ath Activities for Kindergarteners

Bring math to life with your little learner!

Author
Christina Levandowski

Expert Reviewer
Jill Padfield

Published: August 24, 2023

Key takeaways
 Math doesn’t have to be exclusively textbook-taught – In fact, many kindergarten-
age students prefer to learn kinesthetically by play.
 Games can incorporate any levels of learning across topics – This means that
you can take subjects students learned in preschool and build on them— referencing
both new and old skills in play.
 Kindergarten math games can be adapted to your learner’s needs – While it is
helpful to have a framework that details rules and basic gameplay, it’s important to
remember that you can modify the games as needed.
 Table of contents
 Key takeaways
 Why are math activities for kindergarteners so important?
 Math activities for kindergarteners
 FAQs

Gameplay is a great way to teach math to kindergarten kids. Immersing your learners in
interactive math activities and lessons allows them to experience learning differently—
applying concepts to the dynamic world around them. Parents and teachers can facilitate
these activities in a number of different ways that are affordable and easy to pull off.

If you’re looking for inspiration, we’ve got you covered. Our education experts have put
together the ultimate list of kindergarten math activities for your reference and use. Read on
to learn more about ways you can boost your kindergartener’s confidence when it comes to
math and related cognitive skills.

Why are math activities for

kindergarteners so important?
Kids love to have a great time, and math is a critical skill in adulthood. Math activities and
games serve as the perfect intersection point between education and gamification, bridging
the gap and facilitating learning for kids at all skill levels.

Here are a few benefits you can expect when you include kindergarten math activities
routinely in your lesson plans:

Student engagement

Whether you play games in an outdoor area or prefer to work in small groups inside,
students have the chance to engage with their environment and friends, mastering critical
skills to build on later.

Early learning

Learning can be a fun activity. By teaching your kindergarten student(s) this now, you will
help foster a lifelong love of learning. Incorporating math skills via fun math activities
enriches kindergarten students’ early learning experience,while introducing them to concepts
like place value, number recognition of a given number, and operations with single-digit
numbers. They’ll also pick up helpful peripheral skills along the way, like fine motor skills and
mastery of their natural sense of creativity.

Socialization

Socialization as a skill is critical for both preschoolers and kindergarten students. Creating
curriculum-related opportunities for play and engagement can be helpful to both students
and teachers as children begin to explore interpersonal relationships.

25 math activities for kindergarteners

Ready to dig in? Here’s our list of 25 fun ways to incorporate math concepts into your
kindergartner’s daily learning experience:

1. Number Hide n’ Seek

This one’s easy to pull off and even easier to play! Color popsicle sticks all the colors of a
rainbow and hide them around your play space. As students find each random number,
identify them, talk about the number’s ordinal place, and then lay them out in order.

2. Shape Scavengers

Looking to boost shape recognition? Send your students on a scavenger hunt. Create a list
of recognizable shapes that you have around your play space. Set a timer and let your
players run wild! Whoever finds the shapes the fastest wins.

3. Crazy Count

This activity requires some preparation ahead of time—but it’s worth the effort you’ll put in!
Find and purchase a tactile learning set (think linking cubes or kid-safe marbles), and lay it
out on a flat surface in your play space. Follow the instructions and let them count, assisting
only as needed, as to encourage them to take charge during the activity.
4. Pattern Party

Make math fun and have a pattern party! Simply rifle through your junk drawer or craft box to
find old beads, blocks, buttons, or shapes of any kind. Then, prompt students to create
patterns based on a single characteristic of the set.

5. Measurement Walk

All you’ll need for this activity is a ruler and your walking shoes! Have your little learner go
around a set course either outside or indoors, writing down different lengths of items of their
choice. This process boosts familiarization with the ruler, and builds upon other foundational
counting and unit-based skills.

6. Counting on the Go

This game can be easily done with multiple students—making it a favorite of large families
for after school lets out. Take your student(s) out for a walk and have them count certain
sets of objects, like cars passing by or loose rocks on the ground. Take a final tally and
count your findings up at the end. Whoever sees the most, wins!

7. Money Match-Up

This activity is great if your learner is beginning to show an interest in money. All it requires
is a little bit of prep work, cash, and construction paper.

Cut out several paper cards and draw or paste images of coins on one side. Flip the cards,
and place the value of the amount on the back. Then, have them match the actual cash with
the paper cards.

8. Super Shape Sorters

Grab your tape and grab your shapes to start this fun game! Place down the tape on your
carpet or flooring in the form of basic shapes. They should be shapes that are appropriate to
your student’s learning level.
Then, offer your learner a basket of objects with different shapes. Prompt them to sort the
objects by the shape they represent into the taped shapes on the ground. This game helps
your student practice shape recognition and logic skills, both of which are critical for higher
level math.

9. Domino Fun

Dominos are a great way for your students to practice addition and subtraction. You can use
them like flash cards; prompting your students to learn operations and then practice them
using small, ordinal numbers. You can also use dominos for pattern practice, counting,
numerical recognition, and matching.

10. Tallying Tallys

Tally marks are a fun way to introduce your child to the world of data and numerical
representation. Offer your student paper and have them count objects around the house,
ideally within the same category. Count your talleys and discuss the total number of counted
objects at the end.

11. Number Line Hopscotch

Grab your favorite color of chalk and create a hopscotch course, putting numbers in
ascending order in the middle of each square. Then, have your students complete the
course while counting out loud. This activity doesn’t just reinforce counting concepts and
number recognition, but it also supports gross motor skill formation.

12. Time for Fun

This game does require some prior preparation, but it’s worth it! Cut out a cardboard clock
and arms, decorating the clock with the proper segments for both the hours and the minutes.
Then, ask your students to identify different times on the clock.

13. Counting with Ten Frames

Grab your ten frames* and give your student new opportunities to practice counting and
numerical recognition. They’ll also be able to explore new ways to create a given number.

*Ten frames are rectangular 5×2 grids that can be used to count numbers up to 10. Grid
squares can be counted using stickers or any other sort of markers.

14. Number Bonds Bonanza

Numerical relationships are critical to more complex math topics. To practice these
concepts, have your student pull out number bond mats (or make your own!). Then, walk
them through various combinations of numbers, working through the values from smallest to
largest. This game will help illustrate numerical relationships!

15. Shape Puzzles

If you’re looking to help your student practice problem-solving and shape recognition skills,
consider investing in some shape puzzles! Made of cardboard or foam, your students can
safely assemble the pieces to match each shape.

16. Addition and Subtraction with Dice

Specialty education stores sell addition and subtraction dice, which are great to give your
students practice with basic operational concepts.

17. Number Race

The best part of this race? You don’t even need to leave your kitchen table. Simply draw a
number line on a piece of printer paper, or if you want a bigger course, cut out squares and
spread them around a table or floor. Then, grab a token for your student’s “player piece” and
a dice, and ask them to move the player piece to the corresponding number of spaces on
the rolled dice.

18. Playdough Shape Creations

Playdough is easy to find, affordable, and simple to use. Parents can teach students
creativity and number recognition by using playdough to form common numbers (and
shapes too, depending on their level of knowledge).

19. Sorting Buttons

This activity is helpful for learners who are learning sorting by attributes, and can be done
with any spare buttons and a muffin tin or bowls.

20. Measurement Sensory Bin

If you have tactile learners, this is the activity for you. Start by filling a bin with child-safe
materials, such as beans, rice, or sand (which is great for older students). Then, you can
hide different objects in the bin, thus prompting your students to sort, measure, and count
them, as well as practice any other skill they need to work on.

21. Counting Caterpillars

Grab your scissors and construction paper—it’s time to make some caterpillars. Cut out
body segments of different colors for each caterpillar, numbering them as you go. Then, ask
your students to connect the body pieces in order to build the caterpillars. You can then have
them count out loud to verbally reinforce counting skills.

22. Shape Guessing Game

This activity requires a few minutes of prep time and objects around the house. Grab a
pillowcase or a bag, and place the objects that you’ve picked out inside. Have your students
feel around the bag, and ask them to guess the item that they’ve chosen, based on tactile
feel only. This is a great way to teach shape recognition to learners at all levels.

23. Number Line Dance

It’s time to bust out your dancing shoes! Create a number line on the floor using tape,
markers, or paper blocks. Then, play your students’ favorite tunes. Have them dance and
skip through the number line, freezing when the music stops. The last person standing on a
number wins!

24. Count the Spots on the Ladybug

Follow online instructions of your choice to create a beautiful rainbow ladybug with your
student. Then, have them cut out as many dots as they want, counting with you as they glue
them to the bug. After the glue is dry, ask them to number each dot, counting out loud as
they go. It’s a great activity to try if you want to appeal to visual, auditory and kinesthetic
learners alike!

25. Hula Hoops

Hula hoops are a classic way to get kids off of the couch and outside. Grab your hoop and
challenge your learner to a competition; counting as you both work to become a hula
hooping champion.

Embracing math through interactive and engaging activities is a key to early childhood
learning. Merging education and fun in kindergarten math games bridges the gap between
conventional teaching and playful learning, making math an exciting journey for young
minds.

The benefits are abundant, from heightened student engagement to early learning, and the
promotion of essential socialization skills. For a comprehensive approach to math education
for young learners, we recommend trying DoodleMath, a versatile math platform designed
for kindergarten to fifth-grade students.

DoodleMath makes math more accessible and enjoyable for children, promoting a strong
foundation in this critical skill.

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