Ten minutes · counting / pretend play. You need: Three to six large toy vehicles or other favourite objects, plus a sheet of paper with several large parking spaces drawn on it. A box lid works as a parking area too.
Play: Let the child park objects in any spaces. Ask whether a new arrival has a space, whether one space can stay empty, or whether the whole plan should change. Count if useful, pointing once to each object.
Adult says: “Who is parking here?” “Is there room for one more?” “How could we find out?” Let the child move things to answer.
Child chooses: Which objects count as vehicles, layout, story and whether to use number words, gestures or objects.
Notice: Did they match one object to one space or notice an empty space? What happened when another object arrived?
Access and safety: Use large tactile spaces or shallow boxes for low vision. An adult can drive the toy at the child's direction. Avoid small wheels that detach. No screen is needed.
Reuse: © NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd 2026 · CC BY 4.0 · Original; note changes if adapted.