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Have you ever noticed just how many English idioms have numbers in them?

Here are just a few examples – there are loads of them.

• All rolled into one.
• Back to square one.
• Cast the first stone.
• I don’t give 2 hoots.
• In two minds.
• Nine to five.
• Catch 40 winks.
• Go fifty-fifty.
• Feel like a million dollars
• Give me five!
• Hundred to one
• On cloud nine

And here are a few ideas for activities to do with children.

1. Research more like these below - categorise them according to their number.
2. Which number seems to appear the most often in idioms?
3. Categorise them according to whether they are divisible by 2 (or another number of your choice)
4. Pick out 5 randomly and add them up – first one to get the right answer scores a point.
5. Make up a quiz for someone else to do :

E.g. The film star arrived wearing her very best clothes:

(a)    All rolled into one   (b) a stich in time  (c) at sixes and sevens  (d) dressed to the nines.

You know -nine times out of ten children will enjoy making links between language and numeracy.

If you agree – that’ll make at least two of us

(Ok I’ll stop now!!)