Kindergarten Sorting Games
There are many simple kindergarten sorting games and activities. Students benefit from having lots of experiences sorting, comparing and classifying objects before participating in patterning activities.
In this picture a child has sorted stamps. Stamps with animal pictures are on one side and stamps without animal pictures are on the other.
It is easy to create simple kindergarten sorting games using everyday items. Provide opportunities for children to sort or group things by shape, number, color or texture.
As children play kindergarten sorting games, vocabulary such as classifying, groups, sets, categories, same, different, fewer, longer, heavier, lighter can be introduced.
On this page, read to find out:
- What sorting skills do children need to know?
- Math games to develop sorting and classifying skills
- Teaching children to classify by different criteria
Sorting Skills: What Do Children Need to Know?
When playing kindergarten sorting games, take into consideration that the students are working towards:
- knowing what is meant by the terms, "sort" or "categorize"
- sorting the same objects in many different ways - e.g. using buttons again - sort by size, then by color, then by number of holes, then by shiny or dull, etc.
Kindergarten Math - Sorting Games
"What am I Thinking?"
The purpose of this kindergarten sorting game is to help children focus on one sorting characteristic.
Materials: 2 pieces of card about 8.5" by 11"
Similar items that can be sorted in many ways. e.g. old keys or buttons or plastic toy animals (choose one set)
How to Play: Put one piece of card beside the other with a space between them. Pick up a gold key from the pile. Say, "This key can go on this paper."Choose a silver colored key and say, "This key can't" and put it on the other paper. 
Sort a few more keys, verbalizing, "this key can.. this key can't...", then ask, "What am I thinking?"
Children try and guess the sorting rule. In this case I am sorting by color, gold keys are on one piece of card, keys that are not gold are placed on the other piece of card.
When the children get the idea, choose more difficult sorting rules. e.g. keys with round holes go on one paper, keys without round holes do not; keys with words stamped on them go on one paper, keys without words go on the other; small keys go on one side, keys that are not small go on the other side.
This kindergarten sorting game can be repeated with numerous objects. Buttons are inexpensive and have many different characteristics that can be sorted.
Buttons that are round go on one card, buttons that are not round go on the other; buttons with four holes go on one card, buttons that do not have four holes go on the other. Wooden blocks work well for sorting activities as well. 
Teacher Tips
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Kindergarten sorting games that reinforce math vocabulary
As children become familiar with the concept of sorting and classifying objects, use this activity to reinforce math vocabulary. Keep it simple and do not add too many terms in each sorting activity.
"Let's Sort"
Materials:
Sorting mat for each child (card or plastic mat with a line down the middle will do)
Pattern blocks for each child
How to Play:
Ask children to choose a few handfuls of pattern blocks. Show them the edges of the orange square block.
"This is the side of the block. We called an edge. How many edges are there?" Count them together. Repeat this with a few other pattern blocks. Put all your blocks with 4 edges or sides on one side of your mat. The orange squares, red trapezoids, and the blue and beige rhombus will fit into this category. Put the blocks that don't have 4 edges on the other side.
Keep playing the sorting game, but change the characteristic - Put all the blocks with 3 edges on one side. Put all the blocks that do not have 3 edges on the other. Use the correct shape names as you demonstrate.
Integrate math games with science
When children collect leaves, rocks, shells or other objects, use them to reinforce sorting skills and vocabulary. "Susan has sorted the rocks into 2 sets, dull and shiny. How many other ways can we classify our rock collection?"
This kindergarten sorting game gives everyone a chance to discuss their sorting rule.
"Time to Change"
Materials:
Items to sort
Sorting mats
How to Play:
As always, demonstrate the game first. Give students rocks (or something else) to sort. Have the children's names on cards that are turned over in the center of the carpet.
After a few minutes of sorting, remove three name cards from the carpet and get those children to tell you their sorting rule. Then say, "Time to change!" All children sort their rocks in a different way than their first sort. Many will copy others and this is fine. Repeat the process until all the children have had a chance to tell how they sorted their rocks.
When teaching sorting in kindergarten, some children will put round buttons on one side and yellow round buttons on the other and tell you these ones are round and these ones are yellow. Get them to finish your sentences. "These buttons are ____. These buttons are not ______." Do this a number of times and they soon get the idea.
Have fun teaching sorting and classifying to your students.
Go from "Kindergarten sorting activities" to "Teaching kindergarten & preschool math"
All math pages:
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
Best math manipulatives - choose materials that are useful for more than one math concept, work well for problem solving activities and are tough enough to withstand constant play
Teaching math vocabulary - learn how to teach math vocabulary and specific words as you demonstrate math activities and talk to your students about their math experiences.
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
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
