7 Games That Teach Numbers

Here’s something you can count on: Ever since babyhood, your child’s been quietly exploring math, learning concepts like pattern recognition, comparisons and musical beats — a kind of math language. Now that she’s older, she’s ready to get counting with real numbers, so it’s time to add a few simple, fun number activities to the daily routine. Try these counting games that teach kids the names of numbers, what they look like and how to count them in order, all precursors to the more complicated math they’ll encounter in school.

Neighborhoods are full of numbers on mailboxes, curbs, doorways and signs. The next time you head out for a stroll, keep your eyes peeled for numbers and take turns calling them out. You can even boost the smart quotient of this number activity by tacking on a counting rule: Once you find a number, you have to count up to that number, whether you count trees, cars, dogs or telephone poles.

How much do kids love playing with other kids? Let them count the ways! There’s extra incentive to learn numbers when it qualifies you to play a few classic kids’ games. The next time you host a playdate, let your tot try being “It” in a game of hide-and-seek. While a friend or older sibling hides, help your little one count to ten. For older preschoolers, draw a hopscotch course on your driveway for a number activity that tests both large-motor skills and counting prowess. Or for something quieter, try a round of HiHo! Cherry-O, the classic board game that has kids counting cherries, blueberries and apples into baskets.

When clean-up time rolls around, don’t just scoop up the toys and whisk them away. Use the few minutes to stimulate some math mastery. For example, encourage your critter to guess with you which playthings represent the largest portion of the mess. Are there more blocks? More books? Then count up the toys as you go and see who guessed right. For an older preschooler, work together to make a chart of her favorite toys (action figures, books, cars, stuffed animals) and keep a running tally of what shows up most at clean-up time. She’ll start associating written numbers with the amounts they represent.

Little ones love nursery rhymes, so introduce yours to some that involve numbers and counting. A few favorites: “Five Little Ducks,” “Five Little Monkeys” and “Hickory Dickory Dock.” Because you’re holding up your fingers to represent the characters in the rhyme, your child gets a good sense that “five” is less than “10.” And the repetition in the song expands your little one’s math vocabulary by letting her hear numerical terms again and again. Bonus: Some of these songs are good practice in counting backward.

Write the numbers one through 12 in the bottom of paper cupcake liners, then help your child count out the right number of small crackers or cereal pieces into each. (You’ll need 78 in total to play this number activity.) This game not only makes for good counting practice, but it adds a tactile dimension that makes learning stick. An older kid can try counting backward as the snacks disappear in her mouth: Four, three, two, one…all gone!

She’ll have an easier time remembering that long sequence of numbers in your phone number if you set it to a simple tune and practice it together. Try singing your digits to a toddler-friendly song, like “Mary Had a Little Lamb”: “355-8461, 8461, 8461, 355-8461, that is my phone num-ber.” Write it down as well so she can see what it looks like. This number activity will help your little one associate the sounds of the numbers with their appearance.

The Count would approve of this toddler art project: Make a homemade number-activity coloring book by drawing the outlines of the numbers one through 10 on a large pad of paper. Working together, take turns announcing your coloring picks: “I’m coloring number eight in red.” “Mommy is coloring number three in green.” For older preschoolers, simply write the numbers in pencil and have your child trace them with a marker. It’s a smart way to boost her fine-motor skills and knowledge of numbers.