Fun math games for preschool
Preschool Math Games and Activities to Engage Young Learners
Preschoolers have lots of important math skills to learn before they start kindergarten. Counting, number sense, sorting, patterns, comparing size, and so much more—these are all concepts toddlers need so they can move on to more advanced math concepts. These preschool math games and activities help kids master those skills in ways that are just as fun as playtime!
1. String beads on pipe cleaners
This is one of those classic preschool math games that has so many benefits for young learners. They get fine motor control practice along with learning to count, recognize numerals, and put numbers in order. All you need are pipe cleaners and beads.
Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn
2. Monster Dice Match
Rolling dice gives kids a chance to practice counting and subitizing. Get the printable for this free matching game at the link.
Learn more: The Measured Mom—Monster Dice
3.
You’ll find lots of dice-related preschool math games out there. In this one, kids roll the dice and then stack blocks together. They finish by counting the blocks all together, an early intro to addition.
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Learn more: Hands On as We Grow
4. Flip Uno cards to make a match
Get some memory practice while you learn numerals. Uno cards, with their bright and cheery colors and large numbers, are perfect for this, but regular playing cards work too.
Learn more: Primary Playground
5. Tag the number
We love that this game gives kids a chance to move! Tape up numbers on the wall (or write them on a whiteboard). Then have kids roll a die and run to tag the number that comes up. You can play this game in other ways too, like calling out the numbers randomly yourself, or taping the numbers in a variety of places around the room.
Learn more: This Reading Mama
6.
Build a cityStack building blocks and build a city skyline. You’ll get a different result every time, making this one of those preschool math games kids can play again and again.
Learn more: Cinta + Co.
7. Race to fill the cup
So simple and so fun! Grab a bin of math cubes or small toys and some plastic cups. Kids roll a polyhedral die (you can also try flipping playing cards or Uno cards) and place that many items in their cup. The first to completely fill their cup wins!
Learn more: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls—Fill the Cup
8. Hunt for numbers
Combine a sensory experience with some number practice. Fill a bin with sand, then bury playing cards for kids to find and match up.
Learn more: Busy Toddler/Number Hunt
9. Bounce a balloon
Everyone loves playing with balloons! Roll a die, then see if you can bounce a balloon into the air that many times without letting it hit the ground.
Learn more: Confidence Meets Parenting
10.
Build a beetleThis is just like the original Cootie game, but no need to buy anything! Just cut beetle pieces from construction paper, then roll a die and see if you can be the first to assemble your bug!
Learn more: Teach Beside Me
11. Create shapes with sticks
Toddlers need to master their shapes, and this is a clever way to do it. Put together sets of wood craft sticks (use the same color for each shape) and let little fingers turn them into triangles, squares, and other shapes.
Learn more: Team Cartwright
12. Send bears into hibernation caves
Make “caves” from plastic bowls, then send little toy bears into “hibernation” in each one! Learn how the game works at the link.
Learn more: Pocket of Preschool
13. Park numbered cars
Vroom vroom! Number your toy cars to match the slots in a cardboard parking lot. Kids will have fun zooming them into the right places.
Learn more: B-Inspired Mama
14.
Line up dominoesDominoes are fantastic math learning tools. This game is a sneaky introduction to addition, as kids count up the total number of dots on each domino and put them in the proper place.
Learn more: Busy Toddler—Domino Line-Up
15. Copy ice tray patterns
Seeing and matching patterns is a key skill for preschoolers. Placing pom-poms into ice cube trays with plastic tweezers helps them work on fine motor skills too.
Learn more: Planning Playtime
16. Rubber Duck Math Race
In this game, kids race to see who can be the first to get their rubber duckies to 10 (or any number you choose). They roll a die and lay out tiles to move their duck. The twist? To get to 10 at the end, they must roll the exact number they need—no going over! Preschool math games like this help kids master counting to 10 and counting on.
Learn more: Happy Toddler Playtime—Rubber Duck Race
17. Feed the LEGO monster
Sort LEGO bricks by color, shape, or number of dots.
Then compare the number that wind up in each bag to learn the concept of “more or less.”
Learn more: Toddler Approved
18. Drop blocks into tubes
Upcycle some empty cardboard tubes by labeling them with numbers. Then drop small items like blocks or caps into the tubes to match the numbers.
Learn more: Happy Toddler Playtime—Tube Counting
19. Compare numbers to music
Prep for this game by using dot markers on paper plates as shown (visit the link below for more examples). Each kid takes a plate and uses it to “drive” around the room as you play music. When the music stops, they find a nearby partner and compare what they see on each other’s plates (e.g., “8 dots is more than 4 dots. 1 green dot is less than 4 green dots.”). Then start the music up and repeat!
20. Hold a shape scavenger hunt
Preschool math students are learning to recognize shapes in their environment and also to categorize and sort. This scavenger hunt does it all! Send them out to find objects in the room that match the shapes.
Then count and compare to see how many you have in each category.
Learn more: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls—Shape Scavenger Hunt
If you loved these preschool math games, be sure to check out 20 Simple and Fun Preschool Science Experiments and Activities.
Plus, get all the latest teaching tips and ideas when you sign up for our free newsletters!
Preschool Math Activities that are Super Fun!
If you are looking for preschool math activities then you're in luck! I gathered my favorite hands-on math activities and math center ideas for preschool and I am sharing them here!
Math skills are so important and finding playful and engaging ways to teach those skills to preschoolers is crucial. Whether you teach math to a classroom full of preschoolers or homeschool one or two at home, it's important to use hands-on math experiences.
This is a list of the best preschool math activities that I could find! I hope they will be super helpful to you.
Hands-On Preschool Math Activities
1. Roll and Dot the Number is a quick preschool math game that will teach kids to identify numbers and count while learning one to one correspondence! It is one of our favorite preschool math activities!
2. This Build and Measure Block Center is such a neat way for kids to explore measurement!
3. These Counting Bears Number Strips are a hands-on way for toddlers and preschoolers to learn numbers, counting and even colors.
4. These Tree Play Dough Numbers Mats are a great way to work on a number of math skills including counting to 10!
5. Work on color recognition and sorting with these Button Sorting Cups.
6. This Simple Fine Motor Counting Math Tray is super easy to set up and provides excellent fine motor practice too.
7. Grab your craft sticks and make these Colors and Patterns craft sticks for your math center!
8. Teaching Symmetry to Preschoolers with LEGO DUPLO is perfect for teaching symmetry to preschoolers and young kids.
9. Your kids will have a blast learning to count with Bugs in a Jar!
Preschool Math Activities that are Fun and Engaging!
10. These DIY Tactile Counting Sticks are very easy to make and are perfect for kids who are learning to count.
11. Measuring with Bear Counters is an excellent way to introduce preschoolers to measurement!
12. I love this Play Dough Geometry activity! All you need is play dough and craft sticks!
13. This Pattern Making activity only requires a few common supplies. It's a hands-on way to introduce young preschoolers to patterns.
14. Number learning is really fun with this Car Parking Numbers Game!
15. Your kids will love learning about shapes with this Preschool Shape Scavenger Hunt!
16. This Number Pocket Game is a hands-on way for young preschoolers to learn numbers.
17. This Car Color Sort math activity is a great way for kids to practice sorting while playing with cars.
18. This Smack the Number Counting Game is fun way to practice number recognition and one to one correspondence.
This was one of our favorite preschool math activities when my son was younger.
Math Activities for Preschool Math Centers
19. Make counting practice a game with this Race to Fill the Cup activity! This is a must-do when it comes to preschool math activities!
20. Finding shapes with I Spy Shape Glasses is a totally cool idea!
21. Counting and Measuring with LEGO is a fun way to work on counting, ordering and measuring numbers!
22. Take the learning outdoor with this super cool Pool Noodle Abacus!
23. This Button Counting Activity is a hands-on way for preschoolers to learn numbers and practice counting!
24. Work on fine motor skills and counting in this neat Counting beads on pipe cleaners activity!
25. Use clothespins to reinforce fine motor skills, colors and match numbers in this Hickory Dickory Dock Matching Clothespins activity!
26. This Printable Number Puzzle is a great way to work on a variety of ways to represent numbers.
27. This Play Dough Math Invitation is open-ended and will keep preschoolers busy while learning a variety of math skills.
Even More Hands-On Math Activities for Preschoolers
28. These fun Farm Animal Rainbow Counters activity helps preschoolers learn to count and compare more or less!
29. Your kids will work on direction following, ordinal numbers and important vocabulary in this Matching Paths activity!
30. Your kids will have fun counting with this Ladybug Counting Busy Bag!
31. Counting Nature is a great way to work on counting and explore nature!
32. Your kids will have a ton of fun with Play Dough Addition.
33. Exploring Symmetry with Art is an awesome idea!
34. Use a Numbered Nature Tray to encourage number skill work while exploring nature!
35. This Play Dough Color Match Learning Activity is a fun way for kids to learn colors, matching, and sorting!
36. Your kids will love these 3 Counting Bear Activities for the Balance Scale!
37.
This Counting Math Game for Kids is great for practicing one-to-one correspondence!
38. LEGO and Math combine in these LEGO Pattern Cards. A great activity to work on hands-on pattern building!
39. Counting Blocks While Building Towers is a fun way to learn with numbers!
40. These printable shapes are so inviting and are jam-packed with learning! You definitely have to add this to your list of preschool math activities to try with the kids!
Check out all of our other preschool math activities!
And because I LOVE combining literacy and math, here are 60 fantastic Math Picture Books for Preschool. Swap these in and out of your math center all year-long!
I hope this list will help you plan preschool math activities for the year ahead. I am really excited to do so many fun and engaging math activities with my kids this year!
I would love for you to share your favorite math activities for preschoolers in the comments!
Math games for preschoolers and first graders
The development of a child's mathematical abilities is one of the aspects of preparing for school.
It can be difficult for a preschooler to operate with numbers, so experts advise starting a child’s acquaintance with numbers and mathematical calculations from games. Complex and sometimes boring examples and tasks do not cause rejection in the baby when they are presented in the form of interesting colorful tasks.
If a child understands at an early age that mathematics is exciting and fun, it will be much easier for him to master the school subject. By the way, mathematical games develop not only the skills of working with numbers, but also logic and non-standard thinking. What are the mathematical games for preschoolers - in our material.
Math games for children 4-5 years old
Math games for preschoolers 4-5 years old include simple math examples for addition and subtraction within 10.
1. Math game "Labyrinth"
In this math game the child is faced with the task of seeing the pattern, going through the maze and helping the squirrel find the acorn.
Print the picture. Give the child a pencil. Let him draw a path along which the squirrel can get to the acorn.
The squirrel has started its journey. She took two steps. What is the difference between 3 and 1? How much more is it? And the number 5 compared to 3? It is desirable that the child himself see the pattern (adding 2 to each previous number). But if it doesn’t work out, don’t worry — explain. Calculate the next step together, and then let the baby go on his own.
2. Math crossword
If a child can count to 10, they may be interested in doing a math crossword.
Print out the crossword. Tell your child how to work with a mathematical crossword puzzle, how the numbers fit into it. You can explain such concepts as "horizontal" and "vertical".
Explain that each row and column must have correct equalities. Emphasize that a mathematical crossword puzzle differs from the usual example in that an unknown number can appear anywhere in it.
Show that in a crossword it is better to solve the examples not in an arbitrary sequence, but by moving from one intersection to another. And it is very important to do everything right, because a mistake in one place will lead to inaccuracies in another.
3. Mathematical game "Count the beads"
As in other examples, the picture can be printed.
There are two different tasks here.
On the left picture there are beads that you need to count and write the answers below, as shown in the first picture. Do not give the child the task right away - invite him to think about what the numbers below (in the first picture) mean. Perhaps he himself will find a correspondence between the number of beads and the number below. In this case, he will easily enter all the correct answers.
On the second, right, block of pictures, the number of beads is the same everywhere, and the number of filled beads is signed below. The kid can also guess about this on his own.
After that, he will gladly color the required number of beads in each picture.
With this activity you can explain to your child what an abacus is and how to use it.
4. Mathematical game “Take the bear to the bear cub”
Examples are written on the ice. In this game, the child must complete each task and write the answer on the ice. After that, you can pave the way of the bear to the bear cub along the ice, on which the numbers 1, 2, 3 are written, and then in order up to 10.
Math games for preschoolers 6-7 years old
Math games for children 6-7 years old are a bit more difficult and suitable for kids who can count to at least 20 and solve addition and subtraction problems in two steps.
1. Mathematical game "Insert the missing number"
The meaning of this mathematical game is to insert numbers into empty cells that come in sequence before, between or after a given number.
Thus, the child's idea of the "number line" is formed.
For convenience, you can first draw this line, on which numbers are indicated from left to right, increasing each time by one. Then the baby will understand what “before”, “between” and “after” means, and will easily do all the exercises.
2. Mathematical game “Put fruits in baskets”
Print the picture, cut out all fruits and baskets separately. The kid must solve a mathematical example that is written on a fruit and "put" it in the correct basket.
These examples show the child that the same number can be obtained in several ways.
Note that the example does not show the same number of ways to get different numbers. So, 7 is obtained by five options: 4 + 3; 7 - 0; 1+6; 2+5; 14 - 7. And 18 - three: 9 + 9; 20 - 2; 12 + 6.
Explain that there are other ways to get the number 18. Give an example or have the child come up with their own.
3. Mathematical game "Find a suitable umbrella"
In this math game, you need to match an umbrella to each cloud.
To do this, the child must solve the examples written inside the cloud and the umbrella, and then place the cloud over the desired umbrella.
In this task, you can not cut anything, but simply connect pictures with the same answer. Each cloud corresponds to one umbrella.
Math games for 1st grade
Math games for schoolchildren are suitable for children who can count up to 30, complete examples in several actions and have a basic understanding of fractions.
1. A chain of mathematical examples
On the path of the butterfly to the flower, do all the suggested actions. Some of the numbers are already in circles, others must be entered by solving the examples given above.
This math task is not for the little ones: here you need to be able to count to at least 30.
2. Math game "How much does a salad cost?"
The picture shows vegetables and their "value". Below are plates with a different set of vegetables.
Invite the child to calculate how much each salad “costs”.
3. What is the fraction in the picture?
Pictures will help explain to your child what fractions are.
The images show circles divided into equal parts. Some of them are painted over. First you need to calculate how many parts there are. Next - how many of them are painted over.
The essence of a fractional number is easy to explain in this way.
For the first example: the circle is divided into 4 parts; three out of four are shaded, i.e. three-fourths. This is referred to as 3/4.
Second example (below): there are 6 beats in the circle, four of the six are shaded - four sixths, 4/6.
Such an algorithm will allow the child to choose from the options presented the answer corresponding to each circle. To check how the kid understood the material, ask him to show an integer (not a fractional) number on one of the circles, painting over the required number of parts.
He will cope with the task if he figured out how a fractional number is formed and how a fraction differs from a whole.
Umnasia offers a large number of mathematical problems for logic and ingenuity for primary and secondary school students. All tasks are presented in the format of an interactive story game with pleasant voice acting and colorful illustrations:
- logic tasks for grade 1
- logic tasks for grade 2
- logic tasks for grade 3
- logic tasks for grade 4
- logic tasks for grade 5
Mathematics and logic for children 7-13 years old
We develop logical thinking through solving plot mathematical problems in an interactive game format
learn more
Math games for children from 4 to 6 years old
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Math games are designed for children from 4 to 6 years old to prepare a preschooler for the first mathematical knowledge and the ability to count.
Here you will find interesting colorful games in which the child will need to find and count the specified number of objects or living beings. Children of this age really like to count, especially in a playful way.
Math games online - this is the best way to instill in your child a love of mathematics. Indeed, in the form of a game, children receive any knowledge more easily, freely and with interest. The game "Find the smallest number" is designed for children from 4 years old. You need to choose the smallest number out of five...
The math game "Find the biggest number" is designed for children aged 4 and over. In this game, the child must choose the largest number out of five. The circle with the largest number must be dragged onto the square with the question mark...
Educational online math game "Put it in the basket" is made for children from 4 years old. The game is based on the child's ability to distinguish between the taste and tactile properties of objects.
For example, salty, bitter, sweet, sour, soft, hard. There are 10 tasks in the game...
New Year's game for kids "Examples up to 10" is a great opportunity to make a little fidget solve examples. It is necessary to choose only those stars in the starry New Year's sky, the numbers on which are the solution of the examples presented ...
The math game "Find the numbers" is one of the favorite games of all children. Here you must find all the letters hidden in the room. To do this, you are given a magnifying glass that will enlarge any corner of the room to which you direct it. But don't forget, you can't press the same number 2 times - you will lose all points!
The math game "Let's learn numbers from 1 to 10" is designed for children from 2 to 5 years old. Have a child sit next to you and ask him to solve these tasks. The game is more difficult because the numbers in the circles are arranged randomly, and not in order.
Educational online math game "Learn numbers from 1 to 10" is designed for children from 2 to 5 years old.
