Counting is a basic strand across math standards. There’s even research that suggests counting with pre-k children can build math concepts they will use later on in kindergarten and primary grades. To avoid rote counting without meaning, let TOUCH AND COUNT be the mantra you repeat and model over and over. Counting will also have more meaning if you tie it into finger plays, songs, and movements.
*Adapt these activities for younger children by just counting from 1-10. Older students can count to 100 and beyond.
Little Red Number Box (Sarah Wilson)
Put magnetic numbers in a metal tin and then sing the song as you pull out a number. Then count to that number.
For example: I wish I had a little tin box to put a 6 in. I’d take it out and count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and put it back in.
Move and Count
Have children count as they jump, hop, and do other movements.
*Count the steps to the lunchroom.
*Count how long it takes everyone to sit down quietly.
*Count the number of chairs in the room, tables, toys, girls, boys, dragons (that's a joke!) etc.
Number Sticks
These math sticks are easy to make and can be used in many ways. You’ll need magnetic numbers and shapes, jumbo craft sticks, and a strong glue (such as E6000). Glue the numbers to the sticks and you are all set!
*Let children hold up the appropriate stick as you do finger plays and counting songs.
*Can they walk around the room and match up their number with classroom print or the appropriate number of objects?
Number Hunt
Take lunch sacks and write different numerals on them. Give each child a bag and ask them to take the sack home and bring in that number of objects. Let children share what they have found with their friends the following day.
Giant Number Line
Attach a piece of tape to the floor in a prominent place in your classroom. Let children walk on it forwards, backwards, hop, etc. After playing with the line, ask them to sit on the floor. Explain that you’re going to turn it into a number line as you demonstrate writing numbers (0-10) on the tape.
*Ask one child at a time to walk on the number line as they say each number.
*Call out different numbers and ask random students to stand on those numbers. What is one more? What is one less?
*Give students dot cards (0-10) and ask them to match their card with the number on the line.
Five Little Hot Dogs (“Five Little Ducks” - Just for Fun CD)
Five little hotdogs frying in the pan. (Hold up five fingers.)
The grease got hot, and one went BAM! (Clap.)
Four little hotdogs… (Four fingers.)
Three… (Three fingers.)
Two… (Two fingers.)One… (One finger.)
No little hotdogs frying in the pan. (Hold up fist.)
The pan got hot and it went BAM!
Number March (“The Ants Go Marching” - Totally Math CD)
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. (Hold up 1 finger.)
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. (Put fist in the air and cheer.)
They all were red and the first one said:
“You’d better catch up, I’m way ahead.”
And they all went marching one by one by one.
The spiders go crawling two by two hurrah, hurrah… (Crawl 2 fingers.)
The birds go flying three by three hurrah, hurrah… (Hold up 3 fingers and fly.)
The rabbits go hopping four by four hurrah, hurrah… (Pretend to hop 4 fingers.)
The horses go galloping five by five hurrah, hurrah… (Gallop 5 fingers on thigh.)
The fish go swimming six by six hurrah, hurrah… (Pretend to swim 6 fingers.)
The mice go creeping seven by seven hurrah, hurrah… (Creep 7 fingers up arm.)
The worms go wiggling eight by eight hurrah, hurrah…(Wiggle 8 fingers.)
The monkeys go swinging nine by nine hurrah, hurrah… (Swing 9 fingers.)
The kids go walking ten by ten hurrah, hurrah… (Hold up 10 fingers and
pretend to walk.)
You can download a free book that goes with this song at drjean.org.
Activities: Let children take different verses and illustrate them. Put their pictures together to make a class book.
