Number Recognition Activities for kids
Are you looking for number recognition activities for kids?
Teaching preschoolers about numbers can be a lot of fun! Today, let’s talk about teaching preschoolers to recognize numbers with number recognition activities for kids, books, games, and worksheets.
I’m excited to share some of my favorite strategies for teaching number recognition in the classroom and at home.
I’ve got all kinds of number recognition worksheets, games, and activities you can use to help your preschoolers master this important early math concept.
Plus, I’ll shed some light on when you can expect your preschoolers to begin recognizing numbers and how to help kids who might be struggling with numbers. Don’t miss out!
Teaching Preschoolers to Recognize Numbers
What age should a child recognize numbers? Most kids begin recognizing numbers by age three, so preschool is the ideal time to focus on teaching this skill with some engaging number recognition activities.
In fact, some preschoolers with strong fine motor skills will even be ready to practice writing numbers this year!
You can encourage learning numbers with your preschoolers in lots of fun ways. Have fun teaching number recognition skills with books, songs, games, toys, and printables.
How will you know when your preschoolers are starting to grasp these number concepts? One of my favorite tricks is to say a number and have kids practice raising the correct number of fingers.
When your preschooler has mastered this step, they’re ready to learn more about numbers and begin identifying numbers too.
The preschool years are the perfect time to practice early math concepts like comparing amounts too.
Teach your preschoolers to identify “more than,” “less than,” and “equal to” with toys or snacks throughout the day. Then, when they can recognize numbers, try this number recognition activity with number flashcards.
Engaging Number Recognition Activities for Kids to try
There are so many engaging ways to help your preschool learners practice number recognition this year. I’ve got some fun number recognition worksheets and printables you can use.
They make it easy to encourage fun number crafts and sensory bin number recognition activities with your preschoolers. Here are two of my favorites:
Number Crafts
Cut-and-paste crafts make a super fun number recognition activity too! Grab my interactive Number Craft bundle and have fun getting crafty with your preschoolers to learn about numbers this year.
Plus, they’ll get to build their fine motor skills and practice self-expression along the way.
Number Sensory Bin
Sensory bins are such a fun and easy way for preschoolers to practice and learn all kinds of new things! You can theme your sensory bin to match the season or your latest preschool thematic unit. Check out some of my favorite sensory bin ideas.
Then, grab one of my number recognition worksheets, your favorite filler, and hide the numbers for preschoolers to discover and identify.
Fun Strategies for Teaching Number Recognition
How can you make number recognition fun? Oh, there are so many awesome ways to make practicing recognizing numbers fun and engaging for preschoolers!
In fact, I have a super easy strategy for teaching number recognition skills with a few supplies you probably have at home.
You’ll need pipe cleaners, beads or cereal (think Cheerios or Fruit Loops) of your choice, and dice or foam numbers.
Begin by having preschoolers roll the die to reveal a number. This is a great way to practice one-to-one correspondence and counting, as well as number recognition.
Next, preschoolers will thread the correct number of beads onto a pipe cleaner. This number recognition activity is an easy way to practice fine motor skills too!
You can use it to teach all kinds of important early numeracy skills in your preschool classroom or homeschool this year. For toddlers, skip the dice and just practice counting as you thread cereal.
Books, songs, and number recognition games are also great ways to help your preschool learners master this important early math concept.
Keep reading to discover some of my favorite counting books with number recognition built right in and fun songs to sing with your preschoolers as they learn numbers this year.
Books and Songs to Teach Number Recognition Skills
Do you remember learning to recognize numbers with flashcards during your early years? Flashcards are still a great way to introduce this important concept to preschoolers, but there are lots of bright and engaging books and songs you can use too.
Discover some of my favorites below.
Number Recognition Books
Sharing colorful picture books with your preschoolers is the very best way to foster a love of books that will last a lifetime! It’s also a really great way to help preschoolers learn new concepts in all kinds of different subjects. Check out these awesome picture books for exploring number recognition and early math concepts.
How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? by Jane Yolen
Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss
How Many Bugs In a Box? by David A. Carter
Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert
Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews
Number Recognition Songs
Catchy songs are a fantastic way to teach preschoolers almost anything! You can use songs to help your preschool learners master number recognition and counting skills too.
Your preschoolers will love my favorite songs to help preschoolers learn to recognize numbers at home and in the classroom.
Jack Hartmann has an excellent series called “I Can Show the Number… In Many Ways” featuring music videos to engage preschoolers in number recognition fun for numbers one through ten.
Each video features bright colors and easy ways for kids to master number recognition through songs.
For more musical practice recognizing numbers, try the number song from The Singing Walrus. It focuses on helping preschoolers master numbers one through twenty for even more number recognition practice.
My Favorite Number Recognition Games
Number Bubbles Game
To play the number bubbles game with your preschoolers, you’ll need chalk and an outdoor space where you can draw with sidewalk chalk.
Begin setting up the number bubbles game for your preschoolers by drawing a variety of evenly distributed circles on the ground with chalk. Then, write numbers inside the bubbles.
You can write numbers up to five, up to ten, or go all the way to twenty. Feel free to include as many numbers as your preschoolers are ready for in this activity.
You will want to be sure there are an equal number of ones, twos, etc. for all your preschoolers.
To play, call out a number and have preschoolers race to find the correct number bubble to stand in. I like to add an extra fun element to this game by bringing out our bubble machine.
Number Seek and Find Game
Kids love scavenger hunts and seeking games! You can take advantage of their affinity to teach numbers to your preschoolers too.
Invent a number seeking game, now that’s a preschool homeschool idea that’s perfect for a rainy day! Here’s how it works:
Instruct your preschoolers to search for a certain number. For example, ask them to find the number 3. Kids search the room or your home for a set of 3 objects.
You can make it more challenging by giving them a specific object to find or test their sorting abilities by saying things like “find 3 square items.” It’s a great way to practice recognizing shapes and colors too.
A fun variation of this game would be to use it to practice number identification skills. In this version, hide notecards with numbers written on them or number flashcards around the room.
Then, ask your preschoolers to find a certain number.
Number Recognition Board Games
Have you tried teaching with games? I love adding gameplay to my preschool lessons!
Games make it easy for kids to retain and generalize all the new concepts they’re learning.
Plus, you can use games to help preschoolers master important social skills like taking turns and being a good sport. There are lots of great number recognition games you can add to your preschool lesson plans this year. Some of my favorites are The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, Hi Ho Cherry O, and Count Your Chickens.
The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel game from Educational Insights is a fun game that’s easy for preschoolers to master. To play, just spin the spinner and pick up the matching acorn with your “Squirrel Squeezer.” Then, place it in your log.
The first child to collect five acorns wins. Kids can practice their counting skills, and number recognition, and play together with this fun preschool number recognition game even if they can’t yet read.
Another favorite number recognition game is the classic Hi Ho Cherry-O from Hasbro. Preschoolers can build fine motor skills by grabbing cherries and spinning the spinner. Plus, they’ll get to practice number recognition as they count out the cherries.
If you’re looking for a cooperative game for your preschoolers try Count Your Chickens from the Peaceable Kingdom. Cooperative games are great for getting kids to work together and help one another out.
You can teach your preschoolers the value of teamwork as they count out chickens with this silly farm-themed number recognition game.
What’s your favorite way to help preschoolers master number recognition and counting? Share your best tips and number recognition activities in the comments. I can’t wait to read them!
