Explore our catalogue of award-winning activities and games
Busy Things hosts over 1600 curriculum-linked activities and games for early years and primary aged children. A school subscription also includes lots of features and tools for teachers that promise to save planning time. Take a free trial to have a proper play or book a demo here.
Our pets
Complete a survey on people's pets and display the results in a pictogram.
Complete a survey on people's pets and display the results in a chart or graph.Discussion points
- Which pet has the most scores?
- Which pet has the fewest scores?
- How do we look after these pets?
- What do you notice?
- Which is the most popular pet?
- Which is the least popular pet?
- What is the total of rabbits and cats?
- Could you sort the pets by quantity?
- How many more people have ___ than ___?
- How many fewer people have ___ than ___?
- What is the difference between pet A and B?
- What is the sum of pets A, B and C?
- What does the data tell us?
- How many more people have ___ than ___?
- How many fewer people have ___ than ___?
- What is the difference between pet A and B?
- What is the sum of pets A, B and C?
- What does the data tell us?
- What is the mean score?
Teaching tips:
The graph activities are great for getting children to express their individuality, to promote discussion or to ensure children listen to and value the opinion of others.
Using the graph in maths encourages children to count and compare numbers and objects.
Literacy: Write about ‘My pet’ or make a ‘Lost pet poster’.
Using the graph in maths encourages children to count and compare numbers and objects.
Literacy: Write about ‘My pet’ or make a ‘Lost pet poster’.
Children could make a prediction beforehand of which pet/s might be the most popular, giving reasons why.
Maths: After asking children their preferences, spend time interpreting the graph (see discussion points). They could discuss why some pets might be more or less popular than others.
Writing: Write for different purposes with ‘My pet’ or make a ‘Lost pet poster’.
Maths: After asking children their preferences, spend time interpreting the graph (see discussion points). They could discuss why some pets might be more or less popular than others.
Writing: Write for different purposes with ‘My pet’ or make a ‘Lost pet poster’.
After filling in the information, spend time interpreting the graph and what is shows. Present children with a range of comparison, sum and difference problems to support work on interpreting information in a variety of graphs (see discussion points).
Show simple scaling, for example, by representing 2 votes with each line of the chart.
Older children could convert between pie and line graphs and have a go at finding the mean (average) score.
Show simple scaling, for example, by representing 2 votes with each line of the chart.
Older children could convert between pie and line graphs and have a go at finding the mean (average) score.
x
To access the whole of Busy Things take a free trial
Start your free trial now!
No payment details required. No obligation to buy.Your free trial includes
- access to 1600+ of fun educational activities and games
- Create an area just for your class (school version)
- Track activities and send feedback (school version)
- Customisable games and activities targeting core maths, literacy and phonics skills
- Creative activities working with colours, shapes and sounds
- Busy Code - a whole suite of activities and guides for teaching children how to code
- A custom phonics and maths worksheet maker
- Curriculum-links and activity search
- Pupil timelines - see what your pupils have been doing
- Set assignments and collate results
- Play on desktop computers, laptops and tablets
Schools
Schools have no limit on the number of pupils that can use Busy Things simultaneously.









