Counting is one of the very first maths skills children develop, and it forms the foundation for so many future concepts like addition, subtraction and number patterns. While counting may seem simple, young learners often need plenty of practice and repetition to master it. So, how can we keep it engaging and interesting for our students? These fun and simple counting activities will help you keep counting practice fresh and interesting, all while saving you time on planning. 

Set Up a Themed Counting Play Space

Adding a fun theme to your counting activities instantly boosts engagement and captures children’s imaginations. This “Fill the Fish Tank” counting game is a perfect example. Students can start by ordering the numbered fish from smallest to largest, or by simply counting the total number of fish as they “swim” into the tank. As their skills grow, you can extend the activity by mixing up the numbers, challenging them to count on from a given number or even adding and subtracting fish to practise early operations. The colourful fish theme makes the task feel more like play than work, while still reinforcing basic number skills. 

To get a copy of this Fish Themed Counting Activity, click here. 

Match It

Simple matching games can add some fun to your students’ counting practice. The example below shows what this can look like. Here, students match the numeral with the correct number of dots. The great part about this activity is that students can work in any order and reassess their matches as they go. You can grab a copy of this number matching game here.

Boost Addition Skills with Counting On

The ‘counting on’ strategy is a helpful skill for students to refer to when beginning addition. It involves being able to count up starting from any number. So, once your students have become more confident with counting from 1, start practising the counting on method. Using simple visual aids, like the worksheets pictured below, can help students practice this skill without getting their numbers mixed up. Having an object or image for each number they need to count on from offers good scaffolding for this skill. It’s a great way to extend children beyond counting from one. 

You can access the Animal Counting on Worksheets here.

Hunt and Count Around the Room

Count the Room is a simple activity that helps get students moving while they practise counting. To play this game, simply hide some cards around the room with pictures that students need to count. In the example pictured below, I’ve used bees as the pictures. Here, students will walk around the room until they find a bee card. Then, they count the number of bees on the card and record their answer before finding the next card. I find that activities like this often get students buzzing with excitement! If you’d like a copy of the example pictured below, click here for the Count the Room Bees Maths Task.

Count and Graph

Count and graph activities are fun and engaging counting tasks that incorporate multiple maths skills. For this activity, you’ll offer your students a page of mixed images. Then, they’ll count how many of each image they can find and graph the total number. This is a great way to add some complexity to counting practice by adding in graphing too. 

The example below is part of my Animal Themed Mixed Math Review Pack available here.

Count with Nature

Finally, after you’ve tried the other activities mentioned, take counting practice outside in nature. Children can collect leaves, sticks, stones or flowers and then sort and count the items. This is a great way to get kids exploring nature and practising maths at the same time.

I hope that these ideas help inspire you to try something new with your students!

You can click the links in the post to access copies of all the resources mentioned.

Want some Number Sense Activity ideas for kids while you’re here? Then have a read through my post of Fun Number Sense Activities for Kids.

P.S. I love to hear how my tips and resources are helping you in your teaching, so leave a comment to let me know!

Have a question or a request? You can contact me at blueskydesignsbymrst@gmail.com.