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Counting to 10: Tens Frames and Pebbles with Dotty

Counting to 10: Tens Frames and Pebbles with Dotty

Learn counting to 10 and match numerals 0 to 10 to amounts by counting pebbles, filling tens frames and loading apples onto a number train.

  • Ages 4–5
  • About 30 min
  • Easy start
  • Numbers
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What you'll learn

  • The last number counted tells you how many (the cardinal principle)
  • How to count up to 10 things, touching each one once
  • What zero means and how to write the numeral 0
  • How to fill and read a tens frame, top row first
  • How to match numerals 0 to 10 to dots, pictures and pebbles
  • Why spreading things out does not change how many there are

Chapter by chapter

  1. Counting to 10: the last number says how many

    Reception maths · 1

  2. Tens frames: organising counting to 10

    Reception maths · 1 Reception maths · 2

  3. Matching numerals 0 to 10 to amounts

    Reception maths · 2 Reception maths · 1

  4. Same amount, different arrangements

    Reception maths · 1 Reception maths · 2

  5. Star challenge: numerals and amounts 0 to 10 (10 questions)

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Reception maths: Developing a strong grounding in number is essential so that all children develop the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. Children should be able to count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. By providing frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding - such as using manipulatives, including small pebbles and tens frames for organising counting - children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from which mastery of mathematics is built
  2. Reception maths: Link the number symbol (numeral) with its cardinal number value

About this adventure

Counting to 10: Tens Frames and Pebbles with Dotty is an interactive maths game that teaches children aged 4–5 to count up to 10 things, match numerals 0 to 10 to the right amount and see that the same amount can be arranged in different ways. It follows the EYFS Reception maths expectations in Development Matters.

Dotty the ladybird reads every instruction aloud. Children tap pebbles one at a time and discover the cardinal principle: the last number you say tells you how many. They fill a tens frame top row first, see 7 as 5 and 2 more, and match numerals to dots, pictures and tens frames.

A cheeky frog scatters the pebbles to show that moving things never changes how many there are. A 10-question star challenge at the end checks what children have learned.

Questions and answers

How do children learn to count to 10?

Children learn to count to 10 by saying one number for each object and realising the last number they say tells them how many. Touching or moving each object as they count helps them avoid skipping one or counting it twice.

What is a tens frame and why is it used in Reception?

A tens frame is a grid of 10 spaces in two rows of 5 that helps children organise their counting. Filling the top row first lets them see amounts quickly, for example 7 as a full row of 5 and 2 more.

What does linking a numeral to its amount mean?

It means knowing that a written numeral, such as 6, stands for exactly six things. Development Matters calls this linking the number symbol with its cardinal number value, and it is a key Reception maths goal.

What age is this counting game for?

This game is made for children aged 4 to 5, matching the Reception year of the EYFS in England. Older children still building confidence with numbers to 10 can enjoy it too, and every instruction is read aloud.

What is in the counting game and how long does it take?

The game has four chapters and a 10-question star challenge, and takes about 30 minutes to play from start to finish. Children can pick any chapter from the map and come back to it later.

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