Math lessons for kindergarteners
7 Kindergarten Math Activities To Make Learning Fun
Young children are often eager to learn new skills and concepts. That’s why introducing kindergarten math activities can be so effective.
One thing to always remember, though, is to make learning at home fun and engaging because children learn best through play. And, luckily for you, our experts at HOMER know a thing or two about that!
This article will give you a detailed guideline to help your child get a solid mathematical foundation. These easy at-home activities are fun, engaging, and offer lots of learning opportunities.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
Kindergarten Math Concepts
Before we dive in, it’s important to understand which concepts your young learner will be tackling in kindergarten. That way, it’s easier to know which activities and math skills to focus on at home.
The following are the key math principles your child may know by the end of their kindergarten year:
- Counting and cardinality
- Recognizing numbers beyond 10
- Adding and subtracting single-digit numbers
- Recognizing shapes
- Classifying objects by size
With the principles above in mind, we’ve compiled a list of activities that will help your child develop these essential skills.
7 Fun Kindergarten Math Activities
1) Shape Hunt
What You’ll Need:
- Notebook
- Crayons
What To Do:
Start by selecting any two objects around your house that look different but have the same shape. Then, give your child clues about one of the objects. For example, you might say, “It has a round shape.”
Your child will need to act as a detective and solve this shape mystery! When they are confident that they know what this object is, encourage them to take their detective notebook and draw the item.
Repeat this process for the second object.
Once your little detective has found and drawn the two objects, you can evaluate them and discuss other items with the same shape. So, for something that’s round, this can be plates, pizza, door handles, and so on.
Once you’re confident they understand the properties of the shape, you can play the game again with another shape (triangle, square, etc.).
You don’t have to limit yourselves to your indoor space. You can also head outside and search for many interesting shapes in your garden, local park, or neighborhood if you’d like.
Find out more about this interesting game from our blog.
2) Count The Beans
What You’ll Need:
- Spoon
- Dried kidney beans
What To Do:
For this fun activity, you will need to take a spoon and hold it outstretched. Your child will then proceed to put one dried kidney bean at a time onto the spoon.
When the first one falls off, you then count how many beans you managed to get on the spoon.
You can play this game with a larger spoon as well. For this, the numbers will get higher, so your child will need to be familiar with higher numbers before they’re ready for this one.
To help, a simple 10 frame should do the trick (a 10 frame is basically a rectangle with 10 equal spaces (five on top and five on the bottom).
If, when counting the beans, you end up with more than 10, you can put each set of 10 in a small paper cup, allocate the cups to each frame, and then add everything for the final tally.
This activity helps kindergarteners continue practicing their counting and gain an understanding of number sense.
3) Building Sets With Blocks
What You’ll Need:
- Building blocks
What To Do:
This activity requires you to ask your young learner to build a color tower with a specific number of blocks. For example, “Build a blue tower with 10 blocks, a red tower with eight blocks, and a yellow tower with eleven blocks.”
All this information will need to be remembered by your child, so this can be a great way to help build memory. Children will also continue practicing colors and counting skills with this activity.
4) Number Guessing
What You’ll Need:
Magnetic numbers (0 – 9)
What To Do:
For this activity, your child will need to put their hands behind their back. You will then place one of the magnetic numbers in their hands for them to feel. Can they guess the number?
If this is a little challenging at first, it can help to have another set of magnetic numbers that they can see as they feel.
This is a great sensory activity that can help familiarize children with each number’s interesting shape and unique qualities.
5) Shape Hopscotch
What You’ll Need:
- Different colored paper
- Scissors
- Painter’s tape
What To Do:
Hopscotch is one of our favorite games here at HOMER. If you’re looking to play the traditional game, you can check out this link, which includes other fun math-related activities in addition to Hopscotch.
For this article, we decided to switch things up a bit with shape hopscotch. All you need to do is cut out six different (but easily recognizable) shapes and give each shape its own color (for example, red circles, yellow triangles, blue squares, purple stars, etc.).
Once you have your shapes, tape them to the floor with painter’s tape. While taping, ensure that the spacing works for your child (the shapes aren’t too far apart).
You can encourage your child to jump, hop, or wiggle through the shapes. Here are a few ways they can make it through their shape maze:
- Call out colors or shapes for your child to race and find
- Have them hop from one side to the other side by only touching one shape or color
- Give them directions as they go, and ask what they’ve landed on. For example, “Jump three shapes to the left, one shape up, and two shapes right. What color and shape are you on?”
This is an excellent and fun way for kids to continue working on their gross motor skills while incorporating shape and color recognition. Children will also work on the important skill of following directions.
6) Make A Number Line
What You’ll Need:
- Chalk
- Paved area outside
- Deck of cards
What To Do:
On your paved area outside, draw a large number line with chalk. You can write numbers up to 10, 20, or even 30 as your child becomes familiar with those numbers.
Next, take five red playing cards (numbers 1 – 5) and five black playing cards (numbers 1 – 5). Then, you each get a token which you’ll place in the middle of the number line. Mix the cards and put them face down.
Next, take turns picking cards. A red card means you go up the number line based on the card’s value (for example, if you pull a red five of hearts, you move up five spaces). A black card, on the other hand, means you go down on the number line (red four of clubs = down four spaces).
If you end up below the number one or above the top number on the line, you’ll stay put until all players have had their turn.
After each player has picked four cards, whoever is highest on the number line wins!
7) Snowball Battle
What You’ll Need:
- Paper
- 3 small buckets
What To Do:
Crumble your paper to make “snowballs.” Then, place your buckets at the end of the room. Challenge your child to toss the snowballs into any of the buckets until they reach a target number (e.g., 10).
If you have multiple kids, this can turn into some friendly competition with a timer. How many can you land in five minutes?
You can also vary the game a bit for older kids by having them toss all 10 snowballs into the three buckets and then write down how they got to 10 (for example, with 3 balls in one bucket, 4 balls in the next, and 3 balls in the last). How many ways can it be done?
Gross motor and counting skills come into play when engaging in this activity.
Tips For Helping Kindergarteners With Math
The above activities should help your child practice and understand their math skills. Additionally, here are a few key points to keep in mind.
Incorporate Math Into Everyday Life
Math is all around us! It is in the shapes of objects and buildings, the measurements we take when baking, and the sorting of patterns. This makes it easy to incorporate math into everyday activities.
Remember that the more practice your child gets, the easier it will be to grasp these foundational concepts.
Make It Enjoyable
When something seems too challenging, kids can quickly become overwhelmed and give up before starting. Help your child understand how much fun math is by regularly introducing them to math activities in a fun, relaxed way.
We recommend checking out the HOMER blog to see what other entertaining learning games your child can play to build their math skills.
Practice Positive Reinforcement
Positive feedback is one of the key components for your child to continue having a healthy relationship with mathematics. So, when they finally grasp a concept they’ve been struggling with, make a big deal out of it by praising them.
And, if there’s a math skill they haven’t grasped yet, be patient and continue practicing. Soon enough, they’ll get it!
Lay A Solid Foundation With Kindergarten Math Activities
Sometimes children (and adults) view math negatively. You’ll often hear them express how challenging it is. But kindergarten math activities can help build positivity and confidence!
While it can be a challenge, math is still one of the most important subjects children learn and can benefit them for the rest of their lives. That’s why building math skills early on matters.
Engaging in fun, entertaining, and educational kindergarten math activities can help children achieve just that. And our list above offers great ways to practice.
Check out the HOMER Learn & Grow app for even more math activities and to discover how we can help your young learner thrive!
Author
Kindergarten Math Lessons and Activities for the First 20 Days!
Kindergarten math lesson plans for teaching numbers to 5, 2D shapes, and 3D shapes. This resource provides detailed instruction for your first 4 weeks of math!
Kindergarten Math: The First 20 Days
The first few weeks of school are a hectic time for kindergarten teachers! You are making sure to cover all procedures and routines, all while beginning to teach the kindergarten math curriculum. Many teachers get started with academics right away in order to stay on track for the expected curriculum for the year. Wouldn’t it be nice to have planned out lessons to save you time and stress? You’re in luck! That is just what I have for you – detailed lesson plans and printable resources such as practice sheets to teach all about shapes and numbers to 5.
The First 10 Days…
The lessons start out with students comparing shapes and objects that are the same and different. We like to tie in literature whenever possible to help teach young children academic skills and guide students to make real-life connections. For the first few lessons, you can use this National Geographic Kids book to identify objects that are the same and objects that are different.
On Day 1, students identify shoes that are the same and different. You can create meaningful learning and complete this activity in your classroom as an interactive lesson with real shoes. Your kindergarten students will think it is the “best day ever” when they get to take off their shoes!
In addition to everyday objects, students learn different ways that they can compare shapes. They practice sorting by shape, size, and color.
While making comparisons, students are also counting up to 5 and practicing correct number order on math worksheets.
Days 11-20
Now, you are ready to teach shapes. A great way to read while teaching about 2D shapes is The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns.
We start by introducing 2D shapes and identifying sides and corners.
Then, students have a great time with this color, cut, and paste activity to practice identifying shapes with curves and no curves.
These kindergarten sweeties did a shape sort on the SmartBoard.
Students explore 3D shapes using interactive kindergarten math games
The mathematical practices for shapes and numbers to 5 are provided in unit 1 of our Guiding Math curriculum. Click here:
- Kindergarten Math: Unit 1
We have center activities and journal prompts to provide additional practice for unit 1.
You can find this resource here:
- Kindergarten Math Printables Unit 1
Math Assessments
Of course, when you start thinking about instruction, you also start thinking about assessments. ESGI is the best platform for completing assessments. It is so easy! Plus, we’ve added assessments specifically for our Guiding Math Units… making it so simple for you!
Administering these assessments is quick and easy! Do they answer it correctly – simply yes or no.
With assessment trackers ESGI, you can quickly review student progress.
And print off parent letters to send home with students.
ESGI – FREE TRIAL!
There are so many great features with ESGI! If you are not using this amazing assessment tool, give it a try! I know you will love it! You can access a free trial here:
- ESGI | Deanna Jump Promo Code
You are covered with math resources for the beginning of the year. Do you need ideas for literacy? Check out this post with alphabet activities for kindergarten:
- Fun and Engaging Alphabet Activities for Kindergarten plus a FREE FILE!
100 math lessons for kids
Course lessons
All coursesAbout the course 1–4. Introduction
1. Numbers, Symbols, Shapes 2. Commensurability and incommensurability of segments 3. Visual representation of Newton's binomial 4. Infinite sums
5–10. Movements of a straight line and a circle
5. Initial ideas about movement 6. Classification of straight line movements 7. Table of compositions of straight movements 8. Circle movements 9. Multiplication table of circle movements 10. Finite subgroups of motions of a straight line and a circle
11–20. Fundamental theorem of arithmetic and corollaries from it
11. Introduction to remainder arithmetic 12. Multiplication tables of residues 13. Fundamental theorem of arithmetic. Part 1 14. Fundamental theorem of arithmetic. Part 2 15. Fundamental theorem of arithmetic. Consequences 16. Solution of linear equations in integers. Part 1 17. Solution of linear equations in integers. Part 2 18. Continued fraction method 19. Results of arithmetic studies. Part 1 20. Results of arithmetic studies. Part 2
21–30. Permutations
21. Introduction to permutations 22. Compositions of permutations 23. Cycles and order of permutations 24. Even permutation. Homomorphism 25. Game "Fifteen" and other tasks 26. Conjugation and conjugacy classes 27. Homomorphisms and Kernels 28. Normal subgroup 29. Klein group 30. Generating subset
31–35. Plane movements
31. Introduction to plane movements 32. Classification of plane movements 33. Sliding Symmetry 34. Table of compositions of plane movements. Part 1 35. Table of compositions of plane movements. Part 2
36-50. Complex numbers
36. Number systems 37. The appearance of complex numbers 38. Addition, subtraction and multiplication of complex numbers 39. Complex numbers: conjugation, modulus, norm, division 40. Geometric meaning of multiplication of complex numbers 41. Degrees and Roots 42. Introduction to Gaussian numbers 43. Divisibility Arithmetic in Gaussian Numbers 44. Sums of squares 45. On the Approaches to Fermat's Christmas Theorem (RTF) 46. Geometry ℤ[i]. Division with remainder. ideals 47. Completion of Fermat's Christmas Theorem 48. Fundamental theorem of arithmetic in Gaussian numbers 49. Pythagorean triplets. Start 50. Pythagorean triples. End
51-58. Polynomials and fields
51. Introduction to polynomials 52. Bezu and around
Game theory (lectures in Intellectual)
Lecture 1. Introduction to game theory Lecture 2. Mixed strategies Lecture 3. Dynamic game theory
Mathematics
Alexey Vladimirovich Savvateev
Grade 5-11
This course was supported by:
lessons, presentations, class notes, planning, electives, knowledge assessment
Publish and download methodological developments for a preschool kindergarten teacher in mathematics in preschool education. Publication of interesting and necessary materials for a teacher on teaching children mathematics in a preschool educational institution with a free certificate of publication in the media.
The section of mathematics in preschool education in kindergarten contains:
- NOD in the senior group
- Development of logical thinking of preschool children
- Kindergarten Mathematics Presentations
- Abstract of the open GCD in the middle group according to FEMP
- Abstracts of classes in mathematics in kindergarten
- Mathematical leisure
- Lesson in mathematics in the 2nd junior group
- Abstract of a lesson for children with disabilities in mathematics
- Synopsis of GCD for FEMP
- Journey to the Land of Mathematics
- Abstract of the sensory class
- Synopsis of an integrated lesson in mathematics
- Lesson on FEMP in the 2nd junior group
- Consultation for the educator
- Summary of the lesson on the formation of FEMP
- Abstract of the final lesson on the formation of elementary mathematical representations
- Construct for the formation of mathematical representations
- Graphic dictations in the formation of visual-motor coordination
- Interactive Math Game
- Mathematical game library
- Summary of GCD in mathematics in the middle group using innovative technologies
- Methodical development of a lesson on the development of mathematical and sensory abilities in children
- Technological map of GCD for FEMP in the senior group
- Synopsis of OOD on the development of quantitative representations in children
- The development of mathematical abilities in children through play activities in the context of the implementation of GEF DO
The development of speech, logic and mathematics can be carried out in a playful way and perceived by the baby as a fun pastime.
Mathematics in kindergarten begins in the second junior group, where they begin to carry out special work on the formation of elementary mathematical representations.
The development of mathematics by preschoolers plays an important role not only in preparing for school life, but also for the formation of logical thinking skills, the development of intelligence and understanding. Mathematics for preschoolers is usually included in the traditional developmental curriculum in kindergarten.
Here you will find lessons, notes, tests, presentations, plans, activities and other useful materials for the work of the teacher and the education of the student.
Didactic game "Mathematical Adventure" for the preparatory group
Purpose: to be the first to reach the finish line, carefully observing the rules of the game. Tasks: to fix the presentation of a quantitative and ordinal account; improve the ability to name the neighbors of a number; consolidate the ability to solve simple arithmetic problems (depending on . ..
1 0 1 03/13/2023
Kittens and bears
To consolidate the ability to compare objects, use the concepts of one, many. To teach children to understand the expression "as much as". To improve the ability to distinguish and name geometric shapes - a circle, a square, a triangle.
5 0 03/13/2023
Mathematical development game "Number houses"
Mathematical development game "Number houses" for the middle group of MDOU, using cards and counting sticks. A sequential algorithm to start learning the composition of a number when children are familiar with the number series. The game develops attention. thinking ...
5 0 03/13/2023
Circle and square
The children liked this activity very much. They enthusiastically completed all the tasks. I liked it very much when the bun arrived. They love to play with fairy tale characters. The children enthusiastically performed the tasks of the kolobok. I also liked the job.
5 0 03/13/2023
Abstract of the lesson on FEMP in the senior group "Entertaining mathematics"
Abstract of the lesson on FEMP in the senior group "Entertaining mathematics" Type of lesson: consolidation of new material. Form of lesson: lesson - fairy tale Age of students: 5 years Integration of educational areas: "Cognition", "Socialization", "Communication", ...
2 0 03/13/2023
"In the Land of Geometric Shapes"
Summary of educational activities on FEMP in the middle group. This material will be useful to teachers of the middle group of kindergarten. Children with the help of games of mathematical content consolidate knowledge about geometric shapes.
2 0 03/13/2023
Synopsis of the GCD in the middle group "Travel to the town count"
Summary of continuous educational activities using smart boards aimed at the formation of elementary mathematical representations in the middle group of kindergarten on the topic "Travel to the county country".
5 0 03/13/2023
Summary of the lesson on the OO "Cognitive Development" FEMP for children of the younger group Topic: "A lot, equally, as much - how much"
Purpose. To learn to compare two equal groups of objects using the method of application, to indicate the results of the comparison with the words many, equally, as many - how many. Tasks: • To form the ability to compare objects by quantity, by decomposition one by one. • Continue ...
4 0 03/13/2023
Abstract of a lesson in mathematics in the middle group on the topic "Value"
Purpose: To consolidate in children of senior preschool age the idea of \u200b\u200bvalues and their measurement. Tasks: Educational: - to consolidate the formation of spatial representations: wide - narrow, long - short; - consolidate skills in the selection of objects, equal to ...
29 0 03/10/2023
Abstract of a lesson in mathematics in the senior group. "Item Count"
Purpose: 1. Exercise in quantitative and ordinal counting, spatial orientation and orientation on a sheet of paper. 2. To consolidate the knowledge of children in solving problems within 10. 3. Develop logical thinking, the ability to think, reason. 4. Nurture ...
22 0 03/10/2023
Abstract of a lesson in mathematics in the preparatory group for the Federal State Educational Standard "Country of Mathematics"
"Country of Mathematics" Purpose: to consolidate the knowledge of children in mathematics. Learning tasks: 1. To consolidate the ability of children to solve simple examples for addition and subtraction, to formulate arithmetic operations. 2. Learn to think logically and perceive and ...
13 0 03/10/2023
Synopsis on FEMP in the middle group "Visiting the Fairy Counting"
Purpose: Formation of elementary mathematical representations in the middle group. Tasks: 1. Exercise in the ability to distinguish and name familiar geometric shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle; 2. Practice counting within 5; 3. Exercise ...
14 0 03/10/2023
Card file of didactic games on mathematical development for children 4-5 years old
Card file of didactic games on mathematical development "Form" for children 4-5 years old Card file of didactic games on mathematical development "Value" for children 4-5 years old Card file of didactic games on mathematical development " Quantitative pre . ..
31 0 1 03/10/2023
Lapbook "Mathematics and LEGO"
game Lapbook "Mathematics and LEGO" is suitable for both individual and subgroup work with children, and for independent activities of children All game tasks and pockets are removable. Velcro, which makes the use of the material more convenient and allows ...
23 0 03/10/2023
Lesson on FEMP in the senior group Topic: Number 10. Writing the number 10.
FEMP lesson in the senior group Topic: Number 10. Writing the number 10. Purpose: 1) to form the ability to count up to 10, to distinguish between the notation of the number 10 and correlate it with ten objects; Train the ability to compare quantities by recalculation and by drawing up pas ...
45 2 03/09/2023
fascinating math.
Purpose: 1. Exercise in quantitative and ordinal counting, spatial orientation and orientation on a sheet of paper. 2. Strengthen the ability to quickly find geometric shapes of a certain size and color. 3. Consolidate the knowledge of children in solving problems in paragraph ...
16 0 03/09/2023
Consultation for educators on the mini-project "The Magical World with Kuisener's Sticks"
Colored sticks are a multifunctional tool, the technique is universal, therefore it can be used both separately and in combination with other techniques, complementing them. Kuizener's sticks are simple and understandable, kids are able to work with them ...
17 0 03/06/2023
Abstract of a lesson in mathematics in the senior group "Magic Journey"
Purpose: To continue to form elementary mathematical representations.