# Five spare minutes? Pick one.

Fifty **optional** Foundation / Prep invitations for a parent, carer, educator or child. Choose any card in any order. Each uses a made-up situation and a pencil, fingers or spoken words. No purchase, screen, internet, printout, household information or returned homework is needed. These are small practice invitations alongside the [Weeks 31–38 route](README.md), [Week 39](week-39-explain-it-for-a-visitor.md) and [Week 40](week-40-what-the-work-really-shows.md) teaching guides, not a home assessment or a promise that five minutes completes a curriculum point. A child can watch, point, sign, use AAC, tell the adult where to draw, or stop.

**Adult move:** Read the little scenario; pause. Ask “What in the words helped you decide?” rather than supplying the answer. If an answer differs, let the child show their model. A hand-drawn box or number line works as well as cards. Keep pieces broad if making them, and supervise as you normally would. Never photograph or upload a child's work for these cards.

| Pick | Say this aloud or show the words | Child's choice and small next step |
| ---: | --- | --- |
| **151 · Three ways home** | “In a made-up story, a book and a loose page go in one wide return box. A sign says ‘Keep the page with the book.’ A paper screen says ‘Choose: ask for help / place both together.’” | Choose which message would help an imaginary new visitor and point to the exact helpful part. Another choice can be right with a reason. This is a paper screen, not an app. |
| **152 · Make a kinder sign** | “The pretend shelf has a sign: ‘DO IT.’ What is missing?” | Make or dictate a clearer sign for putting a broad paper game card back. You can add *what*, *where* or *ask an adult*. A sign can be clear without shouting. |
| **153 · Number trail** | “A pretend book cart has 5, 12 and 19 on three large labels.” | Put the numbers in order and say where each might sit on an imaginary 0–20 track. Draw the track, use fingers for smaller numbers or direct an adult; checking by counting is fine. |
| **154 · Spread does not grow** | “Imagine 14 broad paper squares in a close row. Now imagine the same squares spread apart.” | Will there still be 14? Explain, or draw a mark for each and match them one by one. The card tests the count, not a guess about how big the row looks. |
| **155 · Choose your message** | “An imaginary class has a wide game-card shelf. Someone new wants to return a card.” | Tell, draw or direct a two-frame paper message for that person. Ask a willing listener what they understood, or play the listener role yourself. Change one word or frame if it helps. This is practice after any class check. |
| **156 · One more label** | “A made-up desk has 2 big paper labels. One more arrives.” | Show first, action and then with fingers or broad marks. There are 3 now. Ask what the story does *not* tell us, such as who brought the new label. |
| **157 · Moved, not vanished** | “A pretend box has 6 broad cards. One moves to a pretend display.” | Show five still in the box and one at the display. Say why there are 5 **in the box** but 6 cards still in the room. Nothing was thrown away. |
| **158 · Same ending, different story** | “Story A: 4 cards, then 2 more arrive. Story B: 7 cards, then 1 leaves.” | Both end at 6. Tell one event accurately with first/action/then. If the child makes a different sensible story ending at 6, model it together. |
| **159 · Two pockets** | “A paper helper has pockets marked IN BOX and OUT OF BOX. Which words would make it easier for someone new to use?” | Draw or direct one label change. Ask a willing person what they think goes in each pocket; if nobody is free, say what you *predict* instead of claiming you tested it. |
| **160 · Your own little event** | “Make up an event with no more than 10 broad cards. Some arrive or some move away.” | Tell who, what was there first, what changed and what is there now. Show the pieces or marks. A different answer is welcome if its story and count agree. This is play after any class check. |
| **161 · What is drawn?** | “Imagine one picture card with two long leaf shapes. Does that tell us how tall a real plant will grow?” | Name the two visible shapes and one thing still unknown. No actual plant needs to be found or touched. |
| **162 · Choose a counting question** | “Draw seven large circles: four with a dot, three without. Which group has more cards?” | Point to each once, name the group and say “on *these* seven drawings.” The dots tell us nothing about real flowers. |
| **163 · A caption with a source** | “An imaginary page shows a paper drawing with three oval shapes.” | Dictate or draw a caption beginning “This drawing shows…” Then make one question that the drawing cannot settle. |
| **164 · Same cards, another question** | “Make six broad marks: two round and four pointed. Add a border to three marks.” | Sort once by shape, then reset and sort by border. Does the total stay six? The two questions can produce different groups. |
| **165 · What we can say** | “A made-up poster has eight picture cards. Five show a square pot; three show no pot.” | Say which pictured group is larger and what you would need to know about real plants. This is play **after** any class check, with different cards. |
| **166 · A fair length look** | “Draw two line segments starting at different places on a page.” | Predict which *looks* longer. Then ask an adult to draw a shared starting line or imagine moving both ends together. A drawing helps discuss length; a real direct comparison needs real aligned strips. |
| **167 · Prediction or result?** | “Someone says, ‘This paper roof will always stay whole.’ They have not tried it.” | Call it a prediction, not a result. Suggest one safe question they could test with an adult at school. No test or purchase is expected at home. |
| **168 · A cup question** | “One cup is tall and narrow. Another is short and wide. Which holds more?” | Say why looking alone may not settle it. Describe how a teacher could safely compare with real cups. There is no home water task and no result to report. |
| **169 · Same-size parcels** | “Two pretend parcels look the same size. One might be heavier.” | Say how a safe adult-run balance could help. Appearance is only a clue, not proof of mass. Nothing needs to be lifted or weighed at home. |
| **170 · What did we actually do?** | “Imagine making a paper roof for a toy. You have only drawn the plan.” | Say one prediction and one test you have *not* done. Leave the result blank. This is practice after any class check, not a report of a real trial. |
| **171 · What do they want?** | “In an invented story, two paper puppets want the same wide mat for different games. Neither has tried a plan yet.” | Name both wants. Ask one question you would need answered before saying a plan worked. A puppet story does not tell us what a real child wants. |
| **172 · Same number, different question** | “Imagine eight broad paper tickets shared between two labelled pretend trays.” | Describe how to deal one to each. If both get four, the count is equal; ask separately whether the people could use the tickets. No real household or class sharing is required. |
| **173 · Make groups** | “Picture twelve broad cards placed into groups of three.” | Say how many complete groups there would be and how to check each has three. Draw broad boxes or direct an adult; no small pieces needed. |
| **174 · Where is it?** | “On a pretend paper map, a puppet sits between two labelled desks.” | Tell an imaginary helper exactly where to put a broad card: between the desks, beside the puppet, or another clear place. The paper objects stay still. |
| **175 · A plan to ask about** | “Two imaginary readers want the same paper book mat.” | Make a kind request and one question you could ask after trying a plan. Do not say everyone liked it unless someone really answered. This is play after any class check. |
| **176 · What repeats?** | “Say or draw: circle, triangle, circle, triangle.” | Name the whole two-shape part and the next two shapes. A point, AAC choice or adult drawing counts as participation; sound is optional. |
| **177 · Clearer words** | “A pretend helper is told, ‘Put that over there.’” | Add a shape and a fixed place: “Put the triangle above the square” on an upright page. Ask if a listener would know exactly where to put it. |
| **178 · Did the listener really try?** | “Say: square, circle, square, circle. Ask a willing person which two come next.” | Compare their answer with the repeating part. If nobody is free, predict a possible answer and label it a pretend listener, not real feedback. |
| **179 · A shape reason** | “Imagine a paper theatre with a roof made of three straight sides and a round window.” | Name the roof/window shapes and say which boundary helps you decide. A child can point, describe or tell an adult where to trace. |
| **180 · Give the next step** | “A made-up border says triangle, circle, square; triangle, circle, square.” | Tell an imaginary helper the whole repeating part and next three cards. Add a way to check the order. This is play after any class check with a different pattern. |
| **181 · What can the picture answer?** | “A pretend page has seven large balloon drawings: four with a line, three without.” | Ask a question this page can answer, then one it cannot answer about what anyone likes. Count only the drawn balloons. No real person's preference is requested. |
| **182 · Match once** | “Draw nine wide marks in two labelled boxes, five LOOP and four CORNER.” | Point to each mark once and say which label has more *on this page*. Move or spread the marks without changing the count. |
| **183 · Reset, then sort again** | “Make six broad paper marks: two round with a stripe, one round plain, one square with a stripe, two square plain.” | Sort by shape, reset the same six, then sort by stripe. What changed: the question or the number of marks? An adult can move each mark where the child directs. |
| **184 · Give a clue** | “A fictional board has three large arrows and five large rings.” | Say which kind appears more and point to the two counts as the clue. Add “on this pretend board” so the sentence does not claim anything about real signs. |
| **185 · An answer after the check** | “A made-up box drawing has two smooth shapes and six pointed shapes.” | Ask which is more *in the drawing* and show one mark per shape. This is optional play after any class check, with a different source. |
| **186 · Check a number label** | “Draw eight large blank boxes and a separate label saying NINE.” | Count the actual drawn boxes once. Does the label match? Change the label only if the count asks you to. |
| **187 · Spread can trick us** | “Imagine seven close dots on one line and four wide-spaced dots on another.” | Predict which line has more, then match/count each dot. Say whether your guess was confirmed or changed; both are honest. |
| **188 · A drawing is a drawing** | “One pretend picture has two leaf outlines; another has four. Neither has a date.” | Name what the drawings show. Ask what you would need before saying one real plant grew. There is no home plant task. |
| **189 · Keep the moved ones visible** | “A pretend paper pocket starts with ten broad cards. Two move to an OUT pocket.” | Show eight still IN and two OUT using fingers or marks. Tell what the count proves about the paper story and what it does not tell you about a real pocket. |
| **190 · Say what was checked** | “A fictional game sheet starts with six marks and adds four. A sign says there are nine.” | Show the start, added group and checked ten. Revise the sign if needed. This is different practice after any class check, not a second score. |
| **191 · Count for the visitor** | “A pretend page has thirteen broad blank labels and a separate THIRTEEN card.” | Make one mark per label, then tell an imaginary visitor why the numeral fits *this page*. No reading test or real display count is needed. |
| **192 · Two parts, one set** | “An invented paper box has three circles in one side and five in the other.” | Show 3+5=8 without using one circle twice. Explain where a newcomer should look first and what to check at the end. |
| **193 · Fix the place word** | “A pretend helper hears ‘put the triangle near the board’.” | Draw a fixed BOARD and choose *above* or *to the left*. Tell the helper which side you mean and why the triangle has three straight sides. |
| **194 · Answer the given question** | “A made-up page has six open-window icons and four closed-window icons. Which appears more on this page?” | Track the ten drawings once each and answer with both counts and “on this page”. It says nothing about real windows. |
| **195 · A new case after the check** | “A pretend page has three balloon outlines and seven kite outlines.” | Ask which outline appears more *on the page*, show a count trail and tell a fictional visitor your reason. This is optional play after any class check, with a different source. |
| **196 · Story or instruction?** | “Story: a paper maker added two red cards to four yellow cards. Direction: add two red cards to four yellow cards.” | One text reports an imagined event; one tells someone what they could do. Show 4+2=6 and say which text proves the pretend event happened. |
| **197 · Give the whole next part** | “A paper border goes dot–dot–line / dot–dot–line.” | Say or draw all three positions in the next repeating part, not only the first mark. A paper listener can stay imaginary. |
| **198 · Start together** | “Draw two straight lines from one shared start, one shorter and one longer.” | Compare where the right ends land *on this drawing*. If the starts differ, repair them before deciding. No ruler, printer or home measurement is required. |
| **199 · Six little pairs** | “Imagine twelve broad marks, two in each paper box.” | Show six boxes and check that every mark is used once. If you want, tell someone which move helped you avoid skipping a mark. |
| **200 · What can this sign show?** | “A fictional flag page has five curved-outline and two pointed-outline flags. A sign says ‘Ask before moving a flag.’” | Count the page, answer which outline is more, then say whether the sign proves anyone actually moved a flag. This is different play after any class check, not a year-end score. |

**For educators:** These optional cards revisit language, order, counting, add-to/take-away, source-bound description, sorting, length, equal groups, location, instructions, repeating parts, given questions, one-to-one checks and the distinction between prediction and result in tiny, varied contexts. They do not establish independent reading, digital-system use, direct capacity/mass comparison, real Science observation, social sharing or a formal achievement level. A carer's report can tell you what a child enjoyed; it is not a scored observation under class conditions. Invite families to adapt with their own language where they wish, but no translated text here has been checked or supplied. Never require the activity, a particular family member, materials or internet access.

Original SubjectNest scenarios and wording © NeuroForgeIO Pty Ltd 2026, [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit SubjectNest, link the licence and indicate changes. Source context and local holds are in the [Term 4 guide](README.md).