Grow Number Sense with the Spring Trees Math Play Mat

A Fresh Way to Play Math!

If you already have Math Kit Bundle 2, I’ve just added something new that your learners are going to LOVE — the Spring Trees Counting Play Mat!

This flexible, hands-on mat is designed to support:

• Counting to 20
• Making numbers
• Adding and subtracting
• Grouping by 5
• Acting out math stories
• Trading ones for tens

Each tree trunk has 2 sections, and each section has 5 branches — making it easy for students to see numbers in groups of five. Leaves can represent ones, and branches can represent tens. It’s a beautiful visual way to build number sense and early place value understanding.

Students can use:

• Counting cubes
• Counters (coloured ones work beautifully!)
• Small manipulatives
• Dry erase markers

Try This: “The Busy Tree” Story Game

This simple game builds counting, positional language, and colour recognition — perfect for Kindergarten learners.

You’ll need:

• The Spring Trees Play Mat
• Coloured counters (red, yellow, green, etc.)

How to Play:

• Tell a simple story and have students act it out on their mat.

Example:

• Two red leaves grew on the left branch.
• Three yellow leaves grew on the right branch.
• One green leaf landed under the tree.
• Put one blue leaf on the second branch.”

As students listen, they place the correct coloured counters in the correct positions.

Use language like:

• On the branch
• Under the tree
• On the left branch
• On the right branch
• On the second branch
• Above / below

When the story ends, ask:

• How many leaves are on the tree?
• How many leaves are under the tree?
• How many leaves altogether?
• Which branch has the most?

Students then count the total leaves on the tree.

It’s playful. It’s visual. And it builds so many foundational skills at once.

Make Counting Even Easier

I’ve also created a FREE leafy green wallpaper you can pop up on your screen while exploring counting and grouping.

It’s a wonderful visual prompt when talking about how much easier it is to count when objects are organised — just like leaves on branches!

You can download it here:
👉 https://www.fromthepond.com/wallpapers

Teachers might also like to:

• Print the wallpaper
• Slip it into a write-and-wipe sleeve
• Use it as a Roll & Cover activity for fast finishers

Students roll a dice and add that many “leaf” blocks to their tree. Keep building, counting, and grouping!