in 10’s as well.

Whilst we were talking about the 10’s she suddenly came out with – Did you know mummy that in the old times in castles they didn’t write 10 like that they wrote it like this and made a X with her fingers – she as X is the Roman Numeral for 10 but no idea where that knowledge came from.

More castle themed

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Sand Castle Puffy Paintings – Still Playing School

Graham Cracker Castles; preschool engineering – Capri + 3

Castle Catapult Maths – Mom Inspired Life

Cardboard Castle Reading Nook – Growing Book by Book

CVC Activities build the castle of Arendelle – Learning to Walk

Skip Counting Battlements – You are Here!

Magnetic Cereal Box Castle Theatre – The Educators’ Spin On It

Make your Own Knights Helmet and Sword