19 Fun Counting Games & Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

The first math activities kids learn are number recognition and how to count. But how to make it fun? Here are 19 fun counting activities and games for kids.

One of the very first math skills kids acquire is how to count. One, two, three…

This is the backbone of math fluency and more advanced math like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

To most kids learning how to count is fun. Many kids will just do it naturally on their own – counting objects they see outside or toys they’re playing with at home.

Then, in preschool and kindergarten, number sense and counting skills are learned and further solidified in each successive grade.

Introducing a few counting math games can solidify the learning process even further.

The following are nineteen simple counting games and activities you can do with your kids to help them learn how to count:

Counting Games & Activities for Kids

This activity helps kids make the connection between written numbers and quantities. Kids cover the empty circles inside the written number with plastic discs:

From Buggy and Buddy:

Roll the dice and determine who loses all their “teeth” (mini-marshmallows) first with this counting game:

From Toddler Approved:

This is a fun counting game: Each player rolls the die and then adds that many cubes to their cup.  The first one to fill the cup wins!

From Frugal Fun 4 Boys:

Help kids number recognition with this paper airplane game:

From The Educator’s Spin on It:

For kids who do better outside, here’s a fun number maze. Parents say the number and kids try to find it in the chalk frame:

From Hands On As We Grow:

This daisy craft lets young children count how many petals each flower needs:

From No Time for Flashcards:

Have preschoolers trace numbers and also determine how many Cheerios represents that number with this math activity:

From Schooling a Monkey:

Help kids understand one to one correspondence with this colored cereal activity:

From Stay at Home Educator:

Do your kids like cars? This is the perfect game for them. It’s extremely simple – Roll the dice and move your car that number of squares.  The first one to the finish line wins!

From Frugal Fun 4 Boys:

Use pom poms, cupcake holders, and tongs to have children determine the correct number of pom poms that correspond to the number written in each cupcake holder:

From Laughing Kids Learn:

Do you have a kid who likes working with their hands? This egg cracking counting activity is just the thing for them:

From Modern Preschool:

What kid doesn’t love Goldfish crackers? Here’s a great way to help preschoolers learn their numbers during snack time:

From Life over C’s:

Roll the dice and smack the corresponding number – perfect for active preschoolers!

From Mom Inspired Life:

Help kids practice skip counting with this paper plate/sewing activity:

From 123 Homeschool 4 Me:

This number game uses beads, a 100s board, and dice to help kids learn to count to 100. Whoever reaches 100 first wins!

From Kitchen Floor Crafts:

Create bead manipulatives to represent the number on a given card:

From There’s Just One Mommy:

For kids who are visual learners, these clay number manipulates can help to make abstract concepts more concrete. Plus, they’re fun to make!

From Schooling a Money:

Print out these free sheets, roll the dice, and determine how many bugs should move into the jar:

From The Measured Mom:

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