Dinglewell Infant School
Maths at Home
Maths at Home
July 2026 - An old favourite: Shut the Box
This classic board game supports the recall on number bonds and rapid calculation. It also promotes problem solving and strategic thinking.
You can play as a family and just need two 1-6 dice and a strip of numbers from 1 through to 9.
The goal is for each player to cover up (or cross out) as many numbers as possible on their game board and have the lowest score remaining at the end of the game.
The Rules: Decide what order the players are going to go in. This could be based on youngest to oldest or you could each roll the dice and the largest number rolled is the first player. Player One will roll both dice and add the numbers together to find the total. They then need to create a calculation that adds up to that total. Once they have done this, they record the numbers used in their calculation on their game board (by covering them with counters or crossing them out with a pencil). They cannot use these numbers in any other calculations so need to think very carefully about which ones they choose! For example if Player One rolls a five and a two, their total is seven. They can decide which numbers they want to use on their game board to add together to make seven. It could be five and two like they have rolled or it could be any other calculation that makes seven. It does not have to be just two numbers added together either. It could be one, two and four or just the number seven by itself. Once Player One has rolled their dice, added them together and then covered up (or crossed out) the numbers they have used, it is Player Two’s turn. They roll the dice and do the same thing. Each player keeps taking turns until they cannot use their remaining numbers to make the total on the dice. They add up the numbers that they have left and that is their final score. The lowest final score decides the winner of the game. If a player manages to use all of their numbers up, they automatically win.
Please email photos of your family enjoying this game to Mrs Bishop
ebishop@dinglewell-inf.gloucs.sch.uk
and I will share them on the school website. Please visit the website to see the photos of Pattern Professors that were sent to me last month.
June 2026 - Pattern Professors
This month's activity is to create a repeated pattern. Be as creative as you like.
Please email your patterns to Mrs Bishop ebishop@dinglewell-inf.gloucs.sch.uk so that they can be shared on the school website.
May 2026 - Sizzling Symmetry
Design a symmetrical image. This could be a photograph or a piece of patterned artwork.
Well done to Freddie and Theo who sent these amazing examples of symmetry
:
April 2026 - Maths Games
I have fond memories of playing a game of Ludo with my family when I was a child. Does your family have a favourite game that promotes maths skills. Now as an adult Mr Bishop and I enjoy playing the card game Crazy Eights.
This month I would love to see pictures of our Dinglewell families playing their favourite maths game; please let me know the rules of the game as it may be a new one that I can incorporate at school. Class 5 are very familiar with Snakes and Ladders and this can be played with two dice to promote addition skills.
Please email your maths games photos and rules to Mrs Bishop ebishop@dinglewell-inf.gloucs.sch.uk and I will share them on the
school website.
Franky tell us that "Spinderella doesn’t have a clue about numbers and her Hairy Godmother teaches her all about them!"
March 2026 - Book Worms
Can you find maths in a book? To link with World Book Day, I have chosen a book-based activity for next month. While you’re reading look out for any maths links? There may be maths in an old favourite story, a school reading book, a non-fiction book or even in poem.
Ask a grown up to take a photo of you reading your book, so that I can see the front cover and tell me all about the maths that you have spotted within the book.
For example:
Please email your book worm photos and quotes to Mrs Bishop
ebishop@dinglewell-inf.gloucs.sch.uk
and I will share them on the school website.
Look at the amazing Foodie Maths that has been found at home last month.
February 2026 - Foodie Maths
Can you find maths disguised as food?
Please take a photo, write down or draw what you have spotted. Here are 2 simple ideas to get you started.
3 sets of 2 cupcakes
2 and 2 and 2 make 6 cupcakes altogether.
Please email your foodie maths pictures to Mrs Bishop
ebishop@dinglewell-inf.gloucs.sch.uk
and I will share them on the school website.
December 2025 - Rudolph Maths
Create an image of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer using 2D shapes. Please remember to label the shapes that you have used. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started. Please email a photo of your 2D shape Rudolph to
ebishop@dinglewell-inf.gloucs.sch.uk
This reindeer was created by a former pupil and he still make me smile.
November 2025 - NumBots
This month's activity focuses on our on-line learning platform NumBots. NumBots is an excellent way to support your child’s maths learning at school and their developing number sense.
Mrs Bishop will monitor usage during November and the class that has the highest percentage of children playing will be awarded our robot mascot for the month. Play can then continue each month with the mascot awarded to the class sustaining their efforts at home. If you need a copy of your child’s login details, please email Mrs Bishop
ebishop@dinglewell-inf.gloucs.sch.uk
We are delighted to announce that Class 3 are the winners with 67% of the class engaging with maths learning at home. Well done.
Mrs Bishop will continue to monitor play each month and continue to award the mascot. Please check the news letter for each month's winner.
October 2025 - 4 Dominoes Challenge
Use these four dominoes to make a square that has the same number of dots on each side.
What did you do to try to solve this challenge?
Use this QR code to access a printable version of the problem 
Please email your solutions to Mrs Bishop ebishop@dinglewell-inf.gloucs.sch.uk
September 2025 - En-Counters for Two
Arranging counters activity for adult and child.
Can you create the pattern of counters that your partner
has made, just by asking questions?
Here's a game to play with an adult!
How do you play?
You'll need an adult to play with.
You also need two matching sets of counters (or something similar - bottle tops, coloured circles of paper etc) - up to 12 in each set.
Give one set to the adult and keep the other set for yourself.
Make a secret place where the adult can hide the counters. You could make a screen with a book, or do it on a tray and cover it up with a piece of cloth.
The adult secretly makes a pattern or design with some of the counters, describing what they are doing as they make it.
Your job is to make the same design by asking questions, which the adult answers as helpfully as possible.
When you think you have a completed design, ask the adult to check.
If you're right you could swap roles.
If you're wrong keep going!
How many questions did you need to ask?
Top tip: it may be helpful to start with a simple pattern such as a straight line with just 3 or 4 counters and build up the complexity from there.
Mrs Bishop would love to see photos of you playing this game so please send photos to ebishop@dinglewell-inf.gloucs.sch.uk and she will add them to the school website to celebrate maths at home.
Useful Websites
