Kindergarten Number Games
Easy to play kindergarten number games
Train Game
Materials:
Wooden blocks (lots of the same shapes) or any set of objects that have a variety of sizes.
Ruler or something to make a starting line for each child.
Demonstrate first.
On the floor or carpet, place the ruler (not used for measuring) as the starting line.
If the number is 5, the children will make rows of 5 blocks, each time with a different color block until the teacher says "Stop".
Then they say which one of their trains is longer.
Wooden colored blocks are a great math resource to use when playing kindergarten number games. They are durable and can be used for a variety of teaching purposes.
Five of Each (change number)
If you are working with the number five, give each child a mat and make designs with pattern blocks using only five yellow blocks, then five blue blocks, then five green blocks.
Ready, Set, Go
This kindergarten number game is a timed game that adds excitement to counting sets of numbers.
A group of about 10 children sit on the carpet with a pile of Unifix® math blocks in front of them. Half of the students watch the second hand on the clock (assuming you have a large wall clock) and say "Ready, set, go - make 5!" (or whatever number you are working on). when the second hand points to the 12. I put a bright red sticker above the number 12 on the clock to make this easy.
The other 5 students have to build as many sets of five as they can before the second hand goes around the clock to the top again. The children yell "Stop!" and then they change places and the others build sets of 5.
Don't focus on how many sets each student made or who made the most sets. Help those who are making sets incorrectly. The important thing is that the children are practicing making sets of a certain number and developing their number sense.
Have the children push their blocks back to the center and quickly change places with the timers.
Unifix® blocks are another great math manipulative. They are inter-locking colored cubes that help children understand basic number concepts.
Bear Hike - Call this kindergarten number game whatever
goes with your story
Materials:
5 bears, or cats, or dog counters
2 small different colored cards or mats for each child
Tap into the kids' love of pretending and they grasp the concepts of adding and subtracting at the same time. Just tell a story and have the kids follow with their toys.
For example, "The bears went for a walk. They came to a beach and a lovely green lawn (the mats). 4 went on to the sand (kids put four counters on the yellow mat) and the rest went on the grass. How many are on the grass?" Let the students just say the answers out loud. "3 of the bears ran away from the sand and went onto the grass. How many are left in the sand? How many bears all together?"
Keep the bear stories going until children lose interest. Let the children make up their own number stories. After a few play times guide the children into recording their thinking.
Go from "Number games " back to "Kindergarten number activities"
Math table of contents:
Teaching kindergarten & preschool math - how to teach kindergarten and preschool math concepts, sample step-by-step teach measurement, activities and games
Teaching with math manipulatives - how to teach with math manipulatives to help children understand math concepts
Ten steps to teaching with math manipulatives
Best math manipulatives - choose materials that are useful for more than one math concept
Teaching math vocabulary - learn how to teach math vocabulary
Attribute blocks - how to use these math manipulatives for different features: shape, color, size and thickness to help promote logical thinking
Graphing 1 - how to teach graphing to preschool and kindergarten children, includes collecting data and organizing it in a variety of ways
Graphing 2 - more graphing ideas for young children
Measurement - how to find measurement to young children, find opportunities for students to order objects by size, color, shape...
Number Activities - how to provide experiences that build number sense
Number Games - how to improve children's number sense with easy games
Number Skills - what number skills do children need to know?
Pattern 1- how to teach children pattern concepts
Pattern 2 - ideas and games to teach children to recognize, create, copy and extend patterns
Pattern 3 - teach patterning skills to early childhood and preschool students
Sorting and classifying- how to teach children the important skills of sorting, comparing and classifying objects
Symmetry - teach symmetry with games and activities
Classification games to reinforce math vocabulary
Math & Literature Connections - how to combine math and literature, learn how to promote math skills as you share good literature
Ten Apples Up on Top - open-ended math activity with Dr. Suess
10 Little Rubber Ducks - ideas to promote math with this wonderful Eric Carle story
1, 2, 3 to the Zoo - another great Eric Carle book, practice counting, making number sets, ordinal numbers and more
Teach money 1 - skills & activities
Teach money 2 - with games
Teach money 3 - with fundraising projects