Kindergarten Number Sense Activities

Students often enter kindergarten with the ability to count by rote, but less of an understanding of what those numbers actually mean.  The kindergarten school year is an important time to help students understand what numbers represent, so that they can build on that knowledge as they grow.  Keep reading for the kindergarten number sense activities that I use to help students build their understanding of numbers.

Teaching Numbers 1 to 10

Teaching students to identify and understand the numbers to ten is an essential part of the kindergarten curriculum.  A strong foundation in number sense for these first ten numbers will serve our students for years to come. 

When it comes to teaching numbers to ten, we can find countless suggestions and activities online. However, I feel that it all comes down to one thing: Repetition.  Our students need a variety of exposures to numbers being represented in multiple ways.  They need the opportunity to practice counting and to explore numbers in new ways.  They also need to talk about numbers. 

Repetition goes hand-in-hand with variety, because it’s important to keep students engaged as they practice similar concepts multiple times.  Having a variety of number sense activities will help you bring meaningful repetition to number practice.

Kindergarten Number Sense Activities

Today I want to share some of my favorite kindergarten number sense activities.  I feel like this variety of quality activities brings just the right amount of repetition and routine so that students can stay engaged in learning about numbers. 

Printable Number Books

I love to use printable number books to help students understand that numbers can be represented in multiple ways.  These books also give students much-needed practice with number formation with rainbow writing. Creating mini-books can be a perfect activity for guided math centers, early finishers, or even morning work.

Plus, students love to create books! There is something special about creating a book that they can take home and show to their families. Anything that gets students excited to talk about what we’re learning at school is a win for me! 

Hands-On Number Sense Activities

One of the best ways to keep young students engaged in repetition is to use hands-on activities!  Building numbers with different materials is always a hit with my students!  They love to use play dough, snap cubes, and pattern blocks to create numbers. This is a great activity for students to complete independently, so it’s easy to add to math centers or even morning work tubs. Building numbers, in addition to writing them, helps students take time to notice the unique formation of each number. 

However, hands-on activities aren’t just for number formation!  Students can use a variety of engaging activities to help them understand and explore quantities.  This apple tree counting activity is always a crowd favorite in my classroom.  Students love to create the correct number of apples for each tree and I love that they are practicing fine motor skills as they pinch and roll out the play dough!

If you’re interested in using this apple counting activity, just fill out the form below and I’ll deliver it straight to your inbox!

Printable Number Hats Craft

Kindergarten hats are more than just a fun craft!  While working on these number hats, students will be able to review the different ways to represent a number.  Using the same format for each number hat means that they can serve as routine number practice.  For young students, familiarity can bring instant engagement since they already know what to do and they’re excited to get started. Students can create their own hats during centers or as morning seatwork.

Giving students the opportunity to talk about numbers is an important part of building number sense.  These hats are definitely a conversation starter, whether they are worn throughout the school day or taken home.  Students love to talk about the numbers on their hats!

Interactive Number Worksheets

In addition to hands-on activities and crafts, interactive number worksheets can also bring engaging repetition to your number practice. Students can practice number formation, counting, ten frames, and more!  My students always love mystery picture worksheets, where they color by code to reveal the hidden number. 

Interactive worksheets allow you to add repetition to pretty much any part of your school day, from morning work to exit tickets and anywhere in between!  Number printables are also a great option for low-prep math centers or early finisher activities.

Number Sense Anchor Charts

As students practice each number, it’s helpful to have an anchor chart on display in the classroom.  Number sense anchor charts come in handy for whole group instruction, small group work time, and even reteaching. 

Using eye-catching number displays in your classroom will give students more exposure to numbers and their various representations. Students will be able to reference these anchor charts as they work independently during morning work or centers time. My anchor charts also come with interactive worksheets that students can complete while the teacher fills in the large chart. 

There are countless uses for anchor charts, so they are an easy and effective tool to add to the repetition toolbox!

Kindergarten Number Practice for 1 to 10

Are you interested in adding some fun and engaging number practice activities to your classroom? I have created a bundle of activities so you can save time and money by downloading these number sense activities all at once. You can find my Numbers Practice Bundle for Numbers 1 to 10 in my Teaching Exceptional Kinders shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers. This bundle includes interactive number books, worksheets, anchor charts, hat crafts, and number-building centers that will help you bring engaging repetition to your number sense practice.

Save These Kindergarten Number Sense Activities

If you’re short on time but want to come back to these number sense activities, be sure to pin this post for later!  You’ll be able to quickly find these activities whenever you’re ready to download and print.