Count on me! Maths Stuffed Tortilla Pizzas

Materials 

  • Baking sheet 
  • Regular spoon  
  • Knife (for the adult) 
  • Child-friendly knife

Ingredients 

  • Enough plain tortillas for your family 
  • Tomato sauce   
  • Shredded cheese 
  • Your favourite pizza toppings

Time

  • Prep time: 15-30 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 25-40 minutes

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

2. Place the different toppings on your workspace

● Let your child count how many kinds of toppings you have and how many pieces of each topping there is.

● Discuss and count what ingredient of which you have the most or the least.

● Order the toppings by size, colour or type, e.g. meat or veggie.

3. Cut the toppings

● Ask your child how many pieces you should cut each topping.

● If you have softer toppings, you can let your child cut the toppings with an unsharp knife, e.g., butterknife. At the same time, let your child count how many cuts they make or how many pieces they have.

4. Place the tortillas on a baking sheet

● Ask, “How many tortillas do we need so everyone in our family can have one?” or “How many tortillas do we need so everyone in our family can have two?”,

● Is there anything else in the kitchen with the same shape as the tortilla?

● What other shapes can you find in the kitchen?

5. Spread two spoonfuls of tomato sauce on the tortillas

● Let your child count as they measure and add the two spoonfuls of tomato sauce to each tortilla.

● You can also discuss what measurements that are useful in the kitchen and how their size differs. 

6. Top each tortilla pizza with cheese and your favourite pizza toppings

● Practice addition by asking, “If we add one more piece, how many are there in total?” and subtraction by asking, “If we take away one piece, how many are there in total?”.

● Ask your child to add a specific number of toppings to the pizza and let them count aloud as they add it.

● Practice pattern recognition! Ask your child to copy the toppings from one pizza to another, placing them in the same pattern using identical amounts of the toppings.

7. Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly

● Practice understanding time! Ask how long your child thinks it will take to set the table. Do they think they will have the time to do it when the food is cooking? 

8. Enjoy your meal and the notion that you and your child are practising maths together!