Activities to learn numbers


125+ Engaging Number Activities for Preschool & Kindergarten

Today we have a lot of activities for learning numbers for kids that make learning fun! These activities with numbers for preschoolers and Kindergartners are great for kids learning numbers, needing number practice numbers or just fun games to learn numbers.

Let’s do some fun activities for learning numbers!

Learning Numbers for Kids

Below you will find games, free printables, crafts, and even snacks perfect for young children! We are sure that you will find a fun learning activity that your child will love.

Related: Alphabet learning

These fun math games will help make math fun, and will make them want to learn!

Counting For Kids

Learning to count and learning math shouldn’t be hard and tedious! We have gathered the vary best number activities to teach your little one no only how to count, but number recognition and other basic math skills as well.

These math games, projects, and printables are great for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders. Though, we have a few links that are great for bigger kids learning harder math like algebra!

This post contains affiliate links.

Why Is Learning Math Early Is Important?

Learning basic math skills at an early age gives kids a good foundation when they actually go to school. Without a good foundation and basic understanding of math children are more likely to struggle with learning math while they’re in school. Not to mention, introducing math early will help shape how their educational experiences later in life.

Positive math experiences will help children be excited, curious, and persistence when it comes to numbers.

Fun Number Activities & Counting Activities for Preschool & Kindergarten

Number Recognition Activities for Preschool

1. Odd and Even Numbers

Once your preschooler has recognize regular numbers, it is time to learn and recognize odd and even numbers! Don’t worry, believe it or not, there is an easy way to learn odd and even numbers.

2. Hands On Activities To Learn Numbers

Use these fun hands on activities to learn numbers, along with other educational letters. It’s fun, it’s messy, it is a great way to learn.

3. Number Jumping Game

This number jumping game will help your child learn number recognition. It’s a super cute game that not only teaches, but gets your child moving.

4. Pretend Elevator

This pretend elevator game not only promotes pretend play, but it also helps with number recognition as they have to “press” the correct floors. 

5. Star Search

Learn your numbers and to recognize them with this super cute star search number learning game. What a great way to learn number concepts and is toddler approved.

6. Number Sensory Activity

Use this super fun number sensory bin full of rice, numbered ping pong balls, and numbered spoons to not only work on fine motor skills, but to learn number recognition. Sensory and numbers, all the important things in one activity.

7. Number Recognition Game

This is a great game for long car rides. Scanning houses and signs you call a number and your little one has to find and point it out. It’s a simple number recognition game, but a lot of fun.

8. Sorting Numbers

Sort numbers using stones, wood pieces, and stones. Sorting numbers just requires you to right numbers on objects and then have plates laid out for your child to put the objects in.

9. Simple Games To Teach Number Recognition

Check out these 5 simple games to teach number recognition to your preschooler and kindergartener. They’re fun, simple, and will make learning fun.

10. Number Recognition With Sequence

Do you remember the game sequence? It’s a fun game, but it’s also a game that can help you teach your child number recognition as well.

11. Number Recognition and Ordering

Use toilet paper rolls and number stickers to teach your little one number recognition and ordering. This project is perfect for preschoolers and toddlers.

Counting Activities for 2-3 Year Olds

12. DIY Montessori Cards

Use these DIY Montessori cards and counters to help teach preschoolers count. It’s cute, easy, and each set of DIY Montessori card is themed.

13. Counting Cards

Move over deck of cards, we have even better cards! Flash cards! I love these! These free counting cards are a great way to teach your little one how to count and number recognition. Numbers for kids has never been easier!

14. Counting In Tens

Once your little one learns to count, then it is time to learn to count by 10’s and they can do just that with these super cute count by 10 alien worksheets.

15. Counting With Petals

How cute is this counting lesson! Use a sheet of paper to make to make the base of the flower and then use a dice. Once your preschooler rolls it, have then add that many flower petals on the flower. Counting with petals is a colorfully fun way to practice counting.

16. Counting Caterpillar Busy Bag

These free printable numbers are great to cut and laminate and add to a busy bag with pom poms. Your child will learn to count. This counting caterpillar busy bag is great for quiet time or as a math game.

17. Counting With Pom Poms

Start counting with pom poms and learn about graphs at the same time with this simple counting lesson.

18. Counting Beads

Use counting beads and wooden numbers to help teach your child to count. Line them up and have your child right the number down beside each group or write a number then have your kids count out the beads and sticks.

19. Throw The Dice And Draw

Throw the dice and draw that many pictures! Roll a 10? Then you need to draw 10 houses!

20. Homemade Learning Board For Toddlers

This homemade learning board for toddlers is a great way to learn how to count using cards and counters.

21. Number Games For Preschoolers

Learn to count with this super cute penguin math game. All you need is a foam die, insta-snow, and penguin rubber ducks.

22. Counting and Fine Motor Hedgehog Game

Use clay and popsicle sticks to create this counting and fine motor hedgehog game. Not only are you putting the popsicle stick in the correlating hole, which is also fine motor practice.

23. Clothespin Counting Activity

This clothespin counting activity is great for toddlers and preschoolers, and it works on fine motor skills! All you need is a jar, large popsicle sticks, and clothespin for this activity.

24. Jelly Beans For Sale

Jelly Beans for Sale is a book by Bruce McMillan and a great way to introduce a new type of counting. Counting money!

Counting Games For Preschoolers

25. Counting and Colors

Make a counting and colors busy bag full of colorful shapes with numbers on them. Then have your child count the numbers and add the correct number of clothes pins.

26. Cinco Calabazas

Cinco Calabazas is a fun little song that teaches children to count the 5 little pumpkins.

27. Number Counting Activities

Looking for more counting activities? Here are 50 great ideas on easy and fun ways to teach your child how to count.

28. Counting With A Remote Control Car

Using blocks to create a maze learn your numbers while trying to get your remote control car out of the maze!

29. I Caught A Fish Alive

This counting song is super cute and will encourage your little one to count on their fingers from one to ten.

30. Learning Double Digits

Once your child can count 1-10, then it is time to learn double digits and you can do just that with this double digits counting project.

31. Pretend Play To Learn Counting

Use pretend play to learn counting by using a toy register. Count out money, push buttons, and count back change.

32. Christmas Counting Correlation

Work on counting using paper, basic drawings, and snowflake glitter with this cute Christmas counting correlation activity.

33. Counting Snowmen

Learn counting with this super cute counting snowmen activity. Keep adding “snowballs” to the snowman’s body based on the number.

34.

Pretend Play To Learn Counting

Use pretend play to learn counting by using a toy register. Count out money, push buttons, and count back change.

35. Poke and Peg

This poke and peg counting game is a fun way to teach your kids numbers 1-9. Stick wooden dowels into clay and clip numbers on the correct number of dots.

36. Flower Counting Cards

These are so pretty, I love them! These flower counting cards have the stems, but your toddler or preschooler has to add the correct number of flowers to each card.

37. Bakery Counting Game

This bakery counting game a great way to teach your kid how to count money. Each “bakery item” has a number on it. Have bowl of coins ready and let your child count out how much they need for each treat.

38. Abucus Counting

Use an abucus to learn to count. You can incorporate the use of the abucus while you’re singing through fun number songs.

39. Punch By Number

Don’t worry, by punch we mean with a paper punch! Use strips of paper with numbers on them and paper punches to learn how to count. This punch by number is actually really cute, but also works on fine motor skills as well.

40. Reuse Playdough Containers To Count

Learn to count and numbers by using marked playdough cups. Fit on into the other, and the lip hangs out and you can turn it to see different numbers.

41. Counting With Nature

Trace a number on a piece of paper and then count out different things in nature and place it on the paper. Like 3 sticks, 3 acorns, 3 shells, etc. Counting with nature is also a good way to get outside to gather all the counting tokens.

42. How To Teach Numbers Using LEGOs

How to teach numbers using LEGOs? Easy! Add the number, the correct amount of dots, and the number word! This not only teaches your child to count, but word recognition as well.

Counting Games For Preschoolers

43. Counting Bottle Bowling Game

Save your plastic bottles, get some paint, and a small beach ball and get bowling with this super easy and fun counting bottle bowling game.

44. Math Games For Preschoolers

Wanting to teach kids to count money? Learn math facts? Looking for some counting games? Dice games? There are so many math games to choose from!

45. Frog and Lily Pad Math Games

Cut out lily pads with paper and number them. Then let your little one decorate them with the right amount of stickers before they get to act like a little frog and jump across them all with this fun frog and lily pad math game.

46. Online Number Recognition Activities For Preschool

Whether you’re learning to count, add, substract, fractions, or algebra, these are the best math apps for struggling students. This will make learning math fun again.

47. Monster Match Game

Print off this monster match game, grab some counters, and a d6, and start learning! This is a great way to learn to count and to learn number recognition.

48. Race To 10 Scoops Math Game

How cute is this math game? Race to 10 scoops math game is a free printable and great for preschoolers and kindergarteners, and requires more than 1 player.

49. Math Games For Elementary Kids

Math is hard. Ditch curriculum and play math games! These math games for elementary kids is a great way to learn the basics, to learn decimals and fractions, as well as others.

50. Preschooler Counting Card Game

This preschooler counting card game is easy to make and can easily teach your child more or less. Take 2 cards and ask your toddler which has more or which has less.

51. Number Stomp

This number stomp game is a great way to learn numbers and have fun! Learn addition and subtraction and then jump on the bag with the answer!

52. Pom Pom Drop

Learn addition with this pom pom drop math game. Give your child a number plus another number and have them put that many in the first tube and second tube and count the answer.

53. Counting Math Games

I love this! Roll a foam dice and add that many counters into a bowl. I think this is one of the cuter counting math games.

54. Math Facts Game

This math facts game will teach number recognition, addition, subtraction, and multiplication, equation memory, and more.

55. Math Discovery Box

Fill a plastic bin with either salt or sugar and stick pages beneath it. Then your child will use a brush to move the sugar or salt around the math discovery box to find shapes and numbers.

56. Dice Game

Use this dice game to teach your child numbers 1-6 as well as number recognition. They’ll roll the dice, count the pips, and then tap the correct number on the wall.

57. Comparing Uno Cards

Comparing Uno cards is a cute game and fantastic way to learn greater than and less than.

58. Truffula Tree Math Games

This fun truffula tree math game is inspired by Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. All you need is pom poms, pipe cleaners, clay, and bottle caps.

59. Super Hero Math Game

Play this fun super hero math game, to not only learn how to count, but to catch the villain!

60. Rummikub Math

This is a great way to not only learn math, but spend time with the family! Plus, these Rummikub math pieces are actually candy!

61.

Weights, Lengths, Shapes, and Time

Play these different games to learn about weights, lengths, shapes, and time. Each game is different and requires different items, but your preschooler or elementary student will have a blast.

62. Dump Truck Counting Game

How many dominoes can a dump truck hold? Find out with this fun dump truck counting game that not only teaches about math, but also physics.

63. HiHo! Cherry-O Inspired Game Night

Use HiHo! Cherry-O to learn to count, addition, and subtraction. Take or add fruit to the tree and you can add different operation symbols and numbers to make it more challenging.

64. Train Track Number Hunt

Stop around the track and different stations to hunt down different numbers to add to your train with this train track number hunt. It’s actually super cute.

65. Learning Numbers With Hopscotch

Did you know you can learn numbers with hopscotch? You can! Set out the number tiles and get jumping!

66.

Learn Numbers With Chutes and Ladders

By adding a new rule to Chutes and Ladders, you can turn a beloved children’s game into a fun math lesson.

Numbers Worksheets for Preschoolers & Kindergartners

67. M&M Math

Learn math with these M&M math sheets. Count (and taste) M&M’s, write numbers, add, subtract, and multiply with these free worksheets.

68. Printable Colored Fish

Print and laminate these printable colored fish with paper clips. Add them to a tub and have your child “go fishing.” Tell them which color and number fish to fish up.

69. Romping & Roaring Number Set 15

This romping and roaring number set has 25+ math worksheets included. These math worksheets are great for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

70. Free Car Games For Kids

Print these free car games for kids. You will be looking for the numbers on the signs, assign place value, and find which numbers are more or less.

71. Beach Pail Number Recognition

Print off these free counting printable to help your child learn number recognition up to 20!

72.

Romping & Roaring Number 9, 10, 11, 12

There are so many math worksheets! Learn about matching, trace word and numbers, match number and pictures, count and circle, and more!

73. Number Tracing Worksheets

Learn numbers and practice fine motor skills. There are number tracing worksheets for numbers 1-10.

74. Candy Corn Printable

This candy corn printable is not only free, but is a super fun math sheet. You have to circle the right number of candy corns!

75. Learn To Count Printable

This learn to count printable will teach your toddler or preschooler how to count to ten.

76. Free Printable Counting Mats

This free printable counting mats are so cute, they look like little bird nests with numbers on them. Add glass beads to the nest bases on the number on the printable.

77. Preschool Printables

These preschool printables are actually super cute and will teach your kids how many!

78. Connect The Dots With Numbers

Does your child love connect the dots? Not only are they great problem solving activities, but these connect the dots with numbers teach you to count, and work on fine motor skills.

79. Montessori Greater Than Less Than

Learn greater than and less than with this Montessori alligator themed math printable.

80. Printable Counting Book

A printable counting book is a must have to teach your preschool and kindergarten children to identify and naming numbers. What a great way to learn number identification.

81. Free Farm Grid Games

Farm grid games are a free printable that support basic math skills while making learning fun. It is a great way to learn addition.

82. Lady Bug Counting Cards

These lady bug counting cards are a fun way to learn to count. Clip clothes pins on the correct numbers or laminate and circle the numbers, there is no wrong way to do them. This is a wonderful way to build a strong foundation in education and practice counting skills.

83. Printable Math Games

This printable math game is super cute and requires you to wrap yarn around reaching the next number in line.

84. Free Romping & Roaring Number Pack 16

This number pack has even more math worksheets that includes: tracing numbers, color by number, find the number, number dice, and more!

85.

Number Words

Learn to count and number words with this super simple printable. This is great for toddlers to first graders.

86. Sorting Game

This school bus sorting game is super simple. Print out the school bus and then use sticky notes to count all the windows from 1-5.

87. Counting Flowers

Print off this number circles page and use petals to fill in the dots. You could also use small silk flowers for this counting flowers worksheet.

88. Number Coloring Pages

Print off these number coloring pages! Not only are they a ton of fun, but your kids will be learning numbers 1-10.

89. Learning Numbers Game

Learning numbers has never been easier with this free printable. Print it out and then fold it to look like a paper fortune teller for math fun.

90. Five Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed

Learn numbers with this five little monkey jumping on the bed printable to go along with the song.

91. Free Ice Cream File Folder Game

This free ice cream file folder game helps your child count in a fun way as they count the colorful sprinkles on each cone.

92. Free Kite Number Cards

Have your child count the kites on theses free kite number cards and then use a clothes pin to clip the correct answer.

93. Free Printable Blank 100 Grid

Use this free printable blank 100 grid to learn about number patterns, counting to 100, counting by 5’s and 10’s and more! Don’t worry this isn’t a number line, but a grid. It’s a fun activity that teaches important skills and bigger numbers. Perfect for preschool children and kindergarten kids.

94. Preschool Ladybug Counting Activity

Count the different colored lady bugs with these free printable counting cards and use a clothes pin to clip the right answer.

95. Free Printable Dump Truck Counting Mat

This dump truck counting mat is so cute. You use a number card to show you how many LEGOs you need to load into the dump truck.

96. Romping & Roaring Number 13

This number 13 printable pack has all things number 13 with over 40 pages like: playdough mats, number tracing, number writing practice, and more!

97.

Match & Count Free Printable Math Cards

Match the cards with the pictures to their corresponding numbers with these free printable math cards.

98. Flower Coverall

This flower coverall game is so cute! Grab these printables, pom poms, and a paper clip. This is a fun and simple way to teach basic math skills like addition.

99. Math Store Printables

Use these math printables to label prices on your pretend store. This is a great way to teach your child how to count money.

100. Free Count, Rhyme, Repeat E-Books

Download these free math e-books to help your child count, rhyme, and more. Math can be fun with this pages that depict numbers, animals, and forests. These are not a nursery phyme, but a great activity and lots of fun.

101. Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To Worksheets

Work on greater than, less than, equal to worksheets using pony beads. This worksheet is free and great for kindergarten kids and even first graders.

102.

Gingerbread Man Kindergarten Math Facts Printables

Learn math facts using these super cute and simple gingerbread math printables. This is wonderful for little kids.

103. Romping & Roaring Number 14 Printable Pack

This romping and roaring number 14 pack has 40 pages that include: follow the number path, color by size number, roll and count numbers, and more.

104. Learning Numbers With A Free Printable Chart

Looking for more math fun for younger children. This free printable number chart may seem simple, but using stones with numbers on it can teach your little one to not only count, but letter recognition as well. 

105. Race To 100 Printable Sheets

This race to 100 game is a fun game that multiple children can play. All you need are tokens and dice to play this number game.

106. Printable Numbers Memory Game

These printable numbers memory game is a little more tricky. You have the actual number, the word, and then pictures. You have to match the printable numbers with the picture cards.

107. Pete The Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Print out this shirt so your child can count Pete the Cat’s four groovy buttons while you read them the book!

Learn the Numbers with Counting Activities At Home

108. Number Houses

Use recycled bottles to create number houses. Decorate them and add numbers to them and then promote pretend play by driving numbered cars to their numbered homes.

109. Math Art For First Graders

Learn about patterns and numbers with coloring! This math art for first graders is perfect for first graders and is a fun way to not only learn about patterns, but to color as well.

110. Playdough Number Activity

Use a white table cloth and draw incomplete faces on it and let your child use playdough to make faces! Some of these faces will need 2 eyes, or 1 mouth, 1 nose, 4 freckles. This playdough number activity teaches part of the face and counting!

111.

Playdough Math Activity

Plates, playdough, and foam dice is all you need for this fun playdough activity. Learn to count and number recognition with this simple math activity.

112. Math Fraction Art Project

Construction paper, glue sticks, and scissors is all you need to make fraction art! Fractions can be difficult to learn, and this is a super cute way to make it easy.

113. Mobius Strip

A mobius strip may look like a simple curly piece of ribbon or paper, but a mobius strip is a surface with a boundary. There is even a parametric equation for the mobius strip.

114. Counting With Yertle The Turtle By Dr. Seuss

Make your own turtles, and enjoy a Dr. Seuss story while you learn to count! This Yertle the Turtle math craft is super cute.

115. En Aquel Prado

En Aquel Prado is a fun animal counting story based on a poem. This is not only something fun to read, but after your child can draw out the story using the right number of animals.

116. Math Picture Book Activities

Make your own math picture book and add numbers, sticks, and other fun math crafts to each page.

117. Five Little Speckled Frogs

Five Little Speckled Frogs is a cute little preschool counting song. But once you’re done counting, don’t forget to make your own little frogs complete with flies!

118. Fun Edible Numbers

Learn about numbers, number recognition, with this fun edible numbers recipe. Each number is a delicious soft pretzel! Yum!

119. Number Cookies

Bake cookies, but each number cookie has a number of chocolate chips on it. Not only will this help with counting and number recognition, but they’re delicious!

120. DIY Number Gems

These DIY number gems are color, sparkly, and a great way to learn about numbers or use as token for other math games and math worksheets.

121. DIY Dice

Need a dice for your math games? Make your own DIY dice using stickers, paper, tape, and cardboard. Make your own board game!

122. Bottle Top Calculator

This is a cute little game that you can make using cardboard, markers, bottle lids, and stickers. This will help with letter bottle top calculator recognition!

Learn About Numbers with Counting Activities For 3-4 Year Olds

123. Number Chart

Use a number chart that goes to 100 and use number tabs to help your little one learn about number patterns.

124. Shapes and Money

Use coins to learn math! You can learn about shapes and money at the same time with this shape lesson. Make patterns, shapes within shapes, and more. Learn real life skills, counting, and other math ideas like larger numbers.

125. Homemade Puzzle

Make this homemade puzzle to learn to count. Not only is it a picture puzzle, everyone loves Mickey Mouse, but your preschooler and kindergartener will be able to count up to 16.

126. Train Counting Puzzle

What a fantastic way to learn early math skills. This train counting puzzle is so cute and helps your child not only learn to count, but problem solving as well.

127. Counting Popsicle Stick Puzzle 

Not only will this counting popsicle stick puzzle help your preschooler learn numbers 1-10, but it also doubles as an art project. This is a great way to build your preschooler or kindergarten kid’s knowledge of numbers.

128. Estimation Jar

Estimation is a math term that is kind of like a puzzle. You’re guessing how many their are and these estimation jar will give your child a great way to practice estimating. This is one of the best number sense activities. 

Beginner Pre Number Activities

129. Free Montessori Math Videos

Want more preschool math activities? These free Montessori math videos will give you some math help. Not in the sense of teaching you to count, but will help you put together a proper math lesson for your child.

130. Counting In The Garden Book And Others

Using books like: Counting In The Garden, One Whole Bunch, Nana’s Garden, From The Garden…and others are great to teach your kids how to count.

131. Learning Numbers With Counting Bears

What a great introduction to counting. If you’ve gotten some counting bears hoping to help your child learn, we have a list of different ways to use them to make learning numbers fun and easy.

132. Counting Ideas

Need more ideas for your toddler, preschooler, or kindergartener’s math lesson plan? These counting ideas vary from writing, counting, worksheets, playdough, and more.

133. Intuitive Math Skills

Wanting to know how you can encourage early intuitive math skills? There are so many good tips and tricks on how to do just that. This is one of my favorite fun number activities.

134. Hands-On Math Projects

We found some great preschool number activities. Want some hands-on math projects for your lesson plan? There 6 math projects are great for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

135. Get Preschoolers Excited For Math

Check out these early math concepts. Looking for ways to get preschoolers excited for math? Here are 20 amazing tips to do just that.

136. Math Picture Books For Kids

Do you need some supplements for your math lessons? These math picture books are absolutely perfect! Preschool kids will love these fun activities.

More Educational Activities For Kids From Kids ACtivities BLog:

Kids are naturally curious and love to learn more than just numbers! Nurture their minds with these educational crafts and activities

  • Free Educational Apps for Kids
  • Lego Balance Scale STEM Project
  • Flashlight Solar System
  • 25 Fun Weather Activities and Crafts
  • 10 Fun Math Games for Kids!
  •  Super Fun Math Games
  • Fraction Game: Cookie Math
  • FREE Printable Math Activities
  • Fun math games

Comment below with your family’s favorite number crafts and activities! 

40 Awesome Number Activities for Preschoolers

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16 Dec

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Number activities for preschoolers don't have to be boring and just worksheets, make them fun so your preschooler will love math!

I love math. I’m a nerd, yes. But I love anything to do with numbers.

I really do hope I can pass this along to my kids by making learning activities about numbers and counting fun for them and not a chore.

As I’m typing this, Henry’s shouting excitedly as he’s counting how many things on his sprayer…though I’m not really sure what he’s counting exactly. He made it to 39 though!

Because I’m a huge math nerd I searched for easy and fun number activities for preschoolers.

My Favorite 40+ Number Activities for Preschoolers!

Try these activities to help preschoolers learn their ABCs!

Recognizing Numbers Activities for Preschoolers

Identifying numbers can be a learning experience for preschoolers (and younger!). Many of the ABC recognition activities can also be adjusted for numbers.

My kids love these 12 number activities for preschoolers to recognize numbers.

  1. Turn a number into sensory art – perfect for the 100th day of school!
  2. Go on a hunt for numbers and match it with the same number!
  3. Follow a number from start to finish in a maze.
  4. Trace numbers, really big!
  5. Little Family Fun created a parking lot with numbers.
  6. Pop! Find the number and pop it!
  7. Find and match playing cards.
  8. Have target practice with water balloons and numbers, like Motherhood on a Dime
  9. Make art! Do this paint by number canvas art.
  10. Use stickers and printable number cards to play hide and seek, from Teach Mama.
  11. Draw and paint over numbers with q-tips, like Toddler at Play!
  12. Clip and match with giant numbers from You’ve Got This Math!
Activities for Number Recognition

Counting Activities for Preschoolers

Learning there’s a sequence to the numbers and what comes next. Try these 18 number activities to help preschoolers learn to count.

  1. Connect the dots! A simple past-time activity that reinforces the order of numbers.
  2. Upcycle a box into a puzzle of numbers!
  3. Create a maze of numbers to drive through. Can they count their way to the end?
  4. Stacking up boxes and counting how high you can go!
  5. Make a craft together with multiple pieces. Have your child do the counting!
  6. Count cars of a particular color while on the road, or semis, or vans, whatever suits their interest!
  7. Create a learning game with your ABC mat and number blocks. Choose a number block and pound the corresponding times with a hammer on the corresponding number mat!
  8. Let your child run an experiment and measure how much something holds! How many cups fit?
  9. Make puzzles with a picture. Label sections of the puzzle in numerical order. Cut apart and have your child put it back together again, from Growing in PreK.
  10. Use friendly animal crackers to practice counting and number recognition, like I Can Teach My Child.
  11. Measure objects (or yourself!) and count how big they are, from The Imagination Tree
  12. Count objects around the house. No Time For Flash Cards wants to know “How many doors do you have?”
  13. Play any board game, or make your own! Little Family Fun creates a fish race game!
  14. Count with LEGO! Do Play Learn likes to label a paper with numbers and count out the LEGO next to it.
  15. Snack time! Use dice and fruit snacks and play until you eat them all up, like Kids Activities Blog.
  16. Have a bean bag toss on the stairs, number them!
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Counting Activities for Preschoolers

One to One Correspondence Activities for Preschoolers

Knowing your numbers is one thing and knowing how to count is another. But being able to put them into context that they each have meaning is done with one to one correspondence.

Get ready for preschool with 35 name activities!

I love these 12 number activities that help a preschool practice one to one correspondence.

  1. Head out into nature and explore flowers. Count and compare flower petals! 
  2. Go on a hunt for a number and match it to its corresponding dots.
  3. Build towers of blocks on a number mat, with the correct number of blocks high!
  4. Spark your child’s interest with their interests! A farming approach of loading grain bins with the corresponding number of pieces of “grain.
  5. Have a newspaper throwing game and count up the newspaper balls, or how many you make, or miss!
  6. Make something in the kitchen together, or do an experiment and let your child measure out and do the counting.
  7. Sort through objects by color, and count how many you have of each!
  8. Fill a dump truck with objects (like Dominoes!) and count how many you can fit in there, like Inspiration Laboratories.
  9. Estimate first for some fun and then count item, from Teach Preschool.
  10. Have a counting race in the front yard and pick dandelions in the process!
  11. Roll a die (or two!) and practice one to one correspondence as kids build towers with blocks.
  12. Use a dice and small objects (like pom poms or corn kernels) and count them and fill up a tray.
One to One Number Activities for Preschoolers

Counting and number books that will get preschoolers excited about numbers:

  • The Baker’s Dozen: A Counting Book
  • I Spy Numbers
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Lesson 4. Studying numbers

Any teaching of counting and numbers should always begin with the assimilation of elementary quantitative concepts, such as "a lot", "little", "more", "less", "equal", etc. And children easily understand them even at a toddler age. Your main parental task is simply to help them with this. The skills of quantitative comparison can be formed in the process of everyday life. So, together with the baby, you can compare the number of sweets or sandwiches, apartments on the playgrounds and steps on the stairs, pigtails and bows for girls, etc. However, it is not necessary to take on large groups of objects at once, because everything should start small. nine0003

After mastering quantitative concepts, it's time for the baby to get acquainted with the world of numbers. As you already know, this should happen in an interesting and exciting way for the child, for which the methods we discussed in the first lessons should be applied.

It is necessary to tell the baby about numbers slowly and without trying to “load” as much information into the child as possible. To begin with, master the numbers of the first ten so that they are well remembered and assimilated, and also so that their order is clear. All this should be done unobtrusively, doing ordinary household chores. Count how many people are at home, how many cups are on the table, how many windows are in the apartment, how many buttons are on the jacket, etc. nine0003

When acquaintance with the world of numbers is completed, you can begin to analyze the composition of the number and solve simple problems.

Content:

  • How to introduce a child to the composition of the number
  • Additional tips and tricks

How to introduce a child to the composition of the number

As you know, all numbers, except for one, can be decomposed into other numbers. For example, a two can be decomposed into two ones, a three can be decomposed into two and not a one, etc. This should be understood as the composition of the number, and it must be explained at the moment when the child has mastered the count in order. nine0003

The fact is that when parsing numbers into components, the kid will immediately master the skill of solving simple examples. For example, having understood for himself that the number "3" is not only "1", 1" and "1", but also "2" and "1", he will automatically understand that if you add two and one, you get three .

When you teach your little one to fold, make sure he doesn't fold dissimilar objects.

Among other things, it is possible to teach a child the composition of numbers using special methods. We will discuss one of them below. nine0003

To implement the method, you need to prepare:

  • Number composition cards*
  • Large number of cubes, balls or other identical objects
  • Checkers of different colors (the same colored buttons may also work)

*An example of a card for the composition of the number

As soon as the didactic material is ready, classes can begin. The algorithm is as follows:

  • For the first lesson, prepare the previously selected counting objects. Size and appearance don't matter. The main thing is that the objects belong to the same category. You need to start the lesson with the number "2". Ask your toddler to put one object on the table, and then ask what it takes to make two objects. If the child finds it difficult to answer, be sure to give hints. Also ask what numbers you can use to make the number "2". Follow the process with leading questions. nine0016
  • Take other objects and repeat the task with them. The young bookkeeper must understand that the number "2" will always consist of two units, regardless of what objects he manipulates.
  • When it becomes clear that the number "2" is mastered, immediately begin to work with the number "3". The composition of this number can already be represented by three options: "1 + 1 +1", "1 + 2" and "2 + 1". Lay out objects in front of the baby in a variety of variations, but with one feature: if you are considering the option of adding three units, the path of each object lies at the same distance from each other; if you are considering the option of adding one and two, then two objects should lie side by side, and one should be at a distance from them. This will allow the baby not to get confused and understand what is required of him. After mastering the triple, move on to the next numbers. nine0016
  • Classes with checkers are performed in parallel with classes with toys, or separately from them. The task is simple: ask the child to put four identical checkers in front of him (or on the checkers board). Then ask, how many checkers will there be if you add two black and two white checkers? The point is to show that the same number can be represented in several ways (in this case, regardless of color).
  • Before working with cards for the composition of the number, you need to purchase them or make them yourself. Such cards come in different modifications, and it will be good if you also have two options. The first set consists of cards cut into two halves. On one half one object is depicted, and on the other - 1, 2, 3 - 9similar objects (by the way, halves can be connected with a “+” sign, but it is useful to have a separate “+” sign, as well as a separate “-” sign). The second set of cards is a set of pictures, where the same objects are shown in one set, i.e. without any division. The algorithm for using cards is expressed in demonstrating them to a child. It must match numbers with the number of objects, add and subtract objects. Don't forget to prepare separate number cards.
  • Show your child a card with, for example, five objects. Ask them to pick up the rest of the pictures so that they make up the number five. Here it is also convenient to change roles, i.e. from time to time ask the child to give tasks to you, and you are not too lazy to complete them, and sometimes it’s worth making mistakes on purpose so that the baby controls your actions and points out what you are doing wrong. nine0016
  • Exactly the same task can be done using number cards. For example, you can show the child a card with the number "7", and let him add the rest of the cards so that he gets the same number in different versions. Subsequently, move on to more complex numbers (more than ten), explaining to the baby that the larger the number, the more options there are for compiling it.

You need to conduct classes systematically, but you should not be too zealous. Twice a day for 20-25 minutes will be more than enough. Already after 1.5-2 months of such classes, your child will sufficiently master the composition of the number and learn how to perform basic mathematical operations. But to increase the chances of success, in addition to the proposed method, you can use our recommendations. nine0003

Additional tips and tricks

When introducing numbers to your child (and teaching them how to count in general), try to pay as much attention as possible to your child's behavior. The most common phenomena during classes are distractibility and inattention. Almost always, this indicates that the baby has lost interest in the process and new information is no longer perceived by him.

It is not necessary to stop the home lesson in order to correct the situation. Sometimes it can be helpful to simply review what has already been learned. Having remembered the familiar material, having completed several tasks and making sure that everything works out for him, the child will be interested again and will be ready to learn new knowledge. nine0003

Don't chase results - teach your child at a moderate pace and give information gradually. Contrary to an erroneous opinion, this does not at all slow down the development of a small student, because a small amount of knowledge is fixed more firmly, which means that the transition to new topics is not far off.

Arithmetic problems become much more interesting for preschool children if they use toys, games, coins, colorful counting sticks. First, count them yourself, saying the numbers out loud, and then ask the child to repeat after you. nine0003

It will be great if you make the exercises as spectacular as possible. You can build paths from coins, make towns and pyramids from cubes, lay out cards and pictures in a variety of ways. By adding and removing objects, you will teach your child to count forward and backward, add and subtract, correlate numbers and amounts. Having acquired such skills at preschool age, as well as having figured out the composition of the number, the child will be much easier to cope with school math assignments and quickly learn the multiplication table (we will also talk about how to do this even before school in one of the lessons ). nine0003

Regular classes perfectly develop logical, spatial, objective and abstract-figurative thinking, thanks to which a small student will be able to show good results already at 3-4 years old.

The topic of mastering the composition of the number and the simplest numbers, as you have noticed, is quite small and uncomplicated. It is somewhat more difficult to teach a child to count up to 20 and up to 100. In the sixth lesson, we will introduce you to effective principles for teaching children to count and offer several effective methods for teaching children to count to 10, to 20 and to 100, as well as to make calculations in a column. nine0003

Test your knowledge

If you would like to test your knowledge on the topic of this lesson, you can take a short test consisting of several questions. Only 1 option can be correct for each question. After you select one of the options, the system automatically moves on to the next question. The points you receive are affected by the correctness of your answers and the time spent on passing. Please note that the questions are different each time, and the options are shuffled.