Counting is a skill we all learn pretty early in life. However, skip counting is a more difficult concept for younger students to grasp, which means if you are a first, second, or even third-grade teacher, you probably spend more time than you would like counting by threes, fives, or tens. With our list of awesome skip-counting activities, you’ll ease the monotony of traditional counting activities as you cement the concept of skip-counting once and for all!
1. Read Skip Counting Books
Fine-tune your students’ counting skills with these colorful books! With a plethora of books that are focused on different skip counting numbers, you can engage them in a new experience each day. For instance, in this ladybug-themed exercise book, you’ll challenge them to count in fives by adding up the dots on each ladybug.
Learn More: Amazon
2. Get Up and Moving
Get your kiddos moving with numbers in this Workout and Count activity! Simply invite them to move along to the beat of this video as it guides them through skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s.
Learn More: YouTube
3. Do Skip Counting Puzzles
These interactive puzzles are perfect for working on your littles’ number-counting skills. Encourage them to cut these various puzzles into strips before tasking them to reassemble them by laying down each piece in the correct order.
Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
4. Practice with Paper Plate Lacing
This easy-to-make craft makes a fantastic tool for engaging your pupils in a more hands-on approach to learning. Create a paper plate counter by placing values of 10 around the plate and then punching a hole by each number. You’ll then challenge your learners to thread string through each numbered hole as they practice counting by 10s.
Learn More: YouTube
5. Do Skip Counting Dot to Dots
Add a pop of color to your math lessons with this engaging activity. Your kids will develop their skip counting skills as you have them connect the dots of different number arrangements. Once they’ve connected the dots, invite them to color in their image using crayons or colorful pencils.
Learn More: Royal Baloo
6. Play Skip Counting Hopscotch
Take learning outdoors with this active game. Begin by drawing a hopscotch grid on the ground and then fill each block with different numbers before challenging your littles to skip through the grid according to various number patterns.
Learn More: Math Geek Mama
7. Practice with Counting Coins
In this hands-on activity, your children will practice skip counting with coins. Engage them in this entertaining video as you have them sing skip-counting songs and practice their counting in an interactive way.
Learn More: YouTube
8. Learn with Skip Counting Hands
Decorate your classroom with numbers by inviting your kiddos to assemble this colorful mural. Start by allowing them to dip their hands in paint and then press their handprints around your walls. You’ll then have them label their hands with skip counting numbers to create a classroom resource that they can always refer to.
Learn More: Ofamily Learning Together
9. Display Skip Counting Sentence Strips
Here’s another classroom resource that’s perfect for adorning your walls with an educational display. Simply print and laminate these adorable skip counting cards before encouraging your little learners to stick them around their learning space. Whenever they need a reminder they’ll be able to refer to these handy guides.
Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
10. Create a Skip Counting Anchor Chart
Introduce the idea of skip counting to your tots with a skip counting anchor chart. Assist them in cutting out their handprints and footprints from colored paper before having them place their prints on charts to fill them with an array of skip counting numbers.
Learn More: Mrs. Richardson’s Class
11. Count in Groups
Transform your young minds into skip counting masters with this grouping activity. Challenge them to organize the dots displayed into ten groups before filling in the number of dots left over as ones.
Learn More: Homeschool Math
12. Play the Amazing Race
In this thrilling activity, your pupils will embark on an Amazing Math Race! Have them work in pairs to fill in the blank circles with different number groupings to form combinations that sum to the chosen number of the day.
Learn More: Mr. Elementary Math
13. Do a Hundreds Chart Activity
Step up your math lessons with this exciting and modern game. On an iPad or Chromebook, task your students with coloring in this hundreds chart as you have them fill the squares according to various skip counting sequences.
Learn More: Math is Fun
14. Do a Skip Counting Maze
Help this little bunny find his carrot with some daily skip counting practice. Encourage your kids to use skip counting by 2s to guide their bunny through this number maze to find the tasty snack at the end.
Learn More: Confessions of a Homeschooler
15. Count with Paperclips
Bust out the paper clips and paper plates for an unforgettable skip counting lesson. Engage your class’s fine motor skills by having them use different colored paper clips to represent values that fill the gaps between numbers on their paper plate.
Learn More: Creative Family Fun
16. Make Skip Counting Caterpillars
Pre-print these charming caterpillars for a whimsical number lesson. Challenge your learners to skip count by 2, 5, and 10 by having them cut and paste together their wiggly friend by correctly arranging each number segment.
Learn More: Whimsy Workshop Teaching
17. Count with Legos
Turn math into playtime with Lego constructions. You’ll engage any reluctant students with this hands-on activity as you task them with using Lego blocks to represent various numbers in a skip counting sequence that’s made out of one of their favorite toys!
Learn More: Royal, Baloo, and Logi-Bear Too
18. Make a Popsicle Puzzle
Get crafty with this popsicle stick puzzle that’s perfect for your kiddos of all ages. Start by inviting them to color each stick and then label them with numbers. Once complete, encourage them to put their playful colors together by skip counting with 2s, 5s, 10s, and more.
Learn More: Simply Kinder
19. Do a Skip Counting Dice Activity
Bring out those jumbo skip counting dice for this activity that’s guaranteed to keep your little ones entertained for hours. Simply create your dice using the template provided before allowing your pupils to use each roll to dictate their next number sequence.
Learn More: 3 Dinosaurs
20. Create Skip Counting Kites
Immerse your children in a world of color and creativity with these counting kites. Invite them to color in these kite templates and all the different number pieces that come with it. Then, attach a piece of string and challenge them to attach each number cutout to their string, according to the skip counting prompt displayed.
Learn More: Kindergarten Worksheets and Games
21. Do a Skip Counting Card Activity
Here’s an activity that’s great for practicing your young minds’ number and memory skills at the same time. Prompt them to place number cards faced down before encouraging them to recite the numbers on the cards and then flipping them over to check if they remembered the correct sequence.
Learn More: Activity Village
22. Play the Number Bubble Game
When you have a little downtime, allow your kids to break out their devices to play this fun-filled game. They’re sure to love the cute graphics as you challenge them to pop digital bubbles to drop skip counting numbers into the correct treasure chest.
Learn More: ABCYa
23. Practice Using Patterns
Once your little learners have the concept of skip counting down, use this creative exercise to have them practice their skills in a hands-on way. Start by using chalk to create shapes out of various numbers before passing the chalk on and letting them connect the numbers together according to different skip counting patterns.
Learn More: Kids Activities
24. Display Number Posters
Add to the educational allure of your classroom with these skip counting posters! It’s the perfect resource to stick around your kids’ learning space when they need a visual reminder of how to count by 3s, 5s, or more.
Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
25. Play Skip Counting Games
We all know that children learn the best when they’re also having fun. With these captivating skip counting games, you’ll round off their math units by engaging them in a bunch of games where they’ll display their skip counting knowledge by solving various puzzles.
Learn More: You’ve Got This Math
26. Design Skip Counting Bracelets
Create a vibrant learning experience for your class with these trendy math accessories. Invite them to craft these handy skip math bracelets using colorful beads to help them visualize skip counting in a tangible way.
Learn More: Saddle Up For 2nd Grade
27. Build Skip Counting Towers
Spark the creativity of the future architects in your class with these skip counting towers. Allow them to use Unifix cubes to construct vertical chains that represent multiples of a given number. You’ll solidify their understanding of skip counting while also nurturing their love for design and math!
Learn More: The Kindergarten Connection
28. Create a Skip Counting Garden
Bloom a beautiful mathematical garden right in your classroom with these radiant sunflowers. Task your kiddos with cutting and arranging paper flower petals in a pattern to represent various skip counting sequences.
Learn More: Math, Kids, and Chaos
29. Dance Along with Skip Counting
Your tots will love the rhythm of this engaging dance activity. Invite them to participate in a game of freeze dance as you have them twirl and spin to their choice of beats that match different counting patterns.
Learn More: YouTube
30. Explore Skip Counting with Nature
In this nature-themed activity, your children will embark on an environmental exploration with numbers. Send them out into your schoolyard to gather different colored flowers before challenging them to group each colorful flower collection into multiples.
Learn More: Twitter
31. Create a Skip Counting Chain
Stir up the creativity in your classroom with this trendy math craft. Start by having your kiddos cut colorful strips out of construction paper before allowing them to label each strip with a different number. Then, encourage them to use their paper cutouts to create chains of skip counting number sequences.
Learn More: Family Math Night
32. Bake Skip Counting Cookies
Here’s a sweet approach to skip counting lessons that your class is guaranteed to love. Engage them in molding salt dough into cookie shapes and adorning each one with a number and the corresponding amount of salt dough dots. Once dried, invite them to adorn their cookies with colorful paint to create these simple counting tools.
Learn More: Kids Craft Room
33. Construct Skip Counting Time Capsules
Although this activity was created with a New Year’s theme in mind, you can easily customize it to fit into your skip counting lessons. Task your students with filling small jars with notes to their future selves about their learning journey and various items that represent skip counting. At a future date, you’ll invite them to unearth their time capsules to reflect on the progress that they’ve made with skip counting.
Learn More: Rock Your Homeschool
34. Play Skip Counting Bingo
In this educational game, your kiddos will practice their skip counting with a classic game of Bingo! Simply hop onto this easy-to-use website to design various Bingo cards before engaging your learners in some counting Bingo, where they’ll mark off their numbers according to different number sequences.
Learn More: My Free Bingo Cards
35. Create Skip Counting Storybooks
Turn your classroom into a library of learning with an activity that combines literature with math! Encourage your little ones to keenly observe this skip counting story before challenging them to write and illustrate their own storybooks that are filled with characters that embark on skip counting escapades.
Learn More: YouTube
36. Experiment with Skip Counting Science
Combine culinary science with math by turning your classroom into a lab of discovery. Engage your pupils in using different measuring techniques to practice their skip counting with edible ingredients like flour and brown sugar.
Learn More: Land O Lakes
37. Solve Skip Counting Mysteries
In this intellectual challenge, your children will use their skip counting skills to crack clues and cases. With varying levels to suit your developing minds, you’ll task them with using skip counting by 5s, 10s, and 100s to unravel each hidden message.
Learn More: Classful
38. Embark on a Skip Counting Treasure Hunt
Take your kiddos on a memorable learning quest with this treasure-hunting activity. Invite them to complete these absorbing worksheets where they’ll need to figure out clues to correctly identify each skip counting sequence.
Learn More: Made By Teachers
39. Assemble Skip Counting Mobiles
Dive into a creative math lesson that’s packed full of themes relating to symmetry and art. Guide your little ones in assembling hanging mobiles using wooden hoops. Allow them to tie pieces of string to their craft before attaching different number pictures to each piece of string to form skip counting sequences.
Learn More: Pocket Yarnlings
40. Invent Skip Counting Machines
Fuel the passion of your future engineers with this innovative project. Engage them in using basic coding robots to create imaginative algorithms that operate on skip-counting principles. As they build their complex sequences, you can even dive into a conversation about the importance of numbers in everyday engineering.
Learn More: Create & Learn
41. Sing Skip Counting Karaoke
Enjoy a harmonious math lesson with this musical activity. Encourage your kids to join in on the fun by hosting a karaoke session where you’ll have them sing popular songs that have been remixed to follow skip-counting sequences.
Learn More: YouTube
20 Drug Awareness Activities For Middle School: Exercises, Discussions, And More