Reception Mass and Capacity – EYFS Maths Lesson Pack

Introduce key early measurement skills with this Reception maths lesson pack focused on mass and capacity. Through hands-on, practical exploration, pupils learn to compare, measure and describe weight and volume using everyday objects and meaningful contexts.

Lesson Coverage

• Compare mass – Children use balance scales and real-life objects to investigate which items are heavier or lighter.
• Make it balance – Pupils explore equality in weight, developing understanding of balance and comparing mass through playful challenges.
• Explore capacity – Using containers and materials like rice or water, pupils explore how much different vessels can hold.
• Compare capacity – Children use vocabulary such as full, empty, more and less to describe and compare volume.
• Consolidation – A final session revisits both mass and capacity concepts in practical contexts.

What Children Learn

• Compare and describe mass using terms like heavier, lighter and balance
• Explore capacity through filling, pouring and measuring with non-standard units
• Use comparative language confidently in meaningful situations
• Build the foundations for formal measurement later in Reception and Key Stage 1

Included in this EYFS maths pack:

• Interactive, animated teaching slides for each session
• Detailed lesson plans with stem sentences and key vocabulary
• Adult-led activity suggestions and enhancements for continuous provision
• Differentiated Reception mass and capacity worksheets for independent and group work

This pack is ideal for developing vocabulary and reasoning around measurement and includes everything you need for a full week of maths planning. Also includes Reception mass worksheets and Reception capacity worksheets and games, designed to support the EYFS framework and aligned with the White Rose EYFS small steps.