Sitting preschoolers down at a study table and burdening them with worksheets, or memorizing things is an ineffective way to teach math and develop their math skills.
Through years of research and practice, educators have confirmed that the best way to get a preschooler to learn math skills is through hands-on activities.
Preschool math activities aren’t just a great study technique but also a sure-shot way to keep your kids playfully and mindfully occupied while building their much necessary motor skills.
Best Preschool Math Activities
Preschool math activities can be bifurcated into four categories. Choose a nice blend of one activity from each category or simply assign days to each category to build a wide range of math skills.
Counting Preschool Math Activities
Pattern Preschool Math Activities
Geometry Preschool Math Activities
Data Handling Preschool Math Activities
And yes! Don’t forget to add a dash of humour to boost learning and engagement with these funny Math Jokes for Kids.
Counting Preschool Math Activities
1. Heart Dice Game
This is a really fun, hands-on math game for preschool to practice number recognition, counting, and subitising.
What you’ll need:
- Dice
- Crayons
Here’s how it works:
- Print the template of white A4 paper.
Heart Dice Game Free Printable
- Let your child roll the die and color all those areas that have the number she got on the dice.
- Take turns to color the numbers.
- The player, who gets the most colored tiles in the end, wins the game.
Related: Gamify math with Math Games With Cards – they are a wonderful hands-on way to teach preschoolers and young children how to count.
2. Ladybird Counting Fun
Math activities for preschoolers that double up as fine motor skills practice are favorite with teachers and parents, both.
What you will need:
- Paper
- Pen
- Dot Stickers
Simply draw a few ladybirds on paper without their characteristic black spots. Write a number for each ladybird and let your preschooler stick black stickers corresponding to the number on the ladybirds to complete them.
Related: Make Counting and Early Numeracy fun with these super easy to set-up 10 Minutes Number Games for kids.
3. Number Faces
This is a fun math number activity that combines math with arts. All you need is a pencil and a sheet. We used a florescent sheet to add quirk to our activity.
Ask your child to make faces using only math numerals. You might have to show them by drawing a face or two before they get started on their creative math adventure.
Quick Tip: Pair these math activities with fun, learning Preschool Activities To Do At Home.
4. Button Mural
This is such a fun way to teach young preschool kids number recognition and counting.
5. Play dough Counting Mats
Hands-on activities like this one make learning math fun. Use loose parts of your preschooler’s choice to make this play dough activity fun and exciting.
Related: Check out more loose part-inspired Math play activities to gamify math.
6. Counting Bears
Teach one to one correspondence with this fun game. It is a great way to practice counting as well.
7. Pom-Pom Counting
Preschool and kindergarten kids will love this math activity that works at one to one correspondence and fine motor skills. Mess-free, easy-peasy!
8. Number Bingo
If your kiddo detests worksheets, try math games to hone their skills. Number Bingo is a big hit with preschool and kindergarten.
Related: Also explore 45 Kindergarten Math Activities to make math learning fun and exciting!
9. Fish In The Pond
Such a fun way to learn counting for toddlers and young preschoolers.
Related: Check out Fun Toddler Activities to keep your tiny tots happily learning and mindfully engaged.
10. Balloon Number Splash
No kid can resist math activities like this one that lets them play with water balloons to learn counting. Perfect outdoor activity for a hot summer day!
11. Cardboard Hopscotch
Let old classic hopscotch teach your preschooler number recognition and counting. Just right for a rainy day!
12. Elmer Counting
If your kid loves Elmer, we bet she will love this Elmer-inspired math activity as well that will teach them to count, one to one correspondence, and subitising.
13. Counting Walk
What could be more fun than practicing counting on a walk and observing mundane things that normally stay hidden?
Related: If your kiddo loves nature walks, try these wonderful Nature Walk ideas!
14. Number Maze
Such a fun learning activity! All you need is chalk and you are ready to go!
15. Marshmallow Counting
What could be better than hands-on math activities that use marshmallows and treats? Perfect for young kids to practice counting and fine motor skills.
Quick Tip: Pair these preschool activities with Fun Virtual Filed Trips for Preschoolers.
Pattern Preschool Math Activities
16. Pom-Pom Patterns
Use pom-poms in different colors to create patterns and let your preschooler recognize the pattern and build on the pattern.
Perfect for your math center!
Related: Check out our STEM e-journal on Patterns that makes learning and spotting patterns fun!
17. Pattern Matching
This hands-on pattern for preschoolers is perfect to get young kids started with pattern recognition.
18. Caterpillar Pattern Match
What a fun spring activity for kids to learn patterns.
Related: Also check out 150 Summer Activities and Ideas for Kids to keep children mindfully busy.
19. Ice Tray Patterns
Such easy preschool activities are quick to set, offer great flexibility, and are pocket-friendly.
20. Rock Candy Patterns
Use rock candy as manipulative to teach preschool and kindergarten patterns while building their fine motor skills.
Quick Tip: Add some Easy Math Riddles for kids to spike up their attention span and get them thinking.
21. Fruit Patterns
Dice an apple, a pear into cubes and cut grapes into halves. Now, ask your child to make patterns using fruits.
Such a healthy, delicious, and hands-on way to learn patterns.
22. Coin Patterns
Such simple, easy-to-set-up pattern activities for preschoolers are apt to teach kids patterns and different coin denotations.
Here’s how it works:
1. Place different coins in a pattern.
2. Give your kid a bunch of coins and ask them to replicate the pattern.
Related: Since you are already playing with coins, try your hands at these Coin Structures. They are perfect way to hone your child’s construction skills.
Geometry Preschool Math Activities
23. Popsicle Shapes
This preschool math activity is not just fun but also a great way for preschoolers to become familiar with geometric shapes and practice motor skills.
What you’ll need:
- Popsicle sticks
- Cloth pegs
Here’s how it works:
1. Place the popsicle sticks in the shape you want to make.
2. Secure the sticks using cloth pegs.
The more popsicle sticks you use, the more extravagant your design would be!
Quick Tip: Don’t forget to include reading in your preschool curriculum. Our Community Helper Books for Kids are a great way to sneak in preschool learning into your child’s reading routine.
24.Outdoor Shape Hunt
Head outdoors and challenge your kiddo to spot shapes you call out. Look for windows, doors, keyholes, car tyres…the kids will be amazed to see all the shapes they are surrounded with!
25. Gross Motor Shape Activity
Kids learn best while playing and this shape activity for preschool is all fun and play.
26. Pipe Cleaner Shapes
Such simple math activities for preschoolers are always a big hit with parents. Simply draw some shapes on paper and let your preschooler trace those shapes with pipe cleaners or wikki stix.
27. Shape Collage
Let your child’s imagination take wings as they make shape collages with these handy shape stampers.
28. Shape Cards
Math activities for preschoolers should be fun and exciting. And this hands on activity is just that!
29. Shape Twister
Preschool activities that involve movement are always a BIG hit! And there is ample research to support how movement aids learning.
So, let your preschoolers get busy and moving while they learn shapes with this fun game of twister.
30. Shape Train Matching
This shape activity is perfect for vehicle-obsessed preschoolers. Simple and easy to set up, it is a hands-on activity for young children.
31. Shape Monsters Sorting Activity
Get preschoolers and kindergarteners excited with this Monster theme shape sorting activity!
32. Cracker Shapes
Your preschooler will absolutely love putting her creativity to use in making shapes with crackers. Use any bite sized square crackers (or these ones!) and you are all set for some math fun!
Quick Tip: For older kids, this is a great and delicious activity to teach area and perimeter.
33. Shape House
Put your kid’s imagination and creativity at work with this crafty shape activity for kids.
34. Shape Matching Scavenger Hunt
This is a super fun activity that blends in shape matching with the scavenger hunt.
35. Shape Painting
Kids learn better when you use an exciting hands-on activity to teach them. Shape-resist painting is one such activity preschoolers would love to indulge in.
What you’ll need:
- Contact paper
- Scissors
- Paint
- Paintbrush
Here’s how it works:
- Cut various shapes out of the contact paper.
- Paste the shapes onto a drawing paper.
- Get your kid to paint over it however they please.
- Once the paint has dried, remove the shapes to reveal shapes.
Related: Got an art lover? Explore Art-inspired Math Activities to sneak math into arts!
Data Handling Preschool Math Activities
36. Fruit Graphing
Graphing activities are an excellent way to teach your kids about sorting and counting while building their data handling skills.
What you’ll need:
- Graphing table
- Printed images of fruits
- Glue
Here’s how it works:
1. Print the free template and sort the images of fruits.
2. Add different numbers of each fruit into the graphing table
3. Ask your kids questions like:
● Which fruit do you have the most of?
● How many watermelons do you have?
● Which fruit do you have the least of?
● How many more watermelons than strawberries?
● What can you do to make the number of pineapples and oranges equal? and so on.
Quick Tip: Learning by doing is a great way to pick and retain math skills. Teach your kids about measurement and proportion by letting them make playdough, DIY kinectic sand or homemade slime! These easy recipes use non-standard measurement tools and will teach your kids how to use and apply them.
37. Graphing By Colour
How about exploring data handling tools while playing with colors?
This cool activity does just that! Replace the bear counters with skittles to add in more colors and of course fun!
38. Pom Pom Graphing
Math activities for preschoolers should be hands on and easy to set. And this graphing activity ticks all the right boxes to make it interesting for curious minds.
39. Toy Graphing
This is an excellent activity to teach toddlers and preschoolers sorting and graphing. Also, it helps them see how graphing can be used in daily life.
40. Outdoor Graphing
If your kiddos love the outdoors, then this is the perfect activity for them. Simply ask them to collect as many fallen leaves, sort them and arrange them in neat lines, thus making a pictograph!
41. Dot Marker & Dice Graphing Activity
This is another great activity to teach preschoolers and kindergarteners graphing. You can use fingerprints instead of dot markers to make it more interactive.
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I’m going to try the outdoor shape hunt. I remember teaching my prek students the shapes with a shape song that we use to play everyday.