Simple Preschool Math Activities: Fun and Learning Combined
Engage young learners with simple preschool math activities that make learning fun! Math activities for preschoolers, like counting games, shape exploration, and measurement tasks, can turn everyday moments into valuable math lessons.
We’re excited to share some of the best hands-on math activities for preschoolers that develop key skills such as number sense, shapes, measurement, and graphing and sorting, setting a strong foundation in mathematical thinking.
Even though math might seem difficult for preschoolers, studies have found that babies as young as three months can tell the difference between different numbers. This means it’s never too soon to start sharing the wonderful world of math with your kiddos!
Young children are naturally curious and eager to learn. Incorporating math into everyday activities and routines can make learning enjoyable and effortless. Hands-on math strategies are best for toddlers and preschoolers as they allow them to explore, experiment, and learn through play.
Interested in learning more about our complete and comprehensive math preschool curriculum? We think you will love how much learning and fun we’ve packed into our year-long curriculum. And wait until you see what a time-saver it is for your lesson-planning and prep time!
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FAQ About Teaching Preschool Math
Using games, songs, and everyday activities can make math engaging for preschoolers. For example, you can play math games like “I Spy” to practice counting, or sing counting songs together.
Consistency is key when it comes to teaching preschool math. Short, daily activities are often more effective than longer, less frequent sessions. Aim for at least 15-20 minutes of math-related activities each day.
What if my preschoolers are not interest in math?
Try incorporating your preschoolers’ interests into math activities. For example, if they love dinosaurs, you could count dinosaurs in a book or create math problems using dinosaur figures. Like all things in preschool, hands-on and play-based is best! If you keep this at the forefront of your math lessons, it will help your kiddos enjoy math as they will delightfully be engaged in play and exploration.
Absolutely! Each activity can be simplified or made more complex depending on individual needs. For example, if a child is struggling with counting, you could start with smaller numbers. For children that are already proficient, you could introduce larger numbers and more challenging concepts.
Counting and Number Recognition Activities
Counting activities are essential for helping preschoolers understand numbers. These activities go beyond just memorizing numbers and help kids really understand how numbers work together.
With fun games, hands-on activities, and printable worksheets, these resources will help your preschoolers learn to count while also having fun!
Here are some activities of our favorite preschool counting activities:
- Apple Seed Counting Activity
- Marshmallows and Snowballs Winter Counting Activity
- One-on-one Correspondence Cereal Sorting Activity
- 10 Little Dinosaurs Counting Song
- Composing Ten: A Ten-Frame Counting Activity
- Pumpkin Number Scoop Activity
- Fall Counting Puzzles
- Farmer Brown Has 5 Red Apples Counting Song
- 5 Little Gingerbread Men Counting Printable Song and Activities
- Christmas Cookie Cutter Counting Activities
For more simple counting activities, check out our Big List of Counting Activities for Preschoolers.
Simple Addition and Subtraction
Teaching addition and subtraction to preschoolers is an important step in their math learning, but it’s best to start after they’ve learned basic counting. Through fun, hands-on activities, preschoolers can start to understand simple math concepts like counting, composing and decomposing numbers, and solving easy problems.
Try these addition and subtraction activities:
- Introducing Addition and Subtraction with Manipulatives
- Collecting Bugs Addition Game with Free Printable
- Pom Pom Addition Game
- Block Count Up- a hands-on number line activity
Looking for engaging addition and subtraction activities for your preschoolers? Check out our ultimate guide with tips and tricks and our funtastic lesson plans:
- Ultimate Guide to Teaching Addition and Subtraction to Preschoolers
- Addition and Subtraction Lesson Plans for Preschoolers
Shape and Pattern Recognition
The world is full of shapes and patterns and preschoolers are quick to take notice of this. Shapes and patterns are not only fun but are also essential early math skills. Of course, you will want to explicitly teach specific shapes and patterns, but don’t underestimate the importance of incorporating these concepts into routines and also pointing them out as you go about your day.
Here are some fabulous and fun shapes and patterns activities:
- Favorite Things Shape Activity
- Shape Flower Process Art
- Geometry Shape Train
- Sixteen Shape Activities for Preschoolers
- Six Gross Motor Shape Activities
- Farm Theme Shape Activities
- Farm Animal Pattern Cards
- Scooping and Pouring Patterns
- Patterned Feathers Turkey Craft
Measurement and Comparison Activities
Measurement and comparison in preschool primarily focus on the concepts of more and less, number order, comparing and ordering objects, and non-standard units of measure. Preschoolers will have fun exploring, measuring and comparing the size, length, weight, and capacity of objects. Try to give your preschoolers lots of practice, as we often use these skills in everyday life. Trust us…they will love it!
Try these fun activities to introduce and reinforce these concepts:
- Balancing Scale and Counting Bears Activity
- Comparing Length (Super Simple Activity)
- Flower Height Measurement Cards
- Size and Sequencing Heart Activity with Cookie Cutters
- Ice Cream Cone Measurement Cards
- Layered Hearts Comparing Sizes Craft
- Pumpkin Measurement Craft
- Pumpkin Measurement Activities
Sorting and Classifying
Sorting and classifying skills help children organize information and understand relationships between objects and sets. Watch as your preschoolers jump in and sort and classify objects in a variety of ways. You might just be amazed at how they choose to approach different sorting and classifying tasks. Preschoolers are so smart and are problem-solvers, by nature. Watch closely- your kiddos might even teach you a thing or two!
Here are some awesome activities to practice comparing and sorting skills:
- Fine Motor Sorting Activities
- Fruit and Veggie Color Sorting Cards
- Shamrock Color Sorting Mats
- Rainbow Tree Color Mats
- Alphabet Pattern Blocks Shape Mats
- Attribute Sorting with Buttons
- Apple Tree Color Sorting Activity
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Product on sale*** Daily Lessons in Preschool Mathematics CurriculumOriginal price was: $135.00.$99.00Current price is: $99.00.
Incorporating math into everyday routines can help make it come alive for your preschoolers! By providing a variety of real-life experiences and simple hands-on math activities and games, you can help your kiddos develop a love of mathematics. Keep it fun and play-based and your preschoolers will have a positive mindset when it comes to math. This strong and positive foundation will help them as they grow and develop their math skills throughout their lifetimes.
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.