Mathematics in textbooks and indeed in conventional classrooms is often presented as exercises or worksheets in which the mathematics itself has been processed into a form that is easily digested. This McDonald's version of mathematics ensures that the mathematical skill or technique is laid bare and typically the sole focus of attention. In this paper the mathematical focus is directed number, though the reader will soon become aware that the children's activity spans a rich panoply of disciplines. By directed number, the authors refer to positive and negative numbers. In this context, McDonald's mathematics might take the form of an exercise in which the children are presented with a series of additions of one negative number to another. Here, the authors demonstrate the difference between providing pre-processed mathematics for students and rich contexts for exploring mathematical ideas. (Contains 2 figures and 1 footnote.)