Preschool math projects

15 Best Math Activities for Preschoolers

The first five years are crucial for a child’s brain development. Almost 90% of the brain develops before kindergarten. Therefore, including interactive math activities in the preschool curriculum is highly helpful. 

It can improve attention, memory, and basic cognitive skills among kids. But simple flashcards or counting blocks are not sufficient to motivate preschoolers to learn math. Instead, teachers have to practice engaging and fun math activities to set a strong math foundation for students. 

Let’s explore fun math activities for preschoolers in detail. 

15 Fun Math Activities for Preschoolers to Boost Their Overall Growth 

Math can build confidence, logical mindset and improve academic performance among students. But that’s only when you make math fun for them instead of their arch enemy. So, let’s check out some fun and easy math activities for preschoolers: 

Online Math Activities for Preschoolers

1.

Best For: Immersive math practice basis common core standards

SplashLearn covers over 400 math skills in engaging game forms. It is a gamified platform for preschoolers to learn basic math concepts while playing free games. The platform has a vast 4000+ content library to make math fun and simple for preschool and kindergarten students. It is a web and mobile app-based learning platform offering activities like counting in groups, comparing numbers, and more. 

2. Moose Math

Best For: Multi-level math training 

Moose Math will take your kids on a mathematical adventure. The program offers multiple math activities for preschoolers to engage them in counting, subtraction, addition, and more. Through interactive graphics, kids will better understand the relationship between numbers and quantities. They will also learn geometry a bit better from quirky ducks. 

3. Monster Math

Best For: National curriculum math standards 

Take your child on wonderful math adventures and story rides under the national curriculum math standards with Monster Math. This application will introduce a friendly monster, Math, to your students and help them practice addition, subtraction, or division with fun games. Preschoolers will learn math along with an exciting storyline while interacting with other players. It is a fun virtual community to learn math through games. 

4. Marble Math Junior

Best For: Common core curriculum 

Marble Math Junior is an engaging mental math platform for early math skills development among students. It has an interesting storyline where students have to earn marbles and watch out for math whizzes. It lets students replay the question or move to the next one. Preschoolers can learn to do many basic things with the app like telling time, addition, subtraction, shape matching, and more. 

5. Math Kids 

Best For: Basic math for preschoolers 

Math Kids is a simple application to teach addition, subtraction, counting, and basic math to kids. Through games and interactive storylines, toddlers can learn math without even realizing it. It is a free app with a number of puzzles and mini-games to teach math in a fun way. 

DIY Math Activities for Preschoolers

6. Cup Stacking 

Best For: Counting double-digit numbers 

This is a simple math activity that requires 100 plastic cups and markers. You just have to label all cups from 1 to 100. Ask your kid to stack cups in numerical order while counting aloud. You can even jumble cups a bit to make it harder to stack all 100 cups. 

7. Sorting Candy Shapes

Best For: Learning patterns and shapes 

Kids are going to love this math activity. You need to get different shapes of candies, jelly beans, M&M, and whatnot. Put together all the delicious treats in a bowl and ask your kid to sort them in different shapes like circles, squares, etc. And finally, let them devour some candies as their reward. 

8. Math Twister 

Best For: Counting and recognizing shapes 

As you might have already guessed, this preschooler activity contains lots of bending, twisting, and fun. You need to grab a big piece of paper, divide it into different squares and write a number or shape on each square. Now, spin the twister and ask your students to step on a certain number or shape. 

9. Guess the Weight 

Best For: Counting and measurement 

Teachers can include this math activity in preschoolers’ homework curriculum to improve their measuring skills. In this activity, ask your students to guess the weight of different things lying around their home like onions, teddy bears, etc. Later you can ask them in class questions like “which is heavier — the apple or the can of soup?” 

10. Make a Number Collage 

Best For: Counting 

Give your kids a stash of old newspapers, magazines, and books. Ask them to search for the numbers from 1 to 30 in them. Once they found numbers, give them child-safe scissors to cut those numbers and glue them to paper to form a pretty collage. 

Group Math Activities for Preschoolers

11.

Best For: Addition and subtraction 

You can play some cards with your preschoolers to teach them addition or subtraction. Grab a deck of cards containing numbers 1 to 10. Have each student pick two cards at a time and ask them to add or subtract the numbers together. 

12. Find the Shape 

Best For: Recognising shapes

You can ask your class to bring everyday objects like socks, cups, or water bottles to class. Then, place all items on a table and ask students to find different shapes from the pile of objects like round, cylindrical, etc. 

13. Math Tic Tac Toe

Best For: Addition and Subtraction 

Put an addition or subtraction problem in each 3*3 tic tac toe. Divide your class into two teams and give each team one by one chance to solve the problem to place their Xs or Os. 

14. Burst Your Number 

Best For: Numbers recognition 

Grab colorful balloons from your nearest supermarket and blow them with your class. After that, label balloons with different numbers and ask your students to burst the balloon with the said number. 

15. Pouring and Comparing 

Best For: Measurement 

Give a plastic cup containing rice to your students. However, pour rice up to different levels in every cup and ask your students to compare the rice amount in their cup and their friend’s cup. 

Why Are Math Activities Important for Preschoolers?

Math is an important subject in a preschool curriculum. It helps kids learn basic things like seeing time, checking calendars, etc. With fun math activities, preschoolers not only learn math easier, but it also helps in: 

1. Developing Interest 

It is a common misconception that math is a tough and boring subject. Many kids don’t even try math because they think it is hard. So, you can break this myth when you make counting and measuring fun with math activities. You can spike preschoolers’ interest in math and make them less nervous about pursuing it in kindergarten.   

2. Use Math in Real Life 

Math activities for preschoolers are set in a real environment. It allows students to understand how they can use basic math skills in day-to-day life. For example, counting can help students see how much time is remaining for a lunch break. 

3. Build Confident Personality 

According to NAEYC, early math experience can build a child’s confidence regardless of math skills. When children solve math problems every day, it will give them confidence. They feel that if they can solve complex math problems, they can solve any hardship in their lives. That is very useful for a child’s overall character development.  

4. Logical Mindset 

Mathematics is not all about number crunching. It is also about the presence of the mind and observing small things. Thus, early math training will make your child develop a logical mindset that first observes the situation and then reacts. 

Let’s Have a Playdate With Math 

There you go, teachers! You can now organize a playdate with math using different engaging math activities in your classroom. When you make math fun and simple for preschoolers, they will not hesitate to learn new math formulas and concepts in higher classes. 

This will also build their overall character and brain. So, try to include as many math activities as you can in your preschool curriculum to motivate more students to learn math. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is math important for a child's early development?

It is very important to introduce math early in your child’s life. Mathematics teaches several life skills to children, like measuring, problem-solving, and understanding different shapes and patterns. Math is important for overall cognitive skills development in a child’s life. 

How to select math activities for preschoolers?

While selecting math activities for preschoolers, ensure that the activity must teach a math value to students like counting, addition, patterns, etc. Besides this, an activity has to be fun to keep students engaged and motivated.

Preschool Math Games and Activities to Engage Young Learners

Preschoolers have lots of important math skills to learn before they start kindergarten. Counting, number sense, sorting, patterns, comparing size, and so much more—these are all concepts toddlers need so they can move on to more advanced math concepts. These preschool math games and activities help kids master those skills in ways that are just as fun as playtime!

1. String beads on pipe cleaners

This is one of those classic preschool math games that has so many benefits for young learners. They get fine motor control practice along with learning to count, recognize numerals, and put numbers in order. All you need are pipe cleaners and beads.

Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn

2. Monster Dice Match

Rolling dice gives kids a chance to practice counting and subitizing. Get the printable for this free matching game at the link.

Learn more: The Measured Mom—Monster Dice

3.

You’ll find lots of dice-related preschool math games out there. In this one, kids roll the dice and then stack blocks together. They finish by counting the blocks all together, an early intro to addition.

ADVERTISEMENT

Learn more: Hands On as We Grow

4. Flip Uno cards to make a match

Get some memory practice while you learn numerals. Uno cards, with their bright and cheery colors and large numbers, are perfect for this, but regular playing cards work too.

Learn more: Primary Playground

5. Tag the number

We love that this game gives kids a chance to move! Tape up numbers on the wall (or write them on a whiteboard). Then have kids roll a die and run to tag the number that comes up. You can play this game in other ways too, like calling out the numbers randomly yourself, or taping the numbers in a variety of places around the room.

Learn more: This Reading Mama

6.

Stack building blocks and build a city skyline. You’ll get a different result every time, making this one of those preschool math games kids can play again and again.

Learn more: Cinta + Co.

7. Race to fill the cup

So simple and so fun! Grab a bin of math cubes or small toys and some plastic cups. Kids roll a polyhedral die (you can also try flipping playing cards or Uno cards) and place that many items in their cup. The first to completely fill their cup wins!

Learn more: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls—Fill the Cup

8. Hunt for numbers

Combine a sensory experience with some number practice. Fill a bin with sand, then bury playing cards for kids to find and match up.

Learn more: Busy Toddler/Number Hunt

9. Bounce a balloon

Everyone loves playing with balloons! Roll a die, then see if you can bounce a balloon into the air that many times without letting it hit the ground.

Learn more: Confidence Meets Parenting

10.

This is just like the original Cootie game, but no need to buy anything! Just cut beetle pieces from construction paper, then roll a die and see if you can be the first to assemble your bug!

Learn more: Teach Beside Me

11. Create shapes with sticks

Toddlers need to master their shapes, and this is a clever way to do it. Put together sets of wood craft sticks (use the same color for each shape) and let little fingers turn them into triangles, squares, and other shapes.

Learn more: Team Cartwright

12. Send bears into hibernation caves

Make “caves” from plastic bowls, then send little toy bears into “hibernation” in each one! Learn how the game works at the link.

Learn more: Pocket of Preschool

13. Park numbered cars

Vroom vroom! Number your toy cars to match the slots in a cardboard parking lot. Kids will have fun zooming them into the right places.

Learn more: B-Inspired Mama

14.

Dominoes are fantastic math learning tools. This game is a sneaky introduction to addition, as kids count up the total number of dots on each domino and put them in the proper place.

Learn more: Busy Toddler—Domino Line-Up

15. Copy ice tray patterns

Seeing and matching patterns is a key skill for preschoolers. Placing pom-poms into ice cube trays with plastic tweezers helps them work on fine motor skills too.

Learn more: Planning Playtime

16. Rubber Duck Math Race

In this game, kids race to see who can be the first to get their rubber duckies to 10 (or any number you choose). They roll a die and lay out tiles to move their duck. The twist? To get to 10 at the end, they must roll the exact number they need—no going over! Preschool math games like this help kids master counting to 10 and counting on.

Learn more: Happy Toddler Playtime—Rubber Duck Race

17. Feed the LEGO monster

Sort LEGO bricks by color, shape, or number of dots. Then compare the number that wind up in each bag to learn the concept of “more or less.”

Learn more: Toddler Approved

18. Drop blocks into tubes

Upcycle some empty cardboard tubes by labeling them with numbers. Then drop small items like blocks or caps into the tubes to match the numbers.

Learn more: Happy Toddler Playtime—Tube Counting

19. Compare numbers to music

Prep for this game by using dot markers on paper plates as shown (visit the link below for more examples). Each kid takes a plate and uses it to “drive” around the room as you play music. When the music stops, they find a nearby partner and compare what they see on each other’s plates (e.g., “8 dots is more than 4 dots. 1 green dot is less than 4 green dots.”). Then start the music up and repeat!

20. Hold a shape scavenger hunt

Preschool math students are learning to recognize shapes in their environment and also to categorize and sort. This scavenger hunt does it all! Send them out to find objects in the room that match the shapes. Then count and compare to see how many you have in each category.

Learn more: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls—Shape Scavenger Hunt

If you loved these preschool math games, be sure to check out 20 Simple and Fun Preschool Science Experiments and Activities.

Plus, get all the latest teaching tips and ideas when you sign up for our free newsletters!

Educational project "Entertaining mathematics" in the preparatory group | Preschool education

Mathematics is one of the most difficult subjects in the school cycle, therefore, for a child to be successfully taught at school already in kindergarten, it is necessary to promote the mathematical development of a preschooler, expand their mathematical horizons, and improve the quality of mathematical preparation for school. This will allow children to more confidently navigate the simplest patterns of the reality around them and actively use mathematical knowledge in everyday life. nine0003

To teach preschool children to love mathematics, to maintain interest in intellectual activity, to encourage them to solve search problems, it is necessary to approach the organization of the learning process creatively and with interest, use the variety and variability of educational games with mathematical content.

Type of project : educational and playful.

Implementation period : long-term

Composition of participants : group (teacher, children of the group, parents). nine0003

The purpose of the project: the formation of elementary mathematical concepts in children of senior preschool age through entertaining material in the organized and independent activities of children.

Tasks:

1. Create conditions for preschoolers to master mathematical concepts, ensure the successful development of children's abilities and thinking.

2. To improve the skills of quantitative and ordinal counting within 10, to help consolidate the ability to recognize and name geometric shapes. nine0003

3. To help improve the ability to identify sets of objects or figures that have a common property.

4. Promote the development of mental operations: logical thinking, ingenuity, visual memory, imagination, the ability to compare and analyze.

5. Promote the development of interest in games that require mental effort, intellectual effort.

6. Promote the development of independence, the ability to understand the learning task and perform it independently. nine0003

7. To help increase the level of readiness of children of senior preschool age to study at school.

8. Encourage parents to participate in the project and work with children at home.

Expected results:

1. Raising the level of mathematical concepts in children of senior preschool age.

2. Children have developed an interest in the very process of learning mathematics.

3. Children independently find ways to solve cognitive problems, strive to achieve the set goal, overcome difficulties, and are able to transfer the acquired experience to new situations. nine0003

4. Activation of parents' interest in the use of mathematical games and exercises.

5. Parents' awareness of the importance of forming elementary mathematical concepts in children with the help of entertaining material, expanding parents' knowledge of entertaining material.

Preparation:

v Determining the topic of the project.

v Setting the goal and objectives of the project.

v Selection of methodical, fiction literature on the topic of the project. nine0003

- familiarization with the Frebel technique.

v Selection of didactic, outdoor games, dynamic pauses on the topic of the project.

v Production of educational games in mathematics.

v Plan the main phase of the project.

v Development of summaries of proposed educational activities, quizzes.

v Involvement of parents in joint work on the project:

- help of parents in the production of didactic games on FEMP.

v Conversation with parents "How to organize children's games at home using entertaining material"

Main stage:

v Classes according to the calendar-forward planning in the preparatory group for school:

- Lesson on FEMP "Letters of the Queen of Mathematics" , "City of Mathematics";

- Visual activity lesson: drawing, "A pattern in a strip of alternating geometric shapes", modeling "Funny numbers".

v Reading mathematical fairy tales, fairy tales with counting elements: "Three Bears", "Two Bear Cubs", "Twelve Months" by S. Marshak, "Flower - Seven-Colored" by V. Kataev; K. Ushinsky's story "Four Desires". nine0003

v Learning poems about numbers, counting rhymes, riddles about geometric shapes and numbers.

v View computer presentation "Funny Shapes".

v Mathematical coloring, drawing numbers.

v Design.

v Working with counting sticks.

v Didactic games with mathematical content: “Dice for everyone”, “Dots”, “Tic-tac-toe”, “Mathematical loto”, “Labyrinths”, “What numbers are lost”, “Funny numbers”, “Math houses”, "Magic Circles", "Domino", "Wonderful Pouch", Gyenes Blocks, Number Houses, "Playing Math" "Ladybugs and Daisies", Kuizener Sticks

v Guessing riddles, entertaining questions, comic puzzles, puzzles.

v Outdoor games: "Make a figure", "The sea is worried."

v Finger exercises.

v Physical education minutes "Exercise", "Make a figure".

v Conversation “What interests me about mathematical games”.

Questioning of parents.

Advice for parents.

Final stage:

v Exhibition of educational games made together with children and parents. nine0003

v Independent activities of children in the mathematical corner.

v The use of didactic games on FEMP

v The final event - the quiz "Clever and clever".

v Processing and design of project materials.

Project progress.

The work on the project took place in several stages. At the preparatory stage, a plan for the implementation of the main stage of the project was drawn up, methodological and fiction literature, illustrative material, a computer presentation "Funny Figures", didactic games, physical exercises, finger gymnastics were selected. Developing games of mathematical content were made. nine0003

Parents were involved in the preparation of the project implementation: a survey was conducted with them, a folder was made for them - the “Mathematics for Preschoolers” movement. Parents also helped in the production of educational games in mathematics. Parents took an active part, choosing entertaining mathematical material (problems, riddles, puzzles, rebuses) and colorfully designed it.

At the main stage of the project, many lessons were related to the theme of the project. In the classes on the development of speech and reading fiction, they read mathematical stories and fairy tales with mathematical content:

- "Three Bears", "Two Bear Cubs", "Twelve Months" by S. Marshak, "Flower - Seven-Colored" by V. Kataev; K. Ushinsky's story "Four Desires";

- memorized poems about numbers, counting rhymes, mathematical riddles.

At the art classes, children created drawings using geometric figures, made "magic" figures from plasticine.

In mathematics classes and during free activities, children worked with mathematical prescriptions - coloring books, made buildings from construction kits, mosaics, Gyenesh blocks. The children also worked with counting sticks: they assembled figures according to the model and according to the plan. nine0003

We played a lot of self-made didactic games with mathematical content:

• Tic Tac Toe. Tasks: to promote the development of attention, memory, the ability to focus on a particular subject for a long time, to promote the development of the ability to distinguish between concepts such as "diagonally", "vertically", "horizontally".

• Mathematical Lotto. Tasks: to promote the assimilation of the sequence of numbers from 1 to 10; consolidate knowledge of geometric shapes. nine0003

• Labyrinths. Tasks: to promote the development of logical and spatial thinking, multivariance, the ability to achieve goals, to promote the development of perseverance and patience.

• What numbers are missing? Purpose: development of the ability to determine the place of a particular number in a series and the relationship to the previous and subsequent number.

• "Math Houses". Purpose: the formation of knowledge about the composition of the number of two smaller ones.

• Tangram puzzle. Purpose: to develop the ability of children to analyze images, to highlight geometric shapes in them, to break the whole object into parts, and vice versa - to compose a given model from elements. nine0003

• Math tablet. Purpose: formation of the ability to create images, development of imaginative thinking, concentration,

• "Magic Circles". Purpose: development of counting skills and consolidation of the composition of the number.

• Ladybug Trainer. Purpose: formation of the ability to navigate the playing field with cells, move the ladybug in the indicated direction, determine the spatial arrangement of objects: “above”, “below”, “right - left”, “left - right”.

• "Clock" Purpose: to exercise in determining and setting the time on the clock. nine0003

• "Mathematical Scales" Purpose: to teach children how to add numbers, compare numbers with each other.

• “Mathematical puzzles” Purpose: to develop the ability to compose a whole from parts, improve the skills of quantitative and ordinal counting within 10.

• “Strawberries in jam” Purpose: to develop the ability to count, graphic and alphabetic writing of numbers, the concept of quantitative composition.

• "Count" Purpose: to exercise in solving examples for addition and subtraction.

• "The Fourth Extra" Purpose: to develop the ability to classify and group shapes by color, shape and size.

• "Decide correctly" Purpose: to consolidate the skills of oral counting within 10 and the ability to designate a number with a number.

• “What first, what then” Purpose: to improve understanding of time periods.

• “Composition of a number” Purpose: to practice decomposing a number into two smaller ones and making a number from two smaller ones.

• "Hide and Seek" Purpose: to consolidate ideas about geometric shapes, their properties, the ability to recognize shapes regardless of their spatial position. nine0003

• "Add a shape" Purpose: to consolidate the ability to classify and group shapes by color, shape, to find patterns.

• Used in the classroom sets of games "Frebel's Gifts"

• "Funny Numbers". Purpose: the formation of the ability to lay out numbers from various materials at hand, the development of fine motor skills.

We solved comic problems, puzzles, guessed mathematical riddles. In this work, we used baby books made by parents. Together with the children, we learned and mastered new outdoor games, dynamic pauses and finger gymnastics of mathematical content. nine0003

At the final stage of the project, the following were arranged: a corner of entertaining mathematics, an exhibition of joint creative works of parents and children.

Project

"Entertaining mathematics"

Intellectual Games and funny tasks as a means of entertaining mathematics of older preschool children

Full name of the project: "Entertaining Mathematics"

Project author: Shikina T. V.

Project participants: children, educators, parents.

Age of children: preparatory group.

Problem significant for children, which the project aims to solve:

In the process of forming elementary mathematical concepts, many children had no interest in mathematics, there were difficulties with thinking and attention. To increase the level of mathematical development, the activity of children, to develop their interest in mathematics, I decided to use entertaining material: puzzles, mazes, didactic games, worksheets for self-fulfillment, do-it-yourself manuals for individual lessons with children. nine0003

                                                                                                                    " The directions of work on the formation of elementary mathematical concepts in children of senior preschool age are clearly indicated, not only in direct educational activities, but also in joint activities with children, as well as in independent play activities of children. nine0003

This allows me to form elements of logical thinking and develop the intellectual abilities of children without violating the laws and stages of mental and physiological development, as well as taking into account the individual characteristics of children and makes teaching children interesting, meaningful, unobtrusive.

Purpose of the project.

To create conditions for the assimilation of mathematical concepts by preschoolers, to ensure the successful development of children's abilities and thinking. nine0003

Objectives of the project

Educational

- to develop interest in mathematics in children of senior preschool age;

- expand and systematize children's knowledge of FEMP.

Developing

-To form the ability of children to independently use the acquired knowledge in various activities, to involve peers in games;

- contribute to the development of mental operations (analysis, synthesis, comparison, classification, logical thinking.

Educational

-To form children's interest in intellectual activity;

- to form the interest of parents in the achievements of their children in joint activities with them.

Expected result

- application of mathematical knowledge and skills by children in independent activities, manifestations of creative initiative;

-development in children of interest in mathematics, the desire to overcome difficulties;

- parents' awareness of the importance of forming elementary mathematical concepts in children with the help of entertaining material, expanding parents' knowledge of entertaining material

- preliminary work with children and parents about the importance of the problem;

- selection of methodological literature;

- selection of educational, didactic, role-playing, outdoor games;

- work with parents on interaction within the framework of the project.

September

Stage II. Main

- work on the project (see "Project implementation model")

- work with children: implementation of the set goal and objectives through various activities; nine0003

- work with parents;

October - April

Stage III. Final

- Mathematical entertainment “In the country of mathematics”

May