Kindergarten math is such a fun time! Kids at this age get so excited when they get the right answer or learn a new skill. Is there anything more precious than that look of pride and excitement on a young child’s face when they “get it right”?!
There are so many kindergarten math skills – addition, subtraction, counting, learning numbers, learning shapes, maybe even a little division skill prep! That’s a lot for young learners to tackle!
A lot of kindergarten math curriculums resort to worksheets. And I get it. They’re simple, they’re low-prep, and they are easy to hand out. And we get a math workbook every year. But, we do A LOT of activities. I would say we do math worksheets one or two days a week and activities the rest of the days. And if my daughter says she’s not interested in the worksheet, then it just gets put aside.
Kindergarten math can be taught so easily using games and activities. I’m going to share my list of kindergarten math activities and I will continue to add to it, so be sure to save this post and check back often.
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Ok, let’s get going! Here are some great kindergarten math printables and activities! If you want more information on teaching kindergarten math skills continue reading below the activities.
Kindergarten Math Activities
Underwater One to One Stickers
Children work on one-to-one correspondence as they place stickers on an underwater-themed scene.
Addition and Subtraction with Dominoes
Fun worksheets to practice addition and subtraction!
Addition Maze: Adding within 5
Help Bertie the Bee find her way to the flower while practicing addition facts!
Find 10!: A Number Bond Game
Race to be the first to find the pair of numbers on each card that adds to ten!
Counting Caterpillar: Subitizing
Children practice recognizing numbers 1-10 represented in different ways while creating fun caterpillars.
Counting Money Activity Sheets
Two Activity sheets to help students practice counting coins in a variety of combinations.
Five in the Hive
Work on number combinations that add to 5. But, don’t lose your cards in a swarm!
Skip Counting Cards to 120
Get up and move with these 21 skip counting activities! Practice counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s.
Color by Number Shamrock
Children can work on number recognition in this very colorful shamrock coloring page.
Simple DIY Dry-Erase Flashcards
These flashcards are simple to make and can be used so many different ways. And they are self-checking!
Subitizing 1-20: Cards and Activity Pack
Subitizing – the ability to recognize groupings of numbers without counting is an important kindergarten skill. With these subitizing cards and 10 Activity Ideas you will be able to give your child a lot of practice with subitizing.
Ten in the Pen: An Adding to 10 Game
Ten in the Pen is a fun, replayable game for kindergarten. Students practice adding to 10 with different number combinations.
This kindergarten math game is great because it also lets kids practice adding 3 or more numbers to get ten as well. Mental math for the win!
Shapes Activity Pack (2D and 3D Shapes!)
These shape cards are so versatile! They are great for playing memory match, Mad Scientist (extra card included. It is similar to Old Maid), Go Fish, and more! I have included 2D and 3D shapes, so your child will learn a lot of shapes while playing these games!
What are the Kindergarten Math Skills?
Kindergarten math skills can be divided into five different categories: counting & cardinality, operations & algebraic thinking, numbers & operations in base 10, measurement & data, and geometry. Although there are five categories, the majority of kindergarten is spent learning to count and using numbers. Let’s take a look at each category individually.
Counting & Cardinality
This is by far the largest focus of kindergarten math skills. Kindergarten is usually the first time children are getting formal math instruction, so there is a big focus on numbers, number recognition, and number sense. Here is a simplified version of the skills in this category:
Counting & Cardinality Skills
~Count to 100 by ones and tens
~Count to 100 starting at a number other than one
~Count 0-20, count a group of objects and write the number
~Understand that each object in a group correlates to just one number when counting
~Be able to count up to 20 objects in a line, circle, or array or up to 10 objects in a scattered group.
~Compare two groups of objects, or written numerals, and tell if one is greater than, less than, or equal to the other
If you spend time counting items around the house, asking questions about groups of items around the house, and doing some number writing activities, you will easily cover all the skills in this category.
Operations & Algebraic Thinking
Don’t worry, there’s not actual algebra in kindergarten! Operations and algebraic thinking is all about simple addition or subtraction and being able to think about numbers and problems in a mathematical way. Here is the simplified version of kindergarten skills:
Operations & Algebraic Thinking Skills
~Model addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, or drawings
~Add and subtract within ten to solve simple word problems using objects, fingers, drawings, etc.
~Decompose numbers into simple addition problems (ie 5=3+2)
~Add and subtract fluently within 5
Children at this age are not ready to mentally imagine addition and subtraction, so having physical objects or using their fingers helps them to visualize what is going on in an addition or subtraction problem. This tool works great, too! Dice are a great way to work on simple addition problems, so feel free to get those games out and count it as math class!
Numbers & Operations in Base 10
The only major skill in this category for kindergarten is
Numbers & Operations in Base 10 Skills
~Show that 11-19 can be broken down into a group of ten and several ones.
~Show 11-19 as an addition equation of a group of ten and several ones.
Ok, that was technically two skills, but they are so closely related that I’m calling it one! This is a simple introduction to place value. It will be crucial for children to understand tens, ones, etc. later on when they get into borrowing (regrouping), larger numbers, etc.
The easiest way to show place value is with snap cubes. You can easily show a stack of ten in one group and a scattering for the value of the ones. Plus, kids always like to choose the colors and snap them together and take them apart! You can also use m & m’s and then let your kiddo eat them!
Measurement & Data
Measurement and data is so hands-on that kids this age are usually very excited to practice these skills! Not a ton of skills here, but definitely building a good foundation for later. If your child is ready, you can certainly introduce using and reading a ruler, as well. Last week we measured a few favorite “stuffies” and recorded the information in a table! Ok, here are the kindergarten skills:
Measurement & Data Skills
~Describe an object using measurable attributes (length, weight, etc.)
~Compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common and tell how they are different. (same length, but different weight, different textures, etc.)
~Classify objects in different ways.
~Sort categories by count.
There are so many ways to make this category hands-on. Measure and weigh real-life objects. Use toys, stuffed animals, furniture, etc. Measure really big things and really small things! This is a great skill and so practical – have fun with it!
Geometry
Geometry is another fun category to teach to kindergartners because it is all about shapes! You can spend time looking at objects and discussing what shapes they are made of, drawing with shapes, playing Simon Says with position words, and so much more!
Here are the ‘plain English’ geometry skills for kindergarten:
Geometry Skills
~Be able to recognize and name 2D and 3D shapes.
~Describe objects using shape names.
~Compare 2D shapes and compare 3D shapes.
~Understand position words such as over, under, next to, above, below, etc.
~Build and draw shapes.
~Find shapes in real-world objects.
You can cover a lot of these shape skills just in daily life. What shape is your slice of pizza? What shape is the top of your bowl? There are so many shapes all around us when we stop to think about it!
How to Teach Kindergarten Math
Teaching kindergarten is all about fun and interaction! Kids at this age have a very short attention span, so it’s important to remember that when you are planning your lessons – less is more!
Planning short lessons and doing that a few times each day gives your kindergartner lots of time to play and digest what they’ve been learning.
Try to include lots and lots of activities and manipulatives in your kindergarten math lessons. Five- and six-year-olds love to touch and feel things, so give them the chance to do that!
Since you are hopefully planning short lessons, you won’t be covering tons and tons of material at once. Research shows that frequent, short review improves fluency and retention of new skills. Review often, but just in short bursts.
As your child begins to master a specific skill you can increase the time between review periods for that skill. If your child is getting really good at adding within 5, then review it every other day for a week, then every two days, then every three, then just review it once each week. This spaced review helps your child get better at pulling the knowledge out of this or her brain.
At this young age, kids’ brains are still doing so much development that they often still use multiple learning styles. Be sure you are including activities that involve manipulatives, movement, singing, hand-clapping, as well as a worksheet sometimes. This allows your child’s brain to interact with the material in lots of different ways and it can absorb it in the way that works best for them.
One last tip for teaching kindergarten math is to teach alongside your child. Play the games with them, sit next to them, not across from them, and delight in their excitement.
How to Make Kindergarten Math Fun
We all know young children love to play. And, for the most part, they love to learn, too. My kiddos get so excited when they get a new skill right! But, they also get really bored with worksheets sometimes. Here are a few ideas to keep kindergarten math fun:
Use Games. Kids love games. And there are so many options to use games when teaching addition, subtraction, and other kindergarten math skills!
Use lots of variety. When their attention span is only about 10 -15 minutes, you need to be changing things up a lot. Use different games, practice skills in different ways, and keep things “new” to keep your kiddo engaged and excited about learning.
I do this by playing different card games with them, buying a new math board game every few months, or just talking math with them during our day.
Let them experience lots of success. Be sure you are including a lot of activities where they can just get the right answer. This builds confidence and motivation to keep going. If they are always having to really think their brain tires easily. And nobody likes getting the wrong answers all the time. So, practice skills they are really good at along with introducing new skills.
Don’t push it. Do you ever have a bad day? Or a day where you just don’t feel like doing a lot of your To-Do List? Kids have those same days! If your child just doesn’t want to do math one day, then skip it. Now, if it goes on for weeks, then you’re going to have to find someone way to make math practice enticing. But, maybe their brain is just tired or digesting a skill you worked on yesterday. If you have math on the schedule and your child doesn’t want to do it that particular day, this former high-school math teacher gives you permission to skip it!
Kindergarten should be a time of fun and excitement. Math should be the same! I hope this gives you lots of ideas for kindergarten math worksheets, math games, and learning activities!
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