Full and Empty Capacity Cards: Free Printable Card Set for Reception

Full and Empty Capacity Cards is a free printable card set for Reception (ages 4 to 5). Children use cups, jugs and a bucket to fill, pour and compare. They say the words full, empty, half full and holds more while they play. It is screen free, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and answers.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, use page 1 with the children and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Page 1 is a set of cards to cut out. Each card gives a short water play challenge. Children fill a cup until it is full, make a jug empty and fill a bucket half full. They pour from one container to another, compare containers and look for things that are nearly full or nearly empty. A grown-up reads each card aloud and talks it through.

• Fill a cup until it is full
• Make a jug empty
• Fill a bucket half full
• Is the jug or the cup full first?
• Pour a cup into a jug
• Find a pot that holds more than a cup
• Find something nearly full
• Find something nearly empty
• Which holds more: a bucket or a cup?

Setting up your water play

Why capacity starts with play

Water play always needs a grown-up close by. Stay with the children for the whole activity. Use cool water only and keep the amounts small. Wipe up spills straight away because wet floors are slippery. Tell children the water is for pouring and not for drinking.

Fun facts about capacity

• Capacity means how much a container can hold.
• Capacity is often measured in litres and millilitres.
• Water takes the shape of whatever container it is in.
• Many measuring jugs have lines on the side to show amounts.
• When water is still, its top surface is flat.

Skills and curriculum link

• Capacity words
• Comparing containers
• Pouring with control
• Listening and talking
• Estimating

Ideas to help you talk about capacity

• Say the word as you pourSay full, empty or half full while the water moves. Children link the word to what they see and hear.
• Pour slowlyA slow pour gives children time to watch the level rise or fall. Ask them to say stop when they think it is right.
• Use gesturesHold your hands wide for full and turn your hands upward and empty for empty. Children copy the gesture and the word together.
• Ask what they noticeQuestions such as What do you see? and What happened to the water? get children describing in their own words.

Key words

• FullA container is full when no more can fit in.
• EmptyA container is empty when there is nothing inside it.
• Half fullA container with about half of its space filled.
• Holds moreCan have a larger amount put inside it.
• CapacityHow much a container can hold.
• PourTip a liquid out of one container into another.

How to use it

1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for the children. Keep page 2, which has notes and answers, for the grown-up.
2. Cut out the cards and set out the cups, jugs and bucket by the water. Stay close to the water the whole time.
3. Turn over the first card and read it aloud. Do the challenge together and say the capacity words as you go.
4. Let children choose the next card and try it themselves. Ask what they notice and why they chose that container.
5. Check with the notes and answers on page 2. Come back another day, because repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

Talk about it

• Is this cup full or empty? How can you tell?
• What happens to the water when you pour it into the jug?
• How can you tell when something is half full?
• Which container do you think holds more? Why?
• Can you find something nearly full? What would make it full?
• What would you change if you did the challenge again?

Take it off the page

Who it is for

Where this fits in your child's maths learning

Before this, children play freely with water, sand and containers. They begin to use words such as big, small, full and empty in everyday talk. This card set builds on that play and gives the words a clear job.

After this, children can compare containers and begin to estimate and count how many small cups fill a larger one. Later, in Key Stage 1, they learn to measure capacity using standard units such as litres and millilitres.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Full and Empty Capacity Cards for?

It is written for Reception, which is ages 4 to 5, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Younger children can join in with a grown-up, and older children can use the stretch idea.

What will children practise?

They practise capacity words such as full, empty, half full and holds more. They do this by filling, pouring and comparing cups, jugs and a bucket. They also practise listening, talking and careful pouring.

Do I need to stay with the children?

Yes. A grown-up should stay close for the whole of any water play. Use cool water in small amounts and wipe up spills quickly so the floor does not become slippery.

What if it feels too hard?

Slow down and do one card at a time. Say the words full and empty together with a gesture for each. Let the child pour with your help, and come back to the harder cards another day.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again whenever you need another copy, for example for brothers, sisters or another group.

Can teachers use it in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, a table activity or an early finisher task. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting out the cards. Page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed groups.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. The card set prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can colour the cards in if they like, though the activity works without it.