Math games for kindergarten at home
Kindergarten Math Games That Make Learning Fun from the Start
Looking for ways to make math fun for young learners? Check out these kindergarten math games! They teach all the basic math skills kindergartners need to master and are sure to engage every kid in the learning process.
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1. Conquer cardinality with penguin dominoes
Kindergarten math students work to master cardinality, understanding that written numerals correspond to the number of items pictured. These free printable penguin dominoes make the concept fun to practice.
Learn more: Playdough to Plato
2. Put together puzzles to gain number sense
Kindergarten math students learn to understand that numbers can be represented in a variety of ways. These free printable puzzles help them practice those skills.
Learn more: Tickled Pink in Primary
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This free printable game helps little ones master their numbers from 11 to 20, both as numerals and represented on ten-frames.
Learn more: The Measured Mom
4. Stack cups and count to 100
Kids love stacking things, so they’ll get a kick out of kindergarten math games that make use of stackable cups. This one has them doing it with 100 cups while they count! Turn it into a competition by putting them in teams and timing them to see who can finish the task the fastest.
Learn more: Kindergarten Smorgasboard/100 Cups
5. Visit the skip-counting store
How fun is this? Grab some toys and label them with price tags in increments of 10 cents. Give kids a handful of plastic dimes, and have them count out the amount needed for each “purchase.”
Learn more: Creative Family Fun/Skip Counting Store
6. Have a rubber duck 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! Kindergarten math games like this one are terrific for practicing counting on, basic addition, and making 10.
Learn more: Happy Toddler Playtime
7. Practice counting on with cards and dice
Remove the face cards from a deck of playing cards and grab a pair of dice. The first player turns over a card and then rolls the dice. The number on the dice indicates how far they “count on” from the card. (For example, a player turns over a three and rolls a four. They say, “Three: four, five, six, seven.”) If the player gets it right, they keep the card, and the other player(s) get a turn.
Learn more: Creative Family Fun/Counting On
8. Skip-count with craft sticks
There are endless ways to use craft sticks in the classroom. For this game, number a series of colorful sticks by fives, as shown. Kids can practice by putting them in order first.
Then, have a student draw a stick and count on by fives from that number to 100—if they draw 75, they then count 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100. If they get it right, they keep the stick, and the next player takes a turn.
Learn more: Simply Kinder
9. Match teen numbers
Once they’ve mastered the numbers 1 to 10, it’s time to understand how those numerals add up to make bigger numbers. These free printable cards show numerals and matching bundles of sticks that deconstruct each teen number into tens and ones.
Learn more: The Kindergarten Connection
10. Compare numbers with dominoes
Kindergartners learn to compare numbers to determine which is larger and which smaller. Stacking math cubes based on the numbers on dominoes is a fun, hands-on way to compare the two numbers side by side, making it easier to see the difference.
Learn more: My Fabulous Class
11. Face off and compare numbers
You’ll need some small toys for this game, as well as polyhedral dice.
Kids roll and place the number of items on their side. Then, they compare the two to see which is bigger.
Learn more: Natalie Lynn Kindergarten
12. Make 10 with two-sided chips
You’ll need counting chips that are a different color on each side for this activity. Kids shake up 10 chips in a cup and pour them out on the table. Then they see how many they have of each color and write that number bond to make 10.
Learn more: First Grade Fairytales
13. Throw snowballs to make 10
Make “snowballs” from paper (or any way you like), then place them in a bucket at one end of the room. Start kids out by having them toss snowballs into another bucket until they reach 10 (or any target number). Then, up the challenge by placing some snowballs in each bucket and have kids figure out how many more they need to toss in to make 10.
Learn more: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls—Snowball Math Games
14. Use Uno cards to play addition war
In the card game War, players each flip an Uno card, and the one whose card is greatest takes them both.
In this twist on one of our favorite kindergarten games, players each flip two cards. They then use counting blocks to represent the numbers and count on or add to find the sum. The largest sum wins the hand, and play continues.
Learn more: Planning Playtime—Addition Game
15. Roll and add for fluency within 5
Kindergarten math students work to become fluent in adding and subtracting within 5. This free printable board game makes it fun!
Learn more: Liz’s Early Learning Spot
16. Get four in a row and learn place value
This customizable game helps teach the early place-value concept of tens plus ones. Get it for free at the link.
Learn more: Two Boys and a Dad
17. Bowl and subtract within 10
Set up a toy bowling pin set (or make one from plastic bottles or toilet-paper tubes). Kids bowl and see how many pins they knock down, subtracting that number from 10. Then they repeat, this time subtracting from the previous answer.
First to get to zero wins!
Learn more: Planning Playtime—Subtraction Worksheets
18. Get off my boat!
So simple, so engaging, so fun! Use tape to outline a boat shape on the floor (or try this outside with sidewalk chalk). Let some kids board the “boat,” then make some get off. Use those numbers to write a subtraction number sentence and solve the equation!
Learn more: Kindergarten Smorgasboard—Get Off My Boat!
19. Drive and 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 then 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. Build a weigh station
Use a hanger and plastic cups to build a super-simple weigh station.
Kids will love dropping items into the cups to see which weighs more or less. Turn it into a game by having them try to guess which object weighs more first or how many of one item equals another.
21. Battle it out in ribbon war
Looking for kindergarten math games that teach non-standard measurement? This idea is fun and easy. Cut colorful ribbons into a variety of lengths and place them in a bag. Each student pulls a ribbon from the bag. Then, put students in pairs and have them compare their ribbons to identify the longer one. The student with the longer ribbon keeps both, and the game continues.
22. Hold a shape scavenger hunt
Kindergarten 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
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Hop along a shapes mazeUse sidewalk chalk to lay out a shape maze on the playground or driveway. Choose a shape and hop from one to the next, or call out a different shape for every jump!
Learn more: Creative Family Fun—Shape Maze
24. Make a match to learn shapes
Grab these free printable memory cards at the link. Then play and learn the basic shapes.
Learn more: Life Over C’s
25. Guess the mystery shapes
Work on geometry terms like “sides” and “vertices” when you sort shapes using these attributes. Start by placing 3D shapes into paper bags and asking students questions like “The shape in this bag has 4 sides. What could it be?”
Learn more: Susan Jones Teaching
Love these kindergarten math games? You’ll also enjoy these 50 Kindergarten Math Word Problems of the Day!
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Math Activities for Kindergarten at Home
Teaching math to your Kindergarten child at home can be a lot of fun! Children in this age group are excited, eager learners who learn best through hands-on activities and exploration.
This post will give you many ideas for teaching math to kindergarteners at home through fun, hands-on activities!
The hands-on math activities in this post include ideas for learning numbers, making 10, shapes, patterns and measurement—all of which are important foundational math skills for children between the ages of 3 – 6 years old to develop.
Just before we get started, you’ll want to grab your FREE Kindergarten Number Bundle! This amazing resource includes colour-by-number colouring pages, making 10 frames with fun activities, AND number formation rhymes.
Kindergarten math at home can be a lot of fun with these hands-on activities! Most of these ideas use basic craft supplies and learning manipulatives you may already have.
Number Activities for Kindergarten at Home
Play Dough Numbers – This fun playdough numbers with free numbers printable is a great way for kindergarteners to learn number recognition, counting and one-to-one correspondence.
All you need is play dough and some little items for counting.
Learn Numbers with Tape – Kindergarteners can learn all about numbers, including counting, skip counting, number recognition, and one-to-one correspondence with these fun games! All you need is some colorful tape!
Stamp & Count DUPLO Math Game by Frugal Fun for Boys & Girls – Stamp and Count DUPLO math game is a hands-on counting activity is great for kindergarten and can be easy or challenging depending on the child. All you need are some playdough and DUPLO bricks.
Counting & Measuring with LEGO by The Imagination Tree – For this simple math activity, you will need to write numbers on some LEGO bricks. Then use them to help your kindergartener develop number sense such as counting, number recognition, numeral order and one-to-one correspondence.
Post-It Number Line Math Activity by Busy Toddler – Post-It number line activity teaches kindergarteners number recognition and numeral order.
All you need for this hands-on activity is a large sheet of paper, a marker and a pad of post-it sticky notes.
Making 10 Activities for Kindergarten at Home
Make Ten {an easy card game} by Mama.Papa.Bubba – This simple Make Ten math game uses a regular deck of cards and this free printable to teach kindergarteners how to add to ten.
Ten Frame Math Game with Magnetic Tiles by 123Homeschool4Me – Ten Frame Math Game is a hands-on math game that teaches kindergarteners how to use a ten frame. All you need are some magnetic tiles and a die to roll.
Free Addition Facts Game Adding to 10 by Life Over C’s – This free printable board game will help kindergarteners practice the addition facts and adding to ten. All you need to do is print the game, cut the cards out, and play!
Making 10 Addition Activity by Busy Toddler – This making ten math addition activity is simple to set up using sticky notes.
It’s a great game for kindergarteners who are kinesthetic learners to play.
Kindergarten Ten Frame by Days with Grey – This ten-frame game is perfect for kindergarteners learning to add to ten. All you need is some tape, sticky notes and a manipulative such as rainbow bears.
Shapes Activities for Kindergarten at Home
Shapes Scavenger Hunt by Life Over C’s – Shapes are all around! Use this free printable scavenger hunt to have fun looking for shapes in your home with your kindergartener. Also included is an I Spy printable shapes activity.
Shapes Play Dough Mats by 123Homeschool4Me – These printable shape playdough mats are a lot of fun for kindergarteners. They will love creating the different shapes with playdough.
Shape Sorting Sensory Invitation to Play by Stir the Wonder – This simple sensory bin encourages kindergarteners to dig for shapes and sort them into a muffin tin.
It’s also a good activity for working on fine motor skills.
Building Shapes with Craft Sticks by Pre-K Pages – Kindergarteners can build different shapes using crafts sticks. Printable challenge cards will prompt kids to build different shapes and think about where they might see that shape in their environment.
Shape Hopscotch by Creative Family Fun – Playing shape hopscotch is a great way for kindergarteners to learn to recognize different shapes. It is played just like regular hopscotch. All you need is some pavement, sidewalk chalk and some rocks.
Patterning Activities for Kindergarten at Home
Pattern Activities for Kindergarten – With some clothespins, popsicle sticks and paint, you can make these simple patterning sticks to teach your kindergartener all about making patterns. This is also a wonderful activity for Quiet Time.
Pattern Snakes by Busy Toddler – This fun activity is an easy way for kindergarteners to play with patterns.
For this patterning activity, all you need is a large piece of paper, a marker, and colorful dot stickers.
Match and Build Patterns at Preschool Spot – This pattern building activity teaches kindergartners that patterns are just repeating segments. For this activity, you’ll only need some unifix cubes or something similar.
Scooping and Pouring Patterns Activity by Stay at Home Educator – This simple scoop and pour activity incorporates creating patterns and fine motor skills. All you need is different colored rice, scoops, and clear jars.
Fruit Themed Pattern Activity by Life Over C’s – This pattern printable teaches kindergarteners to use thinking skills to determine which fruit comes next in the pattern. All you need for this activity is the free printable and some fruit manipulatives.
Bead Patterning by Pre-K Pages – Bead patterning is a hands-on activity that uses pipe cleaners and beads.
The printable pattern prompts will encourage your kindergartener to extend the pattern.
Measurement Activities for Kindergarten at Home
Magnetic Measurement Activity by Days with Grey – This simple measurement activity is great for kindergarteners. By using magnetic tiles, your child will measure a strip of tape and count the tiles to determine the length of the tape.
Weight STEM Challenge Cards by The STEM Laboratory – Teach your kindergartener about measuring weight with these printable challenge cards. All you need is a balance scale and some objects to weigh.
Measuring Hands and Feet with Unifix Cubes by Little Bins for Little Hands – For this simple measuring activity, kindergarteners will trace their hands and feet on a paper and then measure using snap cubes or something similar.
Frog Jump Gross Motor Measurement Activity by Coffee Cups and Crayons – Frog Jump measurement activity is great for kindergartners because it incorporates jumping and measuring.
For this activity, you’ll need some tape and a measuring tape.
So there you have it, 25 hands-on math activities that are perfect for teaching your kindergartener at home! I hope you are inspired to have fun with math and your kindergartner by all these ideas!
Happy playing, my friend!
xo
Sarah
P.S. If you are ready to really dive into Kindergarten at Home – be sure to check out this “Everything you could ever need, just open and go! Kindergarten Resource” Perfect for little ones 3 – 6 years old.
P.P.S. Don’t forget to grab your FREE Kindergarten Number Bundle!
Cheerful Mathematics at Home
Consultation for Parents "Cheerful Mathematics at Home"
Parents can provide invaluable help in mastering elementary mathematical concepts for a preschooler from the age of 3. And only the joint work of the kindergarten and the family can ensure the success of the child in mastering this section of the program of the preschool educational institution.
The home environment promotes the emancipation of the child and he learns the learning material at his own pace, reinforces the knowledge gained in kindergarten. Parents, in turn, learn a lot about their child. nine0005
Therefore, we can recommend some mathematical games and exercises for them to play in the family circle. These games are available for a child of primary preschool age and do not require lengthy preparation, the production of complex didactic material.
Mathematical game "Pick the wheels to the wagons"
Purpose of the game: learning to distinguish and name geometric shapes, establishing a correspondence between groups of figures, counting up to 5. , and to red - blue wheels. Then you need to count the wheels from left to right for each trailer separately (cars and wheels can be cut out of colored cardboard in 5-10 minutes). nine0005
Mathematical game "Compose a flower"
Purpose of the game: to teach how to make a flower silhouette from geometric shapes of the same shape, grouping them.
Game progress: an adult invites a child to make a flower for mom or grandmother for the holiday from geometric shapes. At the same time, he explains that the middle of the flower is a circle, and the petals are triangles or circles. The child is given the choice to collect a flower with triangular or round petals. Thus, it is possible to fix the names of geometric shapes in the game, inviting the child to show the desired figure. nine0005
Game-exercise "Name a similar object"
Purpose of the game: development of visual attention, observation and coherent speech.
Game progress: an adult asks a child to name objects that look like different geometric shapes, for example, "Find what looks like a square" or find all the round objects ... This game can be easily played while traveling or on the way home.
"Collect the beads"
Purpose of the game: to develop the perception of color, size; the ability to generalize and concentrate; speech.
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Game progress: for sequences, you can use the Lego constructor, figures cut out of paper (but I prefer figures made from kitchen cellulose napkins - they are more convenient to work with), any other objects.
Of course, at this age the sequence should be very simple, and the task for the child should be to lay one or two bricks in its continuation. Examples of sequences (the child must continue the logical series - complete the track with "correct bricks"):
Mathematical game “What is in our apartment”
Purpose of the game: to develop the ability to navigate in space; logical thinking, creative imagination; coherent speech, self-control
development of visual attention, observation and coherent speech.
Game progress: first you need to consider the interior of the room, apartment in sequence. Then you can ask the child to tell what is in each room. If he finds it difficult or does not name all the objects, help him with leading questions.
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I would like to remind you, dear parents, of the need to support the child's initiative and find 10-15 minutes daily for joint play activities. It is necessary to constantly evaluate the success of the child, and in case of failures, approve of his efforts and aspirations. It is important to instill in your child self-confidence. Praise him, in no case scold him for his mistakes, but only show how to fix them, how to improve the result, encourage the search for a solution. Children are emotionally responsive, so if you are not in the mood for a game right now, then it is better to postpone the lesson. Game communication should be interesting for all participants in the game. nine0005
Play with your child with pleasure!
The material was prepared by the teacher of the group Leksakova V.S.
04/09/2019
"Math games on the way home"
Only the joint work of the kindergarten and the family can ensure the success of the child in mastering this section of the program of the preschool educational institution.
Therefore, we can recommend some mathematical games and exercises for them to be carried out in the family circle. These games are available for preschool children and do not require lengthy preparation, the production of complex didactic material. nine0005
Playing with children
On the way to the kindergarten or home look at the trees (higher-lower, thicker-thinner). Your child draws - ask him about the length of the pencils, compare them in length, so that the child in life, in everyday life, uses such words as long - short, wide - narrow (scarves, towels, for example, high - low (wardrobe, table, chair, sofa, thicker - thinner (sausage, sausage, stick). vocabulary in children, the child should learn by school to use the correct words for comparison in size.0005
Modern living conditions, unfortunately, do not allow parents to devote enough time to their children. Of course, it would be just wonderful if moms and dads talked more with children, played games together more often.
But what to do if there really is not enough time to communicate with the child, and even more so for joint games?
Given the fact that communication between parents and children occurs mostly on the way to kindergarten and in the evening home, we offer you several options for mathematical games, thanks to which the road to kindergarten will turn into an informative, exciting, interesting journey, as for you as well as for your child. nine0005
"Lower - higher".
The game is aimed at developing the child's ideas about the size of objects. For example: "Show me the tallest house, and now show me the house that is lower." You can choose any other items - trees, benches, bushes, fences, etc.
"Colors".
The game develops logical thinking, observation. Invite the child to name the objects that he sees around him, red, then green, and so on.
"Let's count together"
The game develops logical thinking. In a relaxed way, the child develops counting skills.
Together with your child, you can count cars, houses, trees. You can count together, you can invite the child to count on their own, you can count in turn. The main thing is that it should be fun and interesting.
"Geometric figures".
The game is aimed at developing the child's ideas about geometric shapes. Have your child name the objects they know as round, then triangular, and so on. nine0005
"Give me an extra word."
This game will help develop your child's mathematical concepts. The adult names the words and invites the child to name the “extra” word, and then explain why this word is “extra”. For example: 1. Ball, cube, sun, hoop. (An extra word is a cube, because it is square, and all other objects are round). 2. Cherry, cucumber, tomato, strawberry. (An extra word is cucumber, because it is green, and all the rest are red).
"How many cars are around?" nine0005
Draw the child's attention to what is happening around: on a walk, on the way to the store, etc.
Ask questions, for example: “Are there more boys or girls here?”, “Let's count how many benches are in the park”, “Show me , which tree is tall and which is the lowest", "How many floors are in this house?" Etc.
“Balls”
The concepts of spatial arrangement are easily acquired in the game with the ball: the ball is above the head (above, the ball is at the feet (below, throw to the right, throw to the left, forward - backward. The task can be complicated: you you throw the ball with your right hand to my right hand, and with your left hand to my left.In action, the child learns many important concepts much better.0005
"Is it far?"
While walking with your child, choose an object at a short distance from you, such as a ladder, and count how many steps it takes. Then choose another object and also count the steps. Compare the distances measured with steps - which one is greater? Try to guess with your child how many steps it will take to get to a nearby object.
"Guess how many in which hand"
Two or more players can participate in the game. The host picks up a certain number of items, no more than 10 (these can be sweets, buttons, pebbles, etc., and announces to the players how many items he has in total. After that, he lays them out in both hands behind his back and asks the children to guess how many items in which hand
"Counting in the kitchen"
The kitchen is a great place to learn the basics of mathematics. The child can count serving items, helping you set the table. Or get three apples and one banana from the refrigerator at your request.
"Who can find more numbers in the environment?"
Pay attention to the numbers that surround us in everyday life, in various situations, for example, on a dial, on a calendar, in an advertising newspaper, on a telephone, a page in a book, the number of your house, apartment, car number. nine0005
Invite the child to look at the numbers on the phone together with you, say them first in forward and then in reverse order, say your phone number; ask if there are identical numbers in the room.
"What number is missing?"
The child closes his eyes, and at this moment you remove one of the cards with a number, connecting so that you get a continuous row. The child must say which card is missing and where it was.
“Fold the Square”
Take thick paper of different colors and cut out squares of the same size from it - say, 10 x 10 cm. Cut each square along the previously marked lines into several parts. One of the squares can be cut into two parts, the other - already into three. The most difficult option for a baby is a set of 5-6 parts. Now give the child sets of parts in turn, let him try to restore the whole figure from them. nine0005
“Hunting”
Invite your child to play hunting. Let him try to find something that looks like a circle and show you. And now a square or a rectangle. You can play this game on the way to kindergarten.
"Where is more water?"
When your child bathes, give him a set of different cups - measuring cups, plastic jugs, funnels, colored cups.
Let pours water on health. Talk about where there is more water. Pour water into two identical glasses and ask if the water is the same in both vessels? Now pour the water from one glass into a tall and thin glass, and the water from the other glass into a wide and short glass. Ask where more? Most likely, the answer will be curious. nine0005
“Let's cook porridge for the doll”
Cook food together with the baby more often. Show how you cook this or that dish, how many products you take. Use measuring cups, show that for pancakes you need to take this much flour and this much sugar.
“Pick up the wheels for the trailers”
The child is asked to pick up the appropriate wheels - red wheels for the blue trailer, and blue wheels for the red one. Then you need to count the wheels from left to right for each trailer separately (cars and wheels can be cut out of colored cardboard in 5-10 minutes). nine0005
“Make a flower”
An adult invites a child to make a flower for mom or grandmother for the holiday from geometric shapes.
At the same time, he explains that the middle of the flower is a circle, and the petals are triangles or circles. The child is given the choice to collect a flower with triangular or round petals. Thus, it is possible to fix the names of geometric shapes in the game, inviting the child to show the desired figure.
“What is in our apartment”
First, you need to consider sequentially the interior of the room, apartment. Then you can ask the child to tell what is in each room. If he finds it difficult or does not name all the objects, help him with leading questions. nine0005
I would like to remind you, dear parents, of the need to support the child's initiative and find 10-15 minutes daily for
joint play activities. It is necessary to constantly evaluate the success of the child, and in case of failures, approve of his efforts and aspirations. It is important to instill in your child self-confidence. Praise him, in no case scold him for his mistakes, but only show how to fix them, how to improve the result, encourage the search for a solution.
