• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

What Do We Do All Day logo

  • Start Here
  • Books
    • Classics
      • 20th Century Classics
    • Early Chapter Books
    • Easy Readers
    • Folktales
    • Holiday Books
    • Middle Grade (8-12 years)
    • Nonfiction
    • Picture Books
    • Read Aloud Chapter Books
  • Games
    • Traditional Games
  • Kids Activities
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Literacy & Writing
    • Math
    • Playful Activities
    • Science
    • Toddler
  • Parenting
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Books for kids
  • Games
  • Indoor activities for kids
  • Parenting
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Learn / Math Activities / Skip Counting Activities: Hands-On Math Learning

     

    Skip Counting Activities: Hands-On Math Learning

    1642 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    When my child was younger, he loved playing around with numbers and anytime he could explore systems and patterns he jumped at it. I loved showing him counting games and activities because they kept him occupied for a pretty good chunk of time. Skip counting turned out to be one of his favorite math activities.

    Abacus for hands on skip counting practice

    But don't just introduce your child to skip counting activities because it keeps him busy so you can drink your coffee! Skip counting teaches important mathematical concepts such as:

    • Patterning
    • Foundations for multiplication
    • Mathematical fluency
    • Number recognition

    Of course you could use worksheets, but hands-on activities are much more engaging and this type of kinesthetic learning opens up more neural pathways in the brain than just worksheets. Practicing skip counting at home and setting up an activity that reinforces the concept is not difficult, as you will see below.

    Our Simple Skip Counting Practice

    What you need for our simple hands-on skip counting activity:

    • Coins. Coins are a fabulous tool for all types of counting and math activities. But, buttons, pebbles, even small toys will also work.
    • Pen and paper cut into squares.

    First label each small square of paper with multiples. We used multiples of five. 5, 10, 15, etc. But you could start with 2, 4, 6, etc.

    My son then counted out five pennies for each square and lined them up against the numbers.

    Skip counting activity with pennies

    After that I actually didn't give him any instructions, but let him explore by counting and moving groups of five pennies around.

    Being the number-lover that he is, this was great fun for him. He also did variations, such as taking away the squares with 5s on them (5, 15, 25, etc.) and counting only by tens.

    He cracked me up because he demanded that I ask him math questions. So, I asked things like "If you had two groups of 5 and added 1 more group of 5, how many would you have?" For each question, he would manipulate the pennies to figure out the answer.

    This went on for quite a while... but he also just liked playing with the pennies by himself, too.

    More Hands-On Skip Counting Activities

    Not every child is as obsessed with numbers as mine, but luckily there are a wide variety of skip counting activities out there. Here are some of my favorites, which are great for at home or in the classroom

    Skip counting pointillism. I love this project because it is a cool math art project, and combining math with art is a superb cross-disciplinary activity.

    Skip counting hopscotch. I absolutely adore the idea of mixing math learning into a gross motor physical activity. What a great idea for full body kinesthetic learning.

    Skip counting paper plate lacing. While the hopscotch uses the whole body, this clever idea puts those fine motor skills to work.

    Fun skip counting books:

    (book covers are affiliate links; purchases made through these links may earn commission)

    More easy activities that lay a foundation for math: 

    • Bean counting
    • Counting to 100
    • Kindergarten number matching game
    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    « Easy Math Game: Tens Go Fish
    Charlotte's Web Read Alikes »
    1642 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. maryanne says

      November 16, 2009 at 6:44 pm

      Pennies can be used in so many great ways!

      Reply
    2. Jessica says

      November 16, 2009 at 11:28 pm

      I wish I lived in your house. Perhaps I would be better at math. 🙁

      Reply
    3. raelene says

      January 10, 2017 at 11:09 am

      I'm a grandma with an 18 mo old and 7 year old boys on the weekends. I do not like video games and was so happy to discover you on the internet...I want them to look forward and enjoy their time here... and show their parents the importance of being present in their children's lives, not just around....

      Reply
      • Erica says

        January 10, 2017 at 12:14 pm

        Wonderful!

        Reply
    4. TechyKids Canada says

      June 26, 2021 at 3:18 am

      Such an interesting idea for making math fun for kids. I am sure kids will enjoy this activity and learn new concepts. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Erica! I believe parents can stay sane without giving their kids an electronic device. Learn how!

    More about me →

    Newsletter

    Join over 15,000 subscribers who said "Yes! I want to unplug my kids!" We'll send you 10 waiting games your kids can play anytime, anywhere. Join here -->

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About the Site

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and join over 15,000 other families finding ways reduce screen time.

    Other Stuff

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

    Copyright © 2023 What Creative Media LLC

    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want More Free Activity Ideas?
    Join our email list and as a thank you gift I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games that will make your kids smarter.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want your kids to love being unplugged?
    Join our newsletter and as a thank you, I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.