Number sense activities for preschool
Number Sense Activities for Little Learners -
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Numbers and counting is such a fun topic to teach! There are tons of great manipulatives to use and it’s a great way to give good base knowledge to kids that will use it all their lives. Here are some of the best number sense activities for little learners! I hope you enjoy!
Need more number sense learning ideas?
Matching Numbers with Ice Cream
Ocean Count and Clip Cards
Apple Number Match
Number Sense Activities for Little Learners
Uno is one of my favorite games. Kids love it too! Use that massive Uno set for your number recognition activity with a little fine motor practice added in.
I really love how easy it is to put this simple activity together. Use dot paper and markers to help kids count and practice number sense.
Lego Duplos are a great manipulative to help little learners with their number sense. Repurpose a set of 9 to leave in your math centers for students to practice number order.
Salt trays are a great sensory material for hands on kids. Create your own number writing station with a couple materials you already have in your classroom closet.
This is such an inviting activity! Use colored popsicle sticks to create a missing number fine motor activity.
These squishy mats look like a lot of fun for sensory students. I suggest double taping the seam (personal experience here). Then let students practice writing their numbers in a fun sensory material!
Make your own ordering activity with Lego Duplo and an oil pan! These two materials are a lot of fun to get students out the seat and onto the floor for a great group review.
Everything is better in an ice cream theme! Give this ice cream numbering activity a try anytime of year. I using smaller tongs for students that are ready for a more challenging fine motor work.
We love using pool noodles for learning! Check out this great idea to repurpose your pool noodles for greater than and less than practice.
This number matching activity is so easy to create for your classroom! All you need is a marker, paper, and small paper cup. Couldn’t get much easier!
Roll and cross is perfect for kids that need big movements in the classroom. The oversize, DIY dice is so inviting and a great way to get kids moving while they practice letter recognition.
This is an easy way to help little learners to practice counting from 1 to 5. Simple counting activity can be made with muffin liners and pom poms!
Puddle Jump Math Activity is sure to be a classroom favorite! This would be a great indoor gym activity on a rainy.
If you have competitive kids, it would be great to setup this math race. Race to Fill the Cup is a great way to help kids with their number recognition confidence.
Print and learn with a fun zoo themed! This first to 20 and first to 50 activity is perfect for kids learning to count by 2, 5, and 10.
Use some of your paper cups to make an easy number counting activity with pipe cleaners.
This is great DIY project for your math center!
This is adorable! Use an old tennis ball to strengthen little learners’ hands while they count. Kids will love this tennis monster and it will soon turn to a classroom favorite.
I’m in love with these oversized numbers! Add these to a set of clothespin to help little learners with number sense in the classroom.
The colors in this activity make my heart happy! Grab pony beads and pipe cleaners for a simple fine motor counting activity for your classroom.
I love activities that recycle materials. It seems like we tons of bottle caps around our house and I love the idea reusing them for practicing number recognition.
You might also like our Flower Number Match-Up!
Do you have any favorite number sense learning activities that are not on the list?
Filed Under: Numbers and Counting, Round-ups Tagged With: Kindergarten, Math, Pre-K, Preschool
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The Ultimate Guide to Number Sense
Welcome to all things number sense.
From recognizing numbers to ordering and comparing. Essential math information for teaching preschool math and beyond!
Number sense is a broad term that refers to a group or set of skills that are needed to perform basic math operations.
You might think that number sense is just simple counting and that young children will master number sense quickly. However, number sense refers to deep understanding of HOW numbers work. It will take some time for young children to master these skills!
Number sense is the critical foundation that ensures that students will be successful in mathematics for years down the road. It lines them up for success in addition and subtraction and understanding how these operations are related. In a nutshell, it is a critical part of preschool and kindergarten math development.
Number Sense Skills Include:
- Rote Counting (naming numbers in order)
- Number Recognition (recognizing numbers in print)
- Counting with One to One Correspondence (each number has a constant value)
- Comparing Quantities (understanding the concept of more/less/same)
- Cardinality of Number (recognizing that the last number said when counting is the number of total objects)
- Conservation of Number (understanding that the number of objects is always the same even when rearranged)
- Subitizing (the ability to recognize “how many” in a set without counting individually)
Let’s dive in! We’ll tell you a little more about each number sense skill, and give activities to practice it.
Plus, grab our free counting mats to get started on these skills right away!
Number Sense Skill: Rote Counting
Rote counting is like dipping the toe into the number sense pool. Young children begin rote-counting (with mistakes) at an early age, often around 2 years old.
To rote count is to count verbally in sequential order. Children mimic the pattern of numbers that they have heard, without understanding number value or quantity. Once children have mastered rote counting skills, they are able to progress to tagging – which is the prerequisite for one to one correspondence.
Rote Counting Activities
Rote counting is a breeze to practice – the important part is to make it fun and exciting! There are many fun, simple rote counting activities that can be added to your preschool math plans.
- Invite young children to count along with you using different voices (soft, loud, silly, grumbly, etc.).
- Sing along with counting songs like 5 Little Speckled Frogs and One, Two, Buckle My Shoe.
You’ll find plenty of counting songs in our list of songs that teach. - Move and count! Incorporate counting as you clap, dance, jump, and hop.
- Use a puppet or stuffed animal to practice rote counting. Play a game that when the puppet gets to 10 it has to dance and start all over again!
Number Sense Skill: Number Recognition
Number identification is the ability to recognize a number in print and verbalize or write it. “At its most basic level, numeral identification is a form of shape recognition, which can result in a simple association of the word “two” with the symbol ‘2’ without a cardinal meaning” (Mix, Sandhofer, & Baroody, 2005). This means number recognition can develop at a different time than number value.
Number Recognition Activities
- Number bingo and number scavenger hunts are all creative and fun ways for young children to practice identifying the numeral.
- Textured numbers – sandpaper numbers and/or glitter/salt numbers are a great way to invite children to trace the number’s formation with their index finger.
- Using playdough snakes to form numbers is a great way to practice learning and making numbers!
- Stamping numbers is a kid favorite for practicing number recognition
- Give numbers a purpose – teach your students their phone number!
Number Sense Skill: One to One Correspondence
During the tagging stage, children will begin assigning numbers to objects. The numbers will be often out of order or random during this phase. For example, a student who has 6 apples placed in front of him may say, “1, 2, 4, 7, 8. There are 8 apples!” This student is making the connection that we use numbers to count objects, but his number sense is still too immature to understand that each number has a value. Tagging precedes one to one correspondence and children may not physically touch or attempt to manipulate the items, rather they just “count” by observation, which often results in incorrect counting or accidental re-counting.
During the one to one correspondence stage, children begin to understand the rule of counting.
It’s the rule that each number translates to a specific quantity AND recognizes that numbers are a symbol to show a quantity. The student in the tagging example above has now begun to use correct number order to count the 6 apples placed in front of him.
Check out our post about one to one correspondence for even more great information around this critical number sense skill.
One to One Correspondence Activities
- Use ten frame mats to help children count accurately. Show the child how to count to the desired number by slowly touching each object. Then, have the child do it after you so that you can assess any areas that they might need help with, whether it’s counting or following their finger. Check out our free dinosaur ten frame mats!
- Use counting at every natural opportunity. Count the grapes on your plate, count the butterflies in the book, and count the school buses in the parking lot.
- Use dice to help count out coins, pasta, stuffed animals, or books.
Incorporate dice into an easy scavenger hunt at home or school. The options are endless!
We’ve got a set of counting cards in our store specifically to help with one to one correspondence! Each theme has a card with numbers 1-24. Switch out the seasonal counting cards to keep children’s interests and to follow along with your theme. These make a wonderful addition to your preschool and kindergarten math centers!
Number Sense Skill: Comparing Quantities
Learning to compare quantities helps preschoolers make sense of the relationships between numbers: three is one more than two, but it is one less than four. Most preschoolers naturally understand the concept of more or less, as they can quickly tell you if someone got more cookies than them!
Since many preschoolers understand more and less in a general sense, learning to compare with small numbers is a great place to start.
Comparing Quantities Activities
- Use a foam number puzzle as a creative way to count gems using one to one correspondence, and then compare the amounts in each number.
- Line up a small number of objects, perhaps 4 cars. Then line up 5 cars directly below each of the 4 cars. Ask children which row has more cars. Encourage them to share how they know. Use this same activity for less and same quantities.
- With connecting cubes, Legos, or building blocks invite the child to build two towers. Invite the children to make one tower more/less/or the same as another.
- Use real-life examples of more/less/same as they arise. Call attention to the two students who are wearing red and the four students who are wearing green. Invite the students to notice other ways to compare.
Number Sense Skill: Cardinality
Cardinality is recognizing that the last number said when counting is the number of total objects in the group. It’s the ability to count each object individually and correctly declare the total number of items in a set. This is the final and BIG step in one to one correspondence! During this stage, students may also begin to see patterns, such as five-frames and begin to know the total number of objects without counting (also known as subitizing).
Cardinality Activities
- Encourage children to be helpful! Invite them to count out items (snack, blocks, crayons, etc.) to share with other children.
- Invite children to count everything! Count the pencils on the table, the windows in the house, or the trucks in the sand box. Reinforce the total number of objects by confirming the child’s count. For example, “Yes, Maya! There are 5 trucks in the sandbox today. The total number is 5 trucks.”
Number Sense Skill: Conservation of Number
This important component of number sense is one that takes time for young children to master. Conservation of number shows that the child is able to understand that a number of objects remains the same even when rearranged, therefore there is no need to recount.
For example, Billy counted out 7 red fire trucks and declared the total proudly. You then moved the fire trucks all around and rearranged them and asked Billy, “How many fire trucks are there now?” If Billy recounts them each time the question is asked, he is still working on conservation of number and needs more time to conceptualize the value of numbers.
Repeated practice with this concept is crucial in preschool math.
Conservation of Number Activities
- Invite a child to join you in a counting game. Place six items on the table and ask the student to count how many total items there are. Once it is counted correctly (if not, work on one to one correspondence), mix up the items and ask the student to share how many there are now.
- If the child needs to recount, tell the student that you did not add any more items and you did not take any items away. If the child continues to recount, model counting the group of items in lots of configurations and stating that it’s always 6 because I didn’t add any items or take any away.
- Invite one child to count 5 objects into a box. After counting the 5 objects, ask the child to tell you how many are inside the box. If needed, remind them that the number they put inside is still 5 because they did not add or take away any objects. Repeat with other numbers.
- Show multiple children a numeral, perhaps 4. Invite them to hunt the room and find 4 of the same items (crayons, books, blocks, counters, etc.). Invite the children to bring back the 4 items they found and share and count the items with their peers. Encourage them to discuss why some sets of the same number of objects look different.
Number Sense Skill: Subitizing
Subitizing is the ability to recognize “how many” in a set without counting individually. It’s the ability to know the number by “sight”. It’s also an ideal way to introduce simple addition and subtraction. Use dot cards, tally marks, fingers, and ten frames to help your littles becoming subitizing masters! Subitizing practice is a vital part of your preschool and kindergarten math curriculums.
For even more subitizing tips, tricks, and insight, check out our Subitizing 101 post!
Subitizing Activities
- Use music, movement, and Jack Hartmann to teach subitizing! These engaging videos, Subitize to 5 and Subitize to 10 are a great way to get some quick and fun subitizing practice.
- Subitize with dot cards, dice, or dominoes. Hold one up to the class for a few seconds and then ask the students to share how many they saw. Help students see the pattern inside the dots. For example, a 4 on a dice shows 2 rows of 2 which equals 4.
- Subitize with fingers! Hold up 3 fingers and ask students to share how many without counting. Then ask the children to model showing three fingers on their hand.
We hope this introduction to all things number sense has given you loads of ideas for your students and helped you feel more confident when teaching preschool and kindergarten math! Incorporate a variety of these activities into your lessons and watch the light bulbs illuminate in your little ones’ brains. Keep it fun, hands-on, and engaging and their number sense is sure to flourish.
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Lauren Vaughan
I am an educator, book enthusiast, and a stay at home momma to a precious and long-awaited little boy and girl.
My degree is in Early Childhood Education and Curriculum and Instruction and I have spent the last 15 years working with littles. I feel very fortunate to have this time to watch my babies grow and I can’t wait to share my passion for learning and reading with you!
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Abstract of the lesson on FEMP "Number and number 5" | Plan-summary of a lesson in mathematics (preparatory group) on the topic:
MBDOU "Kindergarten of a general developmental type No. 115"
Summary of a lesson in FEMP "Number and number 5"
Completed by: teacher 1KK
Tkacheva T.Yu.
Voronezh 2018
Synopsis of the open lesson in mathematics "Number and number 5"
Program content: continue to form and expand elementary mathematical representations in children of older preschool age. To develop creative abilities, the emotional sphere of children in gaming activities.
Tasks:
- count within 10;
- spatial representations: above, below, under, above, left, right;
- develop spatial perception;
- contribute to the formation of deeper and clearer ideas about numbers with the help of artistic words and images;
- consolidate students' knowledge of geometric shapes, repeat direct and reverse ordinal counting - develop logical thinking, attention, memory;
- to cultivate friendly feelings of children for each other, communication skills, coordinating actions in play and learning activities.
Equipment: colored pencils, magnetic board, visual material, counting sticks, numbers, handout.
Course of the lesson:
1. Organizational moment.
Sit comfortably,
Don't make noise, don't turn around.
Count everything carefully,
And if I ask you, answer.
Do you understand the condition?
I am pleased to hear that.
Mathematics is waiting for us,
Let's start mental counting.
Mental account
- Count to 10, back.
- Count from 3 to 9, from 5 to 10, from 6 to 1, from 10 to 5.
- What are the neighbors of the number 2, 7, 4. 1 and 3.
- Well done, everyone coped with the task.
Ordinal score
- Look at the blackboard. Who do you see in the field?
- Count how many there are.
- Where is the stranger?
- Who stands between the lion cub and Carlson
- Count in order from left to right.
- What is the value of a cat?
- And now I'll check your attention.
Day-night game (children close their eyes, it appears on the board where the pieces are in a different order)
- What has changed?
- Well done!
Main part
- Listen, how many times I clap my hands, how many sticks you lay out. How many sticks did you post? (4)
- What should be done to make 5 sticks? (add another stick)
- How did we get 5? (to 4 added 1, it turned out 5)
- That's right, today we will get acquainted with the number 5 - this is the topic of our lesson.
The number 5 is indicated by the number 5.
The number five - with a large belly,
Wears a cap with a visor.
At school, this figure is five
Children love to receive.
On the board of chips there is a number series
- What do you see on the board? (numbers are not in order)
- Put them in order (the child goes out and moves, it turns out one number is missing)
- What number is missing? (5)
- Where is the number 5 in the row? (after 4, before 6, between 4 and 6)
Let's put the number 5 out of sticks.
- Guys, what is remarkable about this number? How is it different from others and where is it found? (best mark in school, five rays from a star, five fingers on a hand)
- Count to 5 and back.
- Which of you has seen the number 5 before? Where? (house number, coin, textbook page, on a ruler…)
Physical Minute
Now we'll rest.
Let's do a physics minute.
1- 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - we all know how to count wave your hands
5 sit quietly at your desk.
- And now be careful, solve “Funny puzzles in verse”
Sasha has three apples,
Serezha has two pears.
How many fruits will we get,
If we put it together? (5) 4+1=5
Sanya has four colors,
Little brother has one.
Count all the colors yourself,
Well, try it, guys! (5) 4+1=5
There are two spatulas near the bed.
There are three paddles near the tub.
Count all shoulder blades -
How much will it be? Exactly .
.. (five) 2 + 3 = 5
GAME "NAME THE PARTS OF THE DAY"
1. Name the parts of the day (morning, afternoon, evening, night)
2. How many parts are there in a day? (four)
3. What is the name of the day that has passed?
(yesterday)
4. What is the name of the day that will come soon? (tomorrow)
5. what is the name of the day in which we live now, at the present moment? (today)
- What comes first - lunch or dinner?
-What later: a walk or breakfast?
- What is the afternoon snack or sleep in a quiet hour?
Yes, everything is right, everything is going right, one after another,
just like the parts of the day succeed each other. One day passes, another comes.
Game "I know five names"
The teacher gives the ball to each child in turn. The child must name five boys' names and toss the ball. For example: "I know five names of boys: Misha - one, Sasha - two, Kolya - three, Seryozha - four, Vanya - five."
Other tasks: names of girls, names of animals, flowers, cities, trees, vegetables, fruits, pieces of furniture, clothes, shoes, etc.
Summing up.
- Guys, what date did we meet today? (5)
Abstract of the lesson for children of 6 years old "Composition of the number 7"
| additional teacher education Korotchenko Lyudmila Nikolaevna MBOU DOD center "Kid" Shatura, Moscow Region Abstract FEMP classes for preschoolers 6-7 years old subject " The composition of the number 7. Targets: - develop spatial and logical thinking, attention, memory, speech, the ability to control one's body, fantasy and imagination; expand the horizons of children; - to educate feeling of compassion, desire to do kindness, help others; - form an idea of the composition number 7, to consolidate the ability to lay out number 7 by two smaller numbers, improve spatial representations, skill encode geometric symbols figures and decode them, complete them children's knowledge of fairy tales. Materials: illustrations for the fairy tale by Ch. Perrault "Boy-with-finger", a painting depicting fairy forest, Gyones blocks, ball, drawing of Baba Yaga, Little Red Riding Hood, white ladybug drawing without dots, 7 magnetic dots; God's cow and 7 buttons for each child , numbers on magnets, game "Fly", magical bag, game "Merry little men", audio recording with birds singing. Stroke lessons. On chalkboard picture depicting a fabulous the woods.
I’ll find myself in a fairy tale. ”(Children repeat the words, turning around.) Teacher: - Here we are in a fairy tale. Now we have to go to the fairy forest. No how not to get lost and return from it? ( Children's suggestions are heard. Teacher: - Remember how the Boy-with-finger led out of the forest his six brothers. (Illustrations to the fairy tale by Ch. Perrault "Boy-with-finger" .) Children tell how the hero of the same name scattered fairy tales on the way to the forest white river pebbles, and then over them everyone left the forest. Teacher: -A let's scatter in the forest magic glowing stones, different in size, color and shape. By forest (on the board) "scattered" pebbles from Gyones blocks (they are on magnets). ( Big blue triangle, red small square, yellow rather big (large) circle, blue small (small) rectangle, large non-yellow (red) triangle.)
-I here we are in the fairy forest. sing birds (audio recording), smells like a forest. Here clearing on which we will play into the ball. Children play the game "ball to the left, ball to the right. Targets: development of spatial representations. By to the teacher's team, the children pass the ball neighbor to the left or right. 3. Difficulty in a game situation. Opening new knowledge. Targets: form an idea of the composition number 7. Meeting with an enchanted ladybug. Teacher: - Look who crawled to us? Similar to God cow, but white in color and not at all points. God's cow asks for help. Baba Yaga for that the ladybug saved the trees in forest from aphids, bewitched her, deprived her red color and seven dots on the wings. And until the ladybug learns how to place 7 dots on her wings in many ways, she will remain enchanted. Want to help her? Children agree to help Ladybug, sit on stumps (at tables). U each child has a ladybug on the table and 7 buttons. Children offer options for decomposing numbers 7 for two smaller ones, the teacher duplicates these options on the board and lays them out numbers. God's the cow thanks the children and crawls away to Babe Yaga.
-Appears Red Riding Hood. She has a basket in her hands. with pies for grandma. She is happy to meet and wants to play with you. Game "Basket". Targets: consolidate ideas about the composition number 7. Red Beanie: - Mom baked seven pies for grandma. AT basket outside that's how much you can see pies, how many are inside? Show on fingers. (Little Red Riding Hood shifts pies several times.) Children show the answer on the fingers. Teacher: - said goodbye Little Red Riding Hood with us, carried pies grandmother.
(Children sit on the carpet in front of the easel, on where the field with the game is located.)
Teacher: -Baba - Yaga was angry with us for what we helped Ladybug and she had to to disenchant her that we played with Little Red Riding Hood, had fun with the Merry little men, and for this she sent evil flies. " A fly sits in the center of a large square, who is trying to get out of it. 7. Meeting with Baba Yaga. Teacher: - Tired kids, played enough, sat down to rest on stumps, fell asleep. (Children sit down at tables, close their eyes. At that time the teacher removes the stones from the board.) Teacher: - The children are waking up. Arrives in a stupa Baba Yaga and says that she will not give children get out of the forest. She collected stones and bewitched. Children work in pairs using blocks Gyonesh is disenchanted by the figures. (Decode symbols and show figures. Pebbles reappear in turn on the board. Baba- Yaga flies away dissatisfied, leaving the children letter. Children read a letter on the blackboard: “What smart ones!” and return from the forest, saying magic the words: "Around turn myself around I back from the fairy tale.
-Like it you in a fairy tale? - Why were you able to help Ladybug? (We know how to make the number 7 from two smaller ones numbers.) -A why were able to cope with the evil flies? (We know where is left and where is right.) -What fairy tales with a number in the title 7, you know? ("Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs", "Wolf and seven kids", "Flower-seven-flower", "The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven heroes." B fairy tale "Boy-with-finger" 7 sons and 7 daughters of a cannibal.) List literature: [1]. |
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" 
Per one move she can only fly one cell. I will say where the fly flew, and you carefully follow her movement. As soon as she takes off outside the big square, clap in the palm of your hand to catch it. If you have time slam, then plant a fly in magic bag, and if the fly manages to confuse you, then she flies away. Begin. Fly up, fly right, fly right (clap)." 
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