How to Teach Number Recognition to Pre-schoolers - 11 Creative Ways

As a mom, you want your child to have every opportunity for success in life.  

But did you know that one of the most important things you can do to help them is start teaching them numbers early on?

Believe it or not, math skills are essential for success in school and beyond.

And the good news is that teaching your child number recognition is easy and can even be fun!

Scroll down to find custom designed number activity printable for kindergarten and preschool kids.

What is Number Recognition?

Number recognition is the ability to identify numbers and understand their meaning.

It's a critical math skill for pre-schoolers to develop because it lays the foundation for understanding quantity and how numbers are used in the world around them.

Why is Number Recognition an Important Skill for Kindergarten and Pre-school?

Pin this Post to Pinterest

There are many reasons why number recognition is important for your child.

• For one, it's a key building block for other math skills such as counting, addition, and subtraction.

• Number recognition helps your child understand concepts like more and less, and begin to develop problem-solving skills.

• Number recognition is also important for developing literacy skills.

  Many children's books include numbers and counting, so being able to identify them gives your child a head start on learning to read.

• Finally, number recognition is a great way to boost your child's confidence.

As children begin to understand and master this skill, they'll feel proud of their accomplishments and be more likely to take on new challenges.

Why Do Kindergarten and Preschool Kids Learn Number Recognition Best Through Play and Exploration?

There are many reasons why play is such an effective way to teach children number recognition skills.

When kids are having fun, they're more engaged and more likely to pay attention and retain what they've learned.

Play is a great way for kids to explore and experiment with recognizing numerals in a low-pressure, non-threatening environment. This allows them to try out different strategies and find the ones that work best for them.

Hands-on activities are a great way for kindergarten and preschool kids to learn. They allow children to explore and experiment with new concepts in a fun and safe environment. Plus, hands-on activities help kids develop problem-solving skills and boost their confidence.

Finally, play is just plain fun! And when learning is fun, it's more likely to stick.

Here is a helpful article How To Teach Pre-Schoolers Numbers At Home The Fun Way

11 Fun and Creative Ways to Teach Numbers to Your Preschool and Kindergarten Kids

Click on the image to download

Ready to get started?

Here are 11 fun and creative number recognition activities for preschool and kindergarten kids:

1. Use Everyday Objects

One of the easiest ways to teach your child number recognition is to use everyday objects.

For example, you can ask your child to find three things that are blue or five things that are soft.

You can also count stairs as you go up them, or cars as you drive down the street.

2.Number Books

Reading number books is a great way to help kids learn about numbers and how they are used in the world around them.

There are lots of great number books out there.

Our favorites are:

Todd the Frog Fixes the Cuckoo Clock- Number Recognition 1-12- a fun-loving book where Todd has to seek house pets to find all the missing numbers from the Cuckoo Clock.

Todd the Frog Finds the Lost Pebbles- Counting Book for Beginners- Todd's interesting adventure of visiting his garden friends (insects and bugs that live in the garden) to find the lost pebbles.

Join our read-aloud Storytime with Todd the Frog

3. Play Counting Games

Counting activities are a great way to make learning number recognition fun.

There are lots of great counting games available online or you can make up your own.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

•  I Spy

  Pick an object and have your child guess what it is by telling them how many objects are in the picture.

  For example, "I spy with my little eye something that has four legs."

Click on image to download

• Flash Cards

  Using the number flashcards ask the child to identify the number on each card, and then count out the corresponding number of objects, on the same card.

  This means showing them that each number represents a certain quantity.

Click on image to download

• Memory Game:

  This classic game is a great way to help your child practice their number recognition skills.

  To make it more challenging, use numbers instead of pictures on the cards.

  For example, you can say,  "I'll turn over two cards. If they match, you get to keep them. If they don't, turn them back over and try again."

• Hide and Seek:

  This game is a great way to get your child moving while they practice their number recognition.

  Hide a toy somewhere in the room and then give your child clues to help them find it.

  For example, "It's under something that has three legs."

• Play Store

  Playing store is a great way for your child to practice number recognition and counting.

  Give your child some fake money and let them be the customer as you "sell" them various items.

  Don't forget to have them count out the money as they pay you!

4.Dice Games

There are lots of great dice games that you can play with your child to help them recognize numbers. Here are a few ideas:

Pin this Post to Pinterest

• Roll and Count:

  All you need for this game is a die (or two) and something to keep track of the numbers with, like counters or pennies.

  Take turns rolling the die and counting out that many objects.

  The first person to reach 100 (or whatever number you choose) wins!

• Addition War:

  This is a great game for two players.

  You'll need two dice and something to keep track of the numbers with, like counters or pennies.

  Players take turns rolling the dice and adding up the numbers. The first player to reach 100 (or whatever number you choose) wins!

5.Board Games

Board games are a great way to help kids practice their number recognition skills.

Not only do they have to identify the numbers on the dice or cards, but they also have to keep track of them as they play. This helps kids develop a better understanding of how numbers work together.

There are lots of great board games that can help your child practice number recognition. Here are our favorites:

• Candy Land 

  This classic game is a great way for your child to practice counting as they move their way around the board.

  The best part is that it's easy enough for even young children to play.

• Chutes and Ladders

  This classic game is another great way for your child to practice counting as they move their way around the board.

  It's a little bit more challenging than Candy Land, but still manageable for young children.

6.Card Games

Card games are another great way to help kids practice their number recognition skills. Here are a few of our favorites:

• UNO 

  This classic number card game is a great way for kids to practice their number recognition skills.

  Players take turns matching the numbers on their cards with the numbers on the cards in the middle of the table.

  The first player to get rid of all their cards wins!

• Go Fish

  This classic card game is another great way for kids to practice their number names and number recognition skills.

  Players take turns asking other players for cards that match the numbers on the cards in their hand.

  The first player to collect all the cards of one number wins!

7.Number Lines

Number lines are a great visual way for your child to see how numbers are related to each other.

You can make your own number line with some paper and a marker or you can print one off from the internet.

Once you have your number line, help your child identify the numbers and then challenge them to point out which numbers are bigger or smaller than others.

You can also use the number line to help your older children understand addition and subtraction.

For example, you can ask them to start at 5 and then count up to 3 to find the answer to 5+3.

Pin this Post to Pinterest

6.Number Mazes

 Number mazes are a great way to help kids practice their number recognition skills while also getting a little bit of mental exercise. 

There are lots of different number mazes you can find online or you can make your own.

To make your own, all you need is a piece of paper and a marker.

Start by drawing a maze with numbers in the squares.

Then challenge your child to start at the beginning and find their way to the end by only going through the squares that have the numbers they need.

8.Number Puzzles

Number puzzles are a great way to help kids practice their number recognition skills while also expanding their problem-solving abilities.

There are lots of different number puzzles you can find online or in stores.

But you can also make your own with some paper and a marker.

To make your own, draw a grid on a printed picture of something that your child loves ( e.g. picture of a dinosaur printed on A4 paper). Draw grids on top of the picture with numbers in the squares. Cut out all the squares.

Then challenge your child to connect all the numbers in order.

9.Number Rhymes and Songs

 Singing songs and nursery rhymes is a great way to help kids learn number names in the early years

There are lots of great number rhymes and songs out there.

You can find them online or in children's books.

A few of our favorites are:

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe:

"One, Two, Buckle My Shoe." In this song, the speaker counts up to 10. This is a great way for kids to learn their number names.

One little, two little, three little fingers:

This song is great for helping kids learn to count on their fingers. It's also a great way to practice one-to-one correspondence.

10. ART and CRAFT

Kids love art and craft projects, and they are a great way to help kids learn about numbers in early childhood.

Here are a few ideas for craft activities:

Craft

• Have the students make pipe cleaners into different numbers. This helps them to learn the shape of each number, as well as how to count.

•  use paper plates to create clocks. This helps the children to understand how to tell time, as well as to identify numbers.

• A teacher can cut out numbered paper strips and have the students put them in order. This activity reinforces number recognition while also teaching sequencing skills.

Drawing

Drawing is a great way for kids to learn about numbers.

There are a number of different drawing activities that can help preschool kids learn counting skills number recognition and number correspondence.

• One simple activity is to ask the child to draw a picture of a given number of objects.

  For example, you might ask them to draw three flowers or four trees. This helps them to visually see how numbers can be represented.

• Ask the child to count out a specific number of objects, then draw them on their paper.

  This helps them to understand that numbers represent quantities.
  

• Kids can also practice writing the correct number to their pictures.

  By doing these activities regularly, children learn to develop strong number recognition and counting skills, begin to learn to write numbers and develop good fine motor skills.

11.Cooking Together

Cooking is a great way to spend time with your child and teach about numbers, quantity, and measurement.

This Cookbook is fantastic for engaging kids in cooking experiences.

When you're cooking with your child, take the opportunity to talk about the numbers involved in the recipe.

For example, you might say, "This recipe calls for two cups of flour."

As you're measuring out the ingredients, have your child help you count them out.

This is a great way for them to practice one-to-one correspondence and develop their counting skills.

You can also talk about the quantities of the ingredients.

For example, you might say, "This recipe calls for two cups of flour, which is double the amount of flour we need for this recipe."

This helps kids understand the concept of quantity and how numbers can be used to represent it.

Conclusion

It’s clear that number recognition is an important skill to teach young children.

They will use the skills they learn in early childhood throughout their lives, in everything from math class to grocery shopping.

That’s why it’s so important to make learning numbers fun and engaging for kids.

I hope you have found these activities helpful and that you will try some of them out with your little ones.

If you have any favorite number recognition activities, please share them in the comments below. I would love to hear about them!

FAQ

1.How can I help my child with number recognition?

 There are a number of different ways you can help your child with number recognition. You can use everyday objects to teach them about numbers, play counting games, or do crafts that involve numbers. You can also ask them to draw pictures of a given number of objects, or help you count out ingredients when you're cooking.

 2.Why is number recognition important?

Recognizing numbers is important because it helps children understand the quantity and how numbers are used in the world around them. It's a critical math skill for preschoolers to develop.

 3.How can I make learning numbers fun for my child?

 There are lots of ways to make learning numbers fun for your child. One way is to incorporate number recognition activities into your everyday routine. For example, when you're driving in the car, point out numbers on road signs and count objects together. You can also use food to help your child learn about numbers and quantities. For example, you could ask them to help you count out the correct number of grapes for a snack. There are also lots of games and toys that can help your child learn about recognising numbers. Look for products that focus on number recognition and quantity, and let your child play and explore at their own pace. With a little creativity and patience, you'll soon find that learning about numbers can be enjoyable for both you and your child.