Counting Games For Preschoolers and Toddlers They Will Adore!

Here are seven delightful counting games that preschoolers and toddlers will adore - easy to play and fun. The best thing? You can create these sets yourself!

These are fun learning games for toddlers to play at home, helping your child understand the concept of quantity.

Here's how to encourage your toddler or preschooler to count - and have fun all along!

Apple Counting Activity

You can use something as simple as several bottle caps, red apples cut from a piece of craft foam, and a drawing of a tree, and you're ready to play this apple search counting activity for kids.

Counting With DIY Beads

Create colorful beads with air clay. When they create bracelets with those, give them simple instructions with markings how many, and what color to add. They will end up with cute DIY bracelets they can keep. Here's a tutorial to make air dry clay beads. So fun!

Counting with Dice

Counting with dice is an activity introducing the concept of quantity. You'll notice it's useful even before you introduce the mathematical signs of numbers, i.e. before the connection between the mathematical number signs and the quantity has been established. 

Simply put, we are playing with dots and blueberries here.  All you need is a small cup of blueberries, a clear plate (no patterns or pictures that could be a distractor), and a large dice.

Blueberries are our kid's favorite fruit, that's why I chose them. But feel free to substitute blueberries with any other food items your kid loves. The best thing about this game? Once the blueberries had been counted, they represented the prize - each time before the next dice throwing, the kid ate the ones on the plate.

It's a simple way to enhance counting skills in a fun, unique way - while your kid gets a healthy snack. Have fun!

DIY Color Sorting Activity - Upgraded!

All you need is a few felt scraps, and your kids can sort and count them. This DIY color sorting set can be made in minutes. Little prep, hours of play!

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Count the Buttons

Here's a button sorting activity that can be used to introduce the concept of numbers to kids. Not just can your button jar simply be transformed into a simple activity for counting, or a color sorting activity, but your kids will develop fine motor skills with these!

Painted Shells or Rocks Counting

Collect shells and paint them like we did in our summer seashell painting crafts tutorial. Scatter them around the play area, and kids can pick them up, arrange by color, and count which color wins.

Count the Fish-In-The-Pond Game

Either create these DIY craft foam fish, or this DIY fish game set, and play a tossing game. Bring it up a notch by asking your kids to count the number of fish that 'land' in the fish tank. An enticing game that will keep them moving and counting.

Play With a Felt Button Snake

Here's a DIY color snake set I made for my kids to play with colors, and practice buttoning. Fun and easy to create!

Tips on Playing Counting Games For Kids

These number games for kids can be played by one kid, or two, or in a group - in this case, it will be reinforcing the concept of taking turns!

Here are some helpful tips for playing counting games with kids:

• Use colorful materials, funny voices, and engaging stories to keep their interest.
• Start simple - begin with small numbers (1 to 5) and gradually increase the complexity. Simple counting games build a strong foundation.
• Visual aids - use visual aids like number cards, charts, or finger counting. Visual cues enhance learning.
• Outdoor exploration - count flowers, leaves, or birds during a nature walk or a scavenger hunt like this. It's a great way to connect counting to the real world. You can use these outdoor activities for kids.

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