What might I have around the house that I could use for counting with reception?

[olivo]

Am teaching them numbers in an mfl but unsure what to use for counting games. I have ordered counters but they haven't arrived yet. Had contemplated DD's shopkins but she'd kill me if some got lost!

Anything safe I might have lying around the house, or that I could ask for in the primary school? Primary is new to me....

[Peepingsnowdrops]

We use milk carton tops. It you won't enough.
Penny coins?
Shells or stones if you have them.
Toy cars

[Treaclespongeandcustard]

Pasta bows or twists

[kennythekangaroo]

Pasta, cheerios, lego, buttons, beads, dog biscuits, pencils, tiny sweets (dolly mixtures/mini smarties).

[TheFifthKey]

Raisins?

[EyesUnderARock]

Anything non toxic they can get their fingers round. I’ve used dried braid beans sprayed gold, teaspoons, pebbles, conkers, pasta...
Don’t nick things from your family if you can avoid it, the Disappearing Spoon Trauma of 2012 is still mentioned occasionally. I was teaching Light to Y5.

[EyesUnderARock]

Broad beans.
Check for allergies if you use food items.

[olivo]

You are genius, I just couldn't think! Pasta looks the wisest way, they'll like my multi coloured one

I've been teaching forever but the little ones are a whole new board game!

Thank you!

[imbluedabedeba]

The school should have unifix cubes or similar, can also use other things they should have like Lego, blocks, bean bags, balls

[HexagonalBattenburg]

Anything! We've lined up DD2's playmobil people before now to practice counting... buttons... conkers... particularly interesting sticks. Lego tends to be a pain in the arse as they get sidetracked into building with it and then bickering because Freddie's taken theirs so has more bricks and Damien's made it into a lightsaber.

[Goodmum1234]

Outdoor free stuff in summer autumn- pine cones, conkers, leaves, acorns. Indoors- pencils, dolls, teddies, Lego,

[juniperbushes]

Count the children themselves? if they don't have school uniform and wear ordinary clothes, then you can count how many wearing the different colours etc.

[Knittedfairies]

Don't use anything edible like dolly mixtures or raisins... they'll eat them. And then there were none.

[BackforGood]

DEpends if you need 10, 40 or 400, but, as others have said the school themselves will have stuff - even if you need to borrow from Early Years.

But you can use:
raisin
sweets
pennies
buttons
(used to use matches but you might have arsonists)
paperclips
pasta
pencils (felt pens / biros etc)
Have you still got your Christmas cards ?
lego
small jigsaw pieces (if it is one you don't need - you're bound to have some missing at the end)