Ten on the Sled: A Small World STEM Invitation

Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman (Author) and Liza Woodruff (Illustrator) is a delightful counting story about animals who are having so much fun speeding down a hill on a sled. As the sled goes faster and faster, the animals tumble off one by one, then leap back on again.

This book is a wonderful counting resource that can be used in different ways depending on each child’s understanding of numbers. For children who are just beginning to count, counting books help introduce the counting word sequence, the purpose of counting, and early number words such as one, two, and three. For children with more counting experience, the story provides opportunities to practice counting, deepen understanding of counting principles, explore larger numbers, and notice numerical changes as animals fall on and off the sled.

After reading the book, we invited the children to explore a Small World STEM invitation inspired by the story. In the tuff tray, we provided Insta Snow, Excellerations® mini ice blocks, animal figurines, bottle brush trees, igloos, sleds, and engineering ramps. Children were encouraged to use their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills by counting and placing ten animals on the sled, testing whether they could keep the animals on, sliding them down ramps, building with the blocks, and experimenting through trial and error.

This open-ended play experience supported problem-solving, early math skills, and hands-on exploration while bringing the story to life.