17 Fun Number Activities For Preschoolers

Kids often face difficulty in understanding complex mathematical formulae and find their solutions efficiently. In order to make the core of maths strong, you need to infuse basic knowledge in your kids right from a young age. Number activities can help your preschooler have a better understanding of the numbers through simple mathematic calculation.

If you want a list of such activities, then MomJunction has got it covered for you. Check out the post below as we bring simple and interesting number activities for preschoolers.

Number Activities For Preschoolers

1. Sponge painting with numbers:

You will need:

• Sponge numbers
• Construction paper
• Paint in different colors
• Tray

How to:

1. Tell your preschooler to pick up numbers in order, dip the sponges in paint, and stamp on the construction paper.
2. Also, your child has to remember to sponge the numbers right side up.
3. After she has used up the first row, tell her to put the same pattern underneath, lining up the colors while counting and placing the numbers in order.
4. You can also try backward numbering with this craft.

At the end of it all, let her dip her hands in paint and play.

2. Sensory number craft:

You will need:

• and or glitter
• Chalk
• Black scrapbook paper
• Craft glue

How to:

1. Ask your child to write 100 on the scrapbook paper.
2. Now tell him to trace over the number to thicken the lines.
3. Once done, ask him to paint the numbers with glue.
4. Now add in the sand or glitter. Sand would give a better sensory practice to your child.
5. Spread the glitter or sand on the tray and tell your kid to cover the numbers with it. Leave it to dry for an hour or more.
6. Pick the paper and shake off the excess.

3. Exploding numbers:

You will need:

• Construction paper
• Sketch paper
• Masking tape or scotch tape
• Pencil
• Roller brushes or paint brushes
• Scissors
• Poster paint

How to:

1. Tell your preschooler to draw the numbers of the construction paper and cut it out. If your child is too young, you can do that for him.
2. Ensure that each number is five to six inches long and wide.
3. Put masking tape on the back of each member and stick it onto the sketch paper.
4. Now prepare different paint colors on the palette. Do not mix too much water in the paint.
5. Now tell your preschooler to put the numbers on the poster paper and paint around each number with outward strokes. Kids are free to use several colors on each number. Or kids can even use small roller brushes.
6. Once he has finished painting, remove the cut-outs and leave the picture aside to dry.
7. Your preschooler will be surprised to see the exploding number silhouettes he has created.

4. Number necklace:

You will need:

• String
• Large plastic beads
• Drinking straws
• Pipe cleaner
• Craft foam
• Scissors
• Containers such as palette, small bowls, and muffin tins

How to:

1. Tell your child to sort the beads by color, for instance, one stands for red, two for pink, three for blue, four for green, and five for purple. It will be a good exercise for counting and color recognition.
2. Cut a piece of string long enough to be worn as a necklace. Make a knot at one end. Cut the straws one inch long and string five pieces of these straws to start making the necklace. You also have to cut numbers one to five from paper or craft foam. Or you can put the ready-made craft foam numbers to use.
3. Now give the necklace to your child and tell him to string the bead in the ascending order.
4. Again string the last five pieces of drinking straw, make a knot and trim off the excess.
5. Cut the pipe cleaner into one inch long pieces and make a link on top of each number.
6. Tell your child to secure the number charm by putting the pipe cleaner pieces into corresponding area of the string. He has to put number ‘1’ beside red, number ‘2’ beside pink, and so on. This is one of the best number activities for preschool children.

5. Number caterpillar:

You will need:

• Paper cups
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Crayons
• White glue
• Googly eyes or beads
• Feathers
• Watercolor
• Paintbrushes

How to:

1. Cut out several structures out of the construction paper for the caterpillar. You can even use the base of the paper cup for making the caterpillar segment, but ensure that it is neatly trimmed. You have to make at least five round sections for each caterpillar. Ten to 12 would be ideal for the extra-long caterpillar.
2. Now ask your preschooler to write numbers using crayons. If possible, tell him to use heavy strokes while writing the numbers.
3. Then, ask him to paint on each disk with poster paint or diluted watercolors. The paint will show through the numbers. Leave it to dry thoroughly.
4. Make a background from the construction paper. The paper should be big enough for the caterpillar.
5. Ask your preschoolers to draw some details for the background such as the sun, clouds, and grass.
6. He now has to glue the numbered segments on the construction paper to make the caterpillar. But it has to be in the correct order.
7. In the first segment, stick the googly eyes and use feathers for the antennae. For the mouth, you can use a small piece of pipe cleaner.
8. Leave it to dry thoroughly before putting it on the display.

6. Play-doh numbers:

You will need:

• Play-doh in different colors
• Googly eyes

How to:

1. This fun activity requires children to shape the play-doh as numbers.
2. He has to make thin rolls of the pay-doh in the form of 4.
3. Use thin bits of play-doh for the snake’s tongue and googly eyes for the eyes. Your play-doh snake is ready.

7. Number loom:

You will need:

• Yarn or string in different colors
• Cardboard papernumber templates
• Pencil
• Scissor

How to:

1. Download the number templates from the Internet, trace them on the cardboard, and then cut it out.
2. Hand it over to your child and tell him to wrap the entire figure with different shades of yarn. He can make the number as thick or thin as he wants.

8. Fishing numbers:

You will need:

• Paper
• Scissor
• Crayons
• Magnet
• A piece of thread

How to:

1. Cut out a few fish shapes from different colored papers.
2. Draw a big number on each fish shape using a crayon. Put all the fish cut-outs in a bowl.
3. Attach a small metal piece behind each fish shape. Take a string and attach a magnet at the end.
4. Now tell your preschooler that you want to see a particular fish. For instance, say “I want to see fish number 1.” Help your preschooler fish that fish cutout.

9. Beans in the flower pot:

You will need:

• Toilet paper rolls
• Marker
• Bowl
• Beans

How to:

1. Collect all empty toilet paper rolls and write numbers on each such as one, two, three, and more.
2. Place some beans in a bowl and place them in front of the rolls.
3. Now ask your preschooler to add the related number of beans in each roll.

10. Food in the egg carton:

You will need:

• Egg carton
• Edible items

How to:

1. Take an empty egg carton and place a few edible items such as raisins, almonds, pistachios, cereals, and more.
2. Ask your kid to continue adding more of these items from time to time.
3. Count out the items and ask your child to pick them up from the cart. For instance, ask them to eat two raisins, one pistachio, three nuts, and so on.
4. This is one of the best preschool math activity that will help them learn addition and subtraction.

11. Join the dots:

You will need:

Paper
Sketch Pens

How to:

1. Make dots on paper using bright colors in the outline of numbers.
2. Help your preschooler trace the same one by one and watch him learn numbers the fun way.

12. Number and color sorting:

You will need:

• Colored Beans
• Bowl
• Tray

How to:

1. Help your kid color groups of ten beans in different colors, such as red, blue, yellow, etc.
2. Get matching colored bowls and mix up the beans on a tray.
3. Now ask your preschooler to sort out the colored beans and add them to the matching bowls while counting them out.

13. Counting candies:

You will need:

• Candies

How to:

1. Clear out a counter and help your preschooler place one candy on it.
2. Tell your little one that this is one candy.
3. Now give another candy and ask your preschooler to place it next to the previous one. Tell them that adding one candy to one candy gave them two candies.
4. Practice like this from one to three till your preschooler learns it perfectly. Move on to more numbers gradually. This is one of the most simple math activities for preschoolers that will help them learn numbers in order.

14. Count with the carton:

You will need:

• Egg carton
• Marker

How to:

1. Take an empty egg carton that still has the lid on it and write out different numbers in sequence on the inside.
2. Now place a counter inside and close the carton.
3. Ask your preschooler to shake the carton and then open it.
4. Ask them to identify the number where the counter has landed.

15. Find the numbers:

You will need:

• Household items

How to:

1. Clear out a big table or surface area.
2. Place a collection of items on the same that your preschooler is already familiar with. You can use items such as four dolls, two balls, three spoons, and so on.
3. Now ask your preschooler to find the given item along with the number, such as “Find the two balls” and so on. It can be one of the best and easy math activities for preschoolers.

16. Building blocks:

You will need:

• Building blocks
• Marker Pen

How to:

1. Take your preschooler’s building blocks and write out one number on each, from one to ten.
2. Ask your little one to create a tower from one to five, six to ten, or one to ten. You can also reverse the order later.

17. Beading numbers:

You will need:

• Bead
• A piece of thread

How to:

1. Place small beads in a bowl and place some strings close to it.
2. Ask your preschooler to thread one bead on a string first, two on the second, and so on.

Was maths ever so fun? Well, now it is.

Use these fun activities to help your preschooler fall in love with math. If you have any tips to add, let us know in the comments section.

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