Even though I'm calling this math activity a number game for kindergarteners, it's also appropriate for preschoolers and younger.
It's something fun my son and I decided to do to practice number and quantity recognition. He's so excited about learning some math in school this year (even though kindergarten math is basically counting). He sees his big third grade brother doing mathematics and wants to be just like him.
How to play:
The exact materials are unimportant. Just gather whatever you have at home. Some objects should display the numeral, while others display the quantity. I used playing cards, dice, dominoes, sandpaper numbers, wooden numbers and Montessori beads. You could also use magnets, counting blocks, etc. The sky -- or your toy closet -- is the limit.
I placed the numbered objects on the table and asked him to find "everything with a 2." He then organized all the objects by number. That's it! Easy-peasy, but he loved it.
Tips:
Don't worry about having an equal number of objects for each number. This game is not an exact science.
The beads were great, because they got New Kid counting. If you don't have snazzy beads like these, string beads on several pieces of pipe cleaner or simply provide small objects like beads or buttons to count out.
"Game" is a loose term here. There is no winning or losing. If your child has trouble, work through it together, counting as you go.
MORE: We LOVE math games! Whether it's our favorite math-themed board games, or making up our own games with these 10 handy tools for DIY math games, games are a fun way to practice important skills.
writersideup says
I love basic stuff like this. It's more of an exercise or challenge than a game, but when you call it a game, it's more appealing to kids, I think 🙂 And what's sandpaper numbers? Never heard of them! lol
Erica MomandKiddo says
Yeah, it's not really a game, but he liked that I called it that.
Amy M says
Simple, but fantastic! thanks for the idea!
Natalie F says
This is a great exercise. We had something similar for our daughter when she was learning her numbers, and my husband made a "go fish" game out of cards where she needed to collect various representation of the same number.
Nina says
Nice! I have some dominoes, magnetic numbers, flash cards and good old paper and pencil that I just might try this later today!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Excellent, Nina! I hope you have fun!