Creating opportunities for kids to count at home is brilliant! a) Because it keeps kids engaged and occupied; b) because they have fun and learn at the same time; and c) because it makes us feel like super parents. I am not an advocate of organising learning activities for your kids all day every day, but if we can multipurpose a great play idea so it’s educational then woo hoo… go for it!
Count at home ideas
1. Roll and count / manipulatives
- Counting math game from Buggy and Buddy. Grab some objects to count and bowl and some dice and you’re ready to go.
- Smack the number from Mom Inspired Life. Spread out some numbered post-it notes, roll the die and smack that number with a fly swatter. Pretty fun idea!
- A long list of manipulatives from Edventures with Kids. Not know what to count? This 100-days post has tons of ideas!
2. Using your arms
- Numbered ball toss from Mess for Less. Throw numbered ping pong balls into a container, then count out that number of beans to fill a cup.
- Chalkboard dot to dot from Hands On As We Grow. Draw a large dot-to-dot so your kids can draw from number to number. Have you had a go with chalkboard paint? It’s a great way to easily make a large chalkboard on a wall or door!
- Sticky hundreds chart from Coffee Cups & Crayons. DIY with large pieces of contact paper, a permanent marker and card stock.
3. Felt
- Planting felt flowers from And Next Comes L. DIY felt flowers and pots so children can ‘plant’ different numbers of flowers in each pot.
- Rainy day math game from My Nearest and Dearest. Make numbered rain clouds and rain drops so kids can add the correct number of raindrops underneath each cloud.
4. DIY Lego
- Count and measure with lego from The Imagination Tree. Love the idea of putting dots and numbers on Lego.
- Lego roll and count from Frugal Fun for Boys. Build a tower as you roll and count lego.
5. Gross motor
- Grab and move from Toddler Approved! Uses craft sticks labelled with numbers and actions. Grab 2 sticks and start moving!
- There are lots more ideas at this 10+ Ways to Count and Move post.
6. Scavenger hunts
- Math scavenger hunt from The Pleasantest Thing. In this activity one pile of DIY cards contain numbers and another pile of DIY cards show an object. The kids need to go and find that number of those objects.
- Number scavenger hunt from Hands On As We Grow. A similar activity but with butcher paper.
- Counting around the house from No Time for Flashcards. She draws a large house on butcher paper and the kids go off and count objects then return and write how many.
7. Counting cards & ice cream
- Lego counting cards from Life Over Cs. Free printable and includes numbers 1-12. Has space for write both the number and the word.
- Ice cream number learning from Learn with Play at Home. DIY paper cones and scoops of ice cream.
- I will have a whole post dedicated to free counting mats next week!
8. Abacus
- Giant bead abacus from The Imagination Tree. Great for hands-on math.
- Abacus with melty beads from Lalymom. Another DIY project using beads and pipe cleaners.
9. Fine motor
- Tactile counting sticks from Where Imagination Grows. DIY counting sticks with raised dot surfaces.
- Baby food jars from Hands On As We Grow. For little ones to practice opening and closing lids while putting objects into (and taking them out of) numbered baby food jars.
- Counting and number recognition from Learning 4 Kids. Kids can sort numbered objects such as plastic drink lids, leaves and pebbles.
10. Number line (sort of!)
- Bean bag toss on the stairs from Hands On As We Grow. Great for coordination as well as counting. And best of all, the numbers can stay on the stairs for a few weeks or more so they can get plenty of use.
- Number line counting from Learning 4 Kids. Free number line to put on a metal surface then use magnetic numbers to match up numbers underneath.
- Caterpillar counting from I Can Teach My Child. DIY caterpillar from a pool noodle and a rope.
Want to see more counting roundup posts?
- 10+ Ways to Count and Move
- 10+ Ways to Count with Play Dough
- 10+ Ways to Count with Fine Motor Skills
- 10+ Ways to Count with Snacks
- 10+ Ways to Count with Storybooks
- 10+ Ways to Count with Clothespins
- 10+ Ways to Count with Free Board Games
- 10+ Ways to Count Outside
Looking for more counting activities?
Pop over to my TpT store for more counting products: within 5, within 20, within 100 and introducing number lines 0-10.
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