he present paper refers to a case study that involves 4- to 6-year-old children at a state kindergarten in Athens. The study examines the construction of the concept of the number through play (learning through play), and specifically through the combination of free play initiated by the child (child-initiated activities) and activities selected and organised by the educator (adult-led activities).
The theoretical framework is based on the theory of knowledge construction, according to which Maths learning is interpreted as a process either of individual construction (constructivism) or of socialisation into mathematical concepts and techniques used by the broader society (sociocultural constructivism), and is achieved through problem solving procedures which promote the child's creative abilities.
In order to record the way in which children approached the concept of the number, the observation method was used. A series of suitable activities (experiential learning situations) were also developed, through which children were led to the construction of the number by expanding their initial mathematical knowledge and applying familiar mathematical constructions to new situations. Moreover, some children improvised original board games.
When engaging with mathematical activities during preschool (regarding oral numbering - counting, recognising symbols, recognising - counting and assessing quantities, adding and subtracting from one to ten) is mostly a pleasant experience and children learn Maths through play, laughter and surprise, then their desire to learn is reinforced, while at the same time a stable basis for the development of scientific thinking is also created.
Keywords: Maths, Play, Number Construction, Preschool Education
