It’s never too soon to start building a foundation in math skills for kids. These hands-on activities and fundamental skills are great for helping students build number sense, improve numeral recognition, and practice other basic math skills! Encourage students to be involved in these hands-on math activities and to have fun during learning time. This list of preschool math activities will help you prepare your preschooler with a solid foundation of basic math concepts.
1. Hands-on Graphs
Let students take part in building their own graph! You can begin with a pictograph and later progress to a bar graph. Students can have fun counting bears or other manipulatives. Then, they can work together to build a large graph to represent what they counted.
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2. Sticker Match
This is a great way to include hands-on math learning! This activity is good for counting practice and number recognition. Students will count the stickers on the premade sheets and then match the numbers to them. They can use a sticky note so that the chart can be used over and over again.
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3. Paper Bag Counting
This super simple counting activity provides great practice for preschoolers. Set up small paper bags with numbers on the outside. Have students count out the correct number of objects for each bag. They can use bear counters, crayons, coins, or any other small objects. Use these for stations or independent work.
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4. Tube Counting
This activity is made from recycled items and is good for counting practice and fine motor improvement. Use cardboard tubes and write the numbers on the outside. Provide items for the students to count. Consider using things like milk caps and twist-off tops for fruit pouches. Students will put the smaller objects into the tubes- counting as they go along.
Learn More: Happy Toddler Playtime
5. Shape Match
These adorable, printable penguins make great practice for shape matching and help students build foundation math skills for later learning. Print the templates and shape cards and then laminate them. Add Velcro to both the template and the cards and let students practice matching their shapes.
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6. Snowman Shapes
Snowman shape puzzles are a fun way for students to learn about shapes. Students can find the shapes and use them to build a snowman. Students can also practice ordering the pieces correctly to form the snowman.
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7. Measuring with Nonstandard Units
Practice measurement skills using nonstandard units. Start small with paper clips or cubes and move to larger measurement units like these paper mittens or shoes. Have students measure things in the classroom and count the number of items used in the measurements.
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8. Monster Eyes Counting
Counting is one of the most important skills in the math foundation. These printable monster faces are perfect for counting out the eyes and adding them to the monster’s face. Students will enjoy placing their eyes on the monster and rearranging them to fit.
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9. Learn Your Numbers
This is a great activity that will allow students to develop their number sense and provides many opportunities for students to get to work with numbers. They can read the number word and then trace the numeral. They can show the number in a variety of ways, including: on your fingers, by tally marks, and in tens frames.
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10. Candy Patterns
Use candy to motivate students when teaching them about patterns. Give students skittles and print these pattern cards for them to finish. Students will use the colored skittles to complete the patterns on the cards.
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11. Number Tracing and Counting
Help students practice one-to-one correspondence with this tracing and counting activity. Students can count the colored bears, place them in their spots, and then trace the number. They can trace with their finger or a dry-erase marker if you laminate the sheets.
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12. Counting Chains
This is a super simple activity for students to use during morning work or in math stations. Provide plastic links and number cards. Punch a hold in the bottom of the card and have students link the plastic pieces together- counting as they go.
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13. Roll, Count, and Cover
Morning math tubs are a great idea for students to use as they get ready for the day! These simple printables and a handful of math manipulatives make for easy morning work. Students can roll the number cube, count the dots, and then cover it with a counter.
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14. Fingerprint Counting
Finger painting is a fun activity for preschoolers, but this activity also incorporates mathematical learning. Make the template ahead of time and write numbers on small, paper-made bins. Have students use their fingerprints to add that many apples with red paint. Laminate the template for repeated use.
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15. Number Ordering
If students need to practice ordering numbers correctly, this is a great activity for them to complete. Use craft sticks and write numbers on the ends. Print this template and let students match up the numbers; also ordering them correctly.
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16. Clothespin Number Match
Activities with everyday objects are easy to prepare. For this counting and number match activity, you just need to print and laminate cards with numbers on them. Then, have students count out the number of clothespins and clip them onto the side of the card.
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17. Counting Cupcake Liners
All you need for this activity is a set of tongs, some cupcake liners, and some pom poms. Write numbers on the cupcake liners. Have students use the tongs to pick up the pom poms and count them as they place the correct amount into the cupcake liners. This is an excellent activity for fine motor practice as well!
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18. Play Dough Counting Activity
Use these play dough mats to help students practice their counting. They can roll small balls of play dough and place them on the mats to represent the number shown. Students will enjoy this form of multisensory play while also practicing an important skill.
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19. Pipe Cleaner Beading
Another great way to practice counting is by using these pipe cleaners and beads. If you have students match the colored beads to the colored pipe cleaners, this can also be a good color recognition activity. Students will use fine motor skills as they thread the beads onto the pipe cleaners- counting the beads to match the number attached to each pipe cleaner.
Learn More: Laughing Kids Learn
20. Flip It, Make It, Build It
Sensory math activities are great hands-on experiences. Students simply need to flip over a number card. Make it with counters, using the tens frame, and then build it with math cubes. This is a great way to reinforce number sense.
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21. Shape Pizza
Print out small pizza recipe cards with a list of shapes. Cut out and laminate the shapes. Students can then build each pizza based on the recipe card. Students will practice counting the shapes and identifying the shapes used in each recipe. They will enjoy building their shape pizza.
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22. Counting Cards
Print out these mitten templates and laminate them for students to use. Give students the chance to count out the number on each card. Students can put the counters on the mittens and practice counting each of them one by one.
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23. Shape Building Art
Use this activity craft to teach your students more about shapes. Cut a few pieces of paper into shapes and let students use the train template to build their own train. They can use different geometric shapes and colors to make it their own. This is a fun activity to use as an introduction to shapes.
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24. Addition Activity
These basic addition mats are perfect for stations! Use these mats to have students count the coins and fill in the missing number to complete the equation. This is ideal for children to practice their counting skills and practice adding groups of numbers together. Laminate these sheets for repeated use.
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25. Number Puzzles
This lucky little leprechaun activity is great for counting practice. Students must match the number to a tens frame. Teachers can print and laminate them and then use them in centers or for independent practice. This is a great way to get students familiar with tens frames.
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26. Number Caterpillars
Have some fun with creepy crawly numbers! Turn your kids into tiny entomologists by getting them to craft a caterpillar out of numbered paper circles. Then, have them line up the circles from smallest to biggest to create their counting caterpillar. What a delightful way to practice ordering numbers.
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27. Nature Shape Hunt
We’re going on a shape hunt! Head out on a nature walk with your learners and ask them to scout for, and gather, objects that match certain shapes; like a leaf as square as a Post-it or a pebble as round as a cookie. What an exciting and hands-on way to get them more confident in identifying different shapes!
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28. Playdough Numbers
Let your kiddos delve into the soft and squishy world of playdough with this next idea. Start them off with some playdough and have them shape it into different numbers. Make it a challenge by asking them to see how many numbers they can make in a set time! This is a fun, hands-on way of teaching that will have them confidently recognizing and forming numbers in no time.
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29. Connect the Dots
Inject a bit of mystery into your next math lesson with connect-the-dots worksheets. Show your learners how to join the dots in the correct order to reveal a hidden picture. They’ll love the excitement of discovering the picture and before you know it they’ll be number-order experts!
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30. Egg Carton Math
Recycle an old egg carton by turning it into a counting tool for your students. You can number the cups from 1 to 12, and encourage them to fill each one with the corresponding number of beads or other small, colorful objects.
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31. Math Story Time
Let’s take story time up a notch! Pick an engrossing story that weaves in numbers and mathematics to make math fun for your kiddos. With some intriguing questions here and there, you can spark their interest and have them dive deeper into the world of numbers.
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32. Count and Move
Shake off the dust and get your kiddies counting! Have them stand up before you shout out a number and watch as the room buzzes as they skip, hop, or jump that many times.
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33. Magnetic Fishing for Numbers
Transform your classroom into a lively fishing spot! Craft some tiny paper fish and mark each with a number. Then, let your mini anglers go fishing. Watch their faces light up as they reel in their catch and call out the number on their fish. This idea is a fun and creative way to practice number recognition with your little ones.
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34. Stack-a-Box
Let your kiddos be builders for the day! Start by setting out boxes labeled with numbers and then ask them to stack these in ascending or descending order. Your classroom will quickly turn into a busy construction site!
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35. Mystery Shapes
Your students will be shape experts in no time with this mysterious, hands-on game! Fill a bag with various shapes and let them take turns reaching in and guessing which shape they’ve got their hands on. Learning shapes has never been so exciting!
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36. Bug Catching Counting
Ready for some creepy crawly math? Have your students catch bugs, place them in their jar, and then count them with this exciting lesson! You could print bugs or bring the game to life with plastic toy bugs. This idea is a super hands-on way to practice counting skills with your littles!
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37. Floating Shapes
Make a splash with your next shape recognition lesson with this wet and wonderful idea! Set up a few tubs of water with floating shapes and challenge your kiddies to scoop out the specific shapes that you call out. This activity is a great way to bring a sensory element to your preschool math lessons!
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38. Balance the Scale
Bring the concept of weight to life! Start by setting up a balance scale and showing your learners how to use it to weigh a variety of objects. Once you’ve shown them the ropes, it’s time to let them get hands-on and explore this fascinating topic themselves!
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39. Shape Collages
Let your pupils’ imaginations run wild with this cool shape collage project. Lay out a range of brightly colored cut-out shapes and get them to create a vibrant collage by sticking them onto a blank piece of paper. As they create their masterpiece they’ll be developing their artistic expression and learning about assorted shapes.
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40. Number Bingo
Ready for some bingo excitement? Play a riveting game of number bingo with your kiddos that will not only entertain them but also enhance their ability to recognize numbers quickly. It’s a fun-filled game that’s sure to keep them engaged while they improve their math skills.
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41. Counting Songs
Turn learning numbers into a musical extravaganza with our next idea! You can lead a group signing session with your little ones as they sing along to catchy tunes that involve counting, such as ‘Five Little Ducks’ or ‘Ten in the Bed’. Signing these counting sounds is a marvelous way to boost both their counting skills and their moods!
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42. Shape Stamping
Let your kids make their mark on your shape lesson! Supply them with a range of differently shaped stamps and let them stamp away on paper to create patterns, sequences, or even just a shape picture! As they work they’ll be noticing the differences between the shapes- helping them better identify each one!
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