Maths games for kindergarten in the classroom

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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Use 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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22 Kindergarten Math Games You Should Play With Your Kids

In Kindergarten, it is important to make students excited to learn about maths in the world around them. Kindergarten students need to have the space to explore, make connections and come to their own realizations about numbers and shapes – and games are a great way to do this! Whether you are homeschooling or teaching a class, here are 23 math games perfect for Kindergarten-aged students. Try them out and watch the maths magic happen! 

1. Online Math Games

Looking for an easy lesson activity with no preparation? Then these online games are perfect! Here you will find 70 free online games for your students to play, covering the 8 main topic areas.

Learn more: education.com

2. PBS Online Math Games

The PBS website is free and has games linked to a range of topics to engage students in their math learning. Students will find over 100 games here featuring many familiar and friendly characters, such as Curious George, Elmo, and Dr. Seuss!

Learn more: pbskids.org

3. Splash Learn

Splash Learn online games are free and super fun! There are 61 games that cover a wide range of Kindergarten topics, including place value and number sense, addition and subtraction, time, money, measurement, data, and geometry.

Learn more: splashlearn.com

4. Cool Kindergarten Online Games 

Another great online resource for Kindergarten students. On this site, there are four key learning themes that students can explore through interactive videos and games. The graphics are engaging and super kid-friendly.

Learn more: coolkindergarten.com

5. Counting Game!

Materials: dice, small items to count, small bowls or cups

This game is great for students to play in pairs or individually. Students will roll the dice and place that many items into their bowl. Take turns and keep going until one person has put all of their items into their bowl!

Learn more: buggyandbuddy.com

6. Addition and Subtraction Tower

Materials: dice, 2x2 Duplo blocks

Roll the dice and see who can make the tallest tower in this addition and subtraction tower game! Students simply roll the dice and add that many bricks to their tower. Or, if your students need a subtraction challenge, get them to build two equal-sized towers, roll the dice and then remove that many bricks. This time the shortest tower wins.

Learn more: frugalfun4boys.com

7. Play Dough Stamp and Count

Materials: playdoh, various Duplo blocks, scrap paper, pen, a tray (optional)

Engage your students with stamping fun while they learn addition pairs! Simply write numbers on pieces of paper and tell students to stamp that amount on their playdough using Duplo bricks with 1, 2, 4, or 8 dots. Challenge them to make a number like 17 – if they have already stamped 8 dots, how many more to go? As an added bonus, this game helps to build students' fine motor skills at the same time as their maths skills!

Learn more: frugalfun4boys.com

8. Number Matching with Cups

Materials: paper cups, markers

This game is great for students who are learning to count. Draw circles with a different number of dots inside. Label the bottom of the cups with numbers 1 to 10 and students can try to match the cup to the correct circle on the paper.

Learn more: funlearningforkids.com

9. Playdough Subtraction Smash

Materials: subtraction playdoh mat, playdoh, markers

Let the students roll 10 balls of playdough and place them down on the mat handout. Give students an amount to subtract and students can smash that number of balls to reveal the answer. This activity is a great way to learn subtraction and release some anger!

Learn more: 123homeschool4me.com

10. Play Dough Numbers

Materials: playdough, printable numbers.

Optional Materials: beads, seeds, dry beans

Help your students to learn their numbers with this fun sensory activity! Simply place a number mat on the table and ask the children to manipulate the playdoh to create that number with the dough. A great game to support students’ fine motor skills and number recognition.

Learn more: howwelearn.com

11. Snowman Counting

Materials: snowman cut out, markers, buttons, hat cut-outs

In this game, students simply cut out a snowman and some hats from cardstock. Write numbers on the snowmans’ hats and let the students place the hat on the snowman by matching the number of buttons to the number on the hat.

Learn more: cbc.ca

12. Counting with Unifix Cubes

Materials: addition flashcards, unit cubes

Counting with unfix cubes is a great way for students to practice addition. Simply place flashcards on the floor or table and let the students solve the questions by collecting the correct amount of unit cubes.

Learn more: homegrownlearners.com

13. Spin and Collect

Materials: worksheet, paper clip, unit cubes

In this activity, students each spin the spinner 10 times and circle the number they land on each time. When the students land on a number, they must collect the same number of cubes. In the end, the students will count all of their cubes and see who collected the most.

Learn more: susanjonesteaching.com

14. Animal Pattern Block Mats

Materials: colored blocks, free animal pattern mat

Do your students love learning about the ocean? Then this super fun hands-on activity is for you! In this activity, students use colored blocks to make animal patterns. In addition to learning about shapes and patterns, extend your students by talking about the features of each animal and use this activity as a chance to practice fine motor skills and visual discrimination.

Learn more: lifeovercs.com

15. Make That Number

Materials needed: worksheet, dice

This game can be used to practice both subtraction and addition! Students will roll dice, generating numbers for addition and subtraction sums. Then, students color in or use a do-a-dot marker to mark the totals they have made. When a student gets four in a row, the game is over.

Learn more: themeasuredmom.com

16. Frog Jump Game

Materials: painters tape, tape measure

Optional Material: frog cut out

 Students will practice their counting and measuring skills in this fun jumping game. Students will jump like a frog a certain number of times and measure how far they traveled. Use rulers to introduce standard units of measure or a piece of string or other objects to reinforce the students’ understanding of non-standard units.

Learn more: coffeecupsandcrayons.com

17. Goldfish Counting

Materials: goldfish crackers, counting cards

Do your students like eating goldfish crackers? If so, entice them into this activity by using the crackers to learn and practice counting! Hand out a range of goldfish bowl counting cards and have the students cover each fish picture with a goldfish cracker – just be sure students don’t eat them instead!

Learn more: lifeovercs.com

18. Matching Game Obstacle Course

Materials: string, chairs, pegs, deck of cards or sticky notes

Weave string back and forth between a hallway of chairs to create an obstacle course for your students. Peg cards or sticky notes with numbers onto the string and give students a number to navigate their way through the obstacle course to collect.

Learn more: handsonaswegrow.com

19. Marshmallow Subtraction

Materials: marshmallows, markers, free printable worksheet

Another great activity for hungry students – and in this activity, eating is encouraged! Students can learn subtraction with marshmallows, counting out the total number, and eating the amount subtracted to discover the total amount left behind.

Learn more: lifeovercs.com

20. Sunglasses Addition

Materials required: Sunglasses printable, scissors, glue

Let students learn addition in this practical activity. Students must find the matching addition sum and total to make a complete pair of sunglasses!

Learn more: adabofgluewilldo.com

21. One More One Less

Materials: free worksheet, dice, crayons or color pencils

This activity is a great way to practice one more or one less than. Students take turns to roll a dice and color the hexagon that is either one more or one less than the number on the dice.

Learn more: susanjonesteaching.com

22. Number Sense

Materials: worksheet, scissors, color pencils, glue

Through this game, students in Kindergarten can further develop their number sense through sorting through cards showing different representations of a number and other numbers.

Learn more: themoffattgirls.com

The math games reviewed in this article cover a whole host of math topics for Kindergarten, including place value, number sense, shape, and measurements. The hands-on nature of the activities is sure to engage young learners and help them to become more comfortable with difficult math concepts. So what are you waiting for? Start trying them out and building your students’ love of math today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How high can a 5-year-old count?

Most students of this age are able to recognize and count to 10. However, students that are closer to 6 or who have engaged in extra tuition may also be able to count to 100, although this is not expected.

How can you make math fun?

Playing fun math games and building in opportunities for hands-on learning is the best way to keep students active and engaged while also supporting the development of their understanding of complex math topics.

What kind of math do Kindergarteners learn?

The key areas covered in Kindergarten include counting, addition, subtraction, measurement, and geometry.

Didactic games in mathematics in kindergarten: goals and objectives

Didactic games in mathematics in kindergarten: goals and objectives

Didactic games are held to increase the child's awareness of the world around. They develop observation skills, teach them to fix and find differences between objects, comparing them according to different characteristics. During the game process, children learn to find elementary cause-and-effect relationships. nine0005

Didactic games in mathematics in preschool educational institutions can be very different, their choice depends on the goal:

1 The use of numbers and numbers in games contributes to familiarization with the concept of counting, the history of numbers, improving counting and comparison skills.

These didactic math games for preschoolers help:

improve the skill of using single digits independently; nine0005

• education of mindfulness, memory, thinking;

• learning how to distribute natural numbers, improving counting skills.

1. Games designed to study the time make children familiar with the days of the week, the names of the months, learn to remember their position in the calendar.

1. Orientation development games allow pupils to learn to fix and state their own position on the ground, to determine and name the location of any object relative to another. With the educational task achieved, preschoolers are able to use words to name the location of objects. nine0005

1. Games with figures are used to strengthen knowledge about the shape of various geometric shapes, improve the skill of finding them in nearby things. Such games are conducive to the education of attention and the formation of creative imagination in preschoolers.

1. Didactic mathematical games that develop logical thinking are originally intended to form the components of scientific thinking: making judgments, bringing arguments, summing up. They also help develop creativity and out-of-the-box thinking It is important to know

Didactic games should not be played for a long time . For younger children, it is enough to allocate 5 minutes for them. Didactic games in mathematics in the senior group can last no more than 15 minutes. Exceeding this time may lead to a decrease in activity and a weakening of cognitive interest, which may adversely affect the result.

1. If a team takes part in the game, attention should be paid to the individual abilities of each , and, if necessary, to provide assistance to the underachieving for a successful outcome of the educational problem.

DIDACTIC Games for preschool children

In order to grow cognitive interest of educated teachers, teachers should try to diversify the course of teaching. To do this, many develop and produce their own training sessions. In the manufacture of visibility, everything that is at hand can be useful, the main condition is harmlessness for kindergarten students. nine0005

Materials for creating didactic games can be as follows:

• improvised materials - fabric, yarn, buttons;

• natural raw materials - leaves, flowers, grass, cones;

• stationery - glue, gouache, colored paper, cardboard;

• imagination is the most important component.

Do-it-yourself didactic math games in pictures

Making do-it-yourself didactic games is not at all difficult. Here are examples of such mathematical games.

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"Describe the pattern"

Purpose: training of orientation in space, improvement of communication skills.

Game progress. Each preschooler has a drawing depicting a carpet. Pupils are required to describe the position of the parts of the pattern in the figure: on the left side, on the right, at the top or bottom.

"Solve an example"

Purpose: training to perform addition and subtraction within ten. nine0005

Game in progress. The teacher throws a ball to a preschooler and calls an example. The pupil, having caught it, answers and returns the ball. Then the teacher throws the ball to the next one.

"Find the mistake"

Purpose : analysis of geometric shapes, comparison and finding the excess.

Game progress . The preschooler is invited to analyze the rows of geometric shapes and point out the error, offering a correction option with an explanation. A mistake can be a circle in a row of squares, or a red figure among yellow ones. nine0005

"Show"

Purpose: improvement of the ability to recognize a geometric figure according to a given criterion.

Game progress. In front of a preschooler, several figures are randomly laid out, differing in color, shape and size. The teacher proposes to determine the figure according to the named criterion: a small square, a large red circle, etc.

"One property"

Purpose: to consolidate knowledge about the properties of geometric shapes, to develop the ability to characterize and distinguish figures by their characteristics. nine0005

Game progress: players must provide the same set of geometric shapes. One of the players puts one of them on the table. The task of the second player is to choose from his set a figure that differs from the one laid out by the previous player in only one of some signs. For example, if the first figure laid out is a large red circle, then the next one can be laid out a large red square or a large blue circle, or a small red circle. The game should be built on the principle of playing dominoes. nine0005

"Who are the neighbors?"