The number 5 has lots of potential for fun number activities and counting games and is also foundational to math skills. These activities are geared for preschoolers and the number 5 but can be used for other numbers and older kids.
1. 5 Little Jungle Critters
Sung to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", this counting activity also helps to build motor skills either by using fingers or full body motions. The resource goes to a felt board presentation of this song, which could also be used in the classroom.
Learn more: Flannel Board Fun
2. Counting Flowers Worksheet
In this hands-on activity, students can color each flower and then finger paint the correct number of leaves on the flower stem.
Learn more: Hello, Wonderful
3. Counting to 5 Busy Bag
In this fun counting game, kids are tasked with counting out the correct number of pom poms into a muffin liner labeled with the corresponding number.
Learn more: Life Over C's
4. Fingerprint Math
This fun activity is a great art tie-in. Prewrite numbers 1-5 on a piece of paper. Then, students can fingerpaint the number of dots on the corresponding number. This is a great way to practice motor skills, too.
Learn more: Montessori From the Heart
5. Five Little Goldfish Song
This finger play helps kids practice counting to five. Kids love simple counting activities like this simple like this little poem. Finger plays are also great motor practice.
Learn more: Love, Learn, & Librarian
6. 5 Wild Numbers
This book is a great count 1-5 activity for kids using unique sliding discs that allow children to trace the numbers over and over again. Brightly colored pictures accompany each page.
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7. Watermelon Number Puzzle
This fun counting activity encourages children to build their fine motor skills and practice counting with these homemade puzzle sheets. One version of the puzzle is 1-5, while the other is 1-10. Kids can check their work by looking at the image above the numbers.
Learn more: Fluffy Tots
8. Count and Clip Cards
These count and clip cards encourage counting skills, identification skills involving pictorial representations of numbers, and could even be used for kindergarten kids in review numbers at the beginning of the year.
Learn more: Fluffy Tots
9. Watermelon Seed Matching
This fun hands-on craft can be completed with paint or construction paper. After the watermelon slices are done, add 1-5 seeds to each half. Mix them up and let your student have lots of fun trying to match watermelon halves with the same number of seeds in this cute game.
Learn more: The Mama Workshop
10. One More, One Less
In this learning activity, you can either pre-select numbers for the kids, or have them roll a dice to complete the middle column. They then have to use basic math skills to fill in the other two columns on the math worksheet.
Learn more: Fantastic Fun and Learning
11. Apple Tree Counting
In this correlation activity, kids match the clothespins to the correct number of apples to the tree. This 1-5 number recognition activity is a great way to reinforce counting in the early days of school.
Learn more: Fun Learning for Kids
12. Lily Pad Hop
Preschoolers can use homemade game can be used to count to 5 (or 10) or expand it for kindergarten age kids by counting in 2s or backwards. In this fun learning activity, kids can practice counting as they add the correct number of stickers to the lily pads.
Learn more: Toddler Approved
13. Show Me Fingers
This interactive resource encourages correlation between pictorial representation, numbers and physical counting with fingers in the form of a puzzle. Teachers can print of just a few numbers or numbers 1-10. The puzzle aspect is a great way to engage a busy toddler!
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
14. One Elephant Fingerplay
This fingerplay is a great activity for preschool and kindergarten kids to practice counting. Kids can make their own finger puppets, use color crayon to decorate them and learn the song to sing along.
Learn more: The Measured Mom
15. Five Green Speckled Frogs
In this adorable fingerplay (or you can use puppets), children can practice counting. It's also a great language activity for students due to the repetitive verses.
Learn more: Pickle Bums
16. 5 Currant Buns
This bakery counting game is lots of fun do do as a class, as you can mention specific students' names as the class practices counting to 5. You could also serve a special snack of pastries to match the poem afterwards.
Learn more: Childhood 101
17. 5 Ducks Went Swimming
This little finger play is a great addition to your hands-on numbers 0-5 activities. In this finger play counting backwards from 5, kids can either use their fingers or duck puppets made with the pattern cards available online.
Learn more: Let's Play Music
18. Button Muffins
This fun button activity is completed by kids placing the correct number of buttons in the corresponding muffin paper. However, it could be extended into a shape sorter or color sorter activity by adding an additional rule (ex: 3 triangle buttons; 3 blue buttons etc).
Learn more: Mess for Less
19. Flip it-Make it-Build it
Children practice counting in several ways in this math worksheet. First, they flip a tile, then use a 10 frame to count out the correct number of discs, followed by building it with blocks. This counting worksheet can be customized to include certain numbers or swap out the discs for another object.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
20. Cookie Counting Game
This fun math game can be played a variety of ways. First, kids can match the cookie with the correct number of chocolate chips with the glass of milk. Kids can also play "memory" with this game, and finally, finish off this fun game with a coloring math worksheet.
Learn more: The STEM Laboratory
21. Number Rocks
In this activity with rocks, kids are given white and black rocks. One set is painted with dots like Dominos, while the others are painted with arabic numbers. Kids then have to match them up in this simple counting activity.
Learn more: Fun-A-Day
22. Feed the Sharks
This hands-on counting game for kids is also helpful for building fine motor skills. Simply draw out a few sharks and add a number to each shark. Then, draw fish on a sheet of dots (one fish per dot) and have your kid "feed" the sharks.
Learn more: Days with Grey
23. 10 Frame Activity
In this simple 10-frame activity, kids place the correct number of objects in the grid. Students can use Fruit Loops, gummy bears or another object.
Learn more: Preschool Play and Learn
24. Match the Numbers
Hands on activities for preschoolers are great--and even better if they use materials you probably already have on hand! Simply write some numbers on a paper towel tube and the same numbers on a sheet of dot stickers. Preschoolers then explore the tube and match up the numbers and stickers!
Learn more: Team Cartwright
25. DIY Counting
Simply use some playdough, dowel rods and dry pasta for counting activity. The playdough acts as a base for the dowel rods. Then, add dot stickers with various numbers printed on them. Kids then have to string the correct number of pasta pieces on the dowel rods!
Learn more: Active Littles
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