Abstract

Following the success of the inaugural NumberBods tour in 2016, the 2018 iteration further developed this innovative approach to Key Stage 1 mathematics education. Designed to engage children aged five to seven through interdisciplinary and kinaesthetic learning, the project placed increased emphasis on active, embodied experiences to support early numeracy development.

NumberBods 2018 combined dance, music, narration, and live performance to bring mathematical concepts vividly to life. Third-year students from the University of Sunderland’s Dance and Performing Arts programme delivered interactive performances and workshops across a range of North East schools.

Building on the foundations laid in 2016, the 2018 tour introduced more refined and interactive movement-based activities to deepen kinaesthetic engagement. Children physically constructed numbers and mathematical symbols with their bodies, used rhythm and choreography to explore counting and patterns, and participated in structured improvisations to experience arithmetic operations in motion. These embodied strategies aimed to make abstract concepts more accessible by involving the whole body in the learning process, fostering spatial reasoning, memory, and active problem-solving.

Link to press release - https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/more/news/story/Maths-takes-centre-stage-418#:~:text=Numberbods%20is%20an%20interactive%20learning,a%20fun%20and%20memorable%20way.