Number Activity Mats

7K Shares

Use these 1-20 number activity mats to help your kids in preschool & kindergarten learn counting and number sense. They are a great multi-sensory tool that your kids will love.


number activities
JUST Purchase the printable name mats

No Time to Read The Whole Article?

Here are the quick links to purchase the printable number activity mats today.

My number activity mats are one of the most popular resources in my store. I recently gave them a facelift with some updated colors and I love the results.  Let me show you why teachers love this multi-sensory math activity.

Number Activity Mats

Five Activities on Each Number Mat

The full-page number mats feature the numbers 1-20.  Each mat is divided into 5 different sections.  There are soooo many things to do on just one page.

Five activities on each number mat.

Number Square

There is a large square at the top of the mat that features a large numeral.  Kids can finger-trace the numeral.  They can also place a coil of playdough, waxed yarn, and/or pipe cleaners over the shape.  These activities will help your kids learn to recognize the differences in each numeral and will help them with number formation.

Number square as part of your number mat activity.

Number Tracing

Speaking of number formation….kids can practice tracing numerals on the tracing section of the mat.  You just need to provide a crayon or dry erase marker.

Finger Counting

The resource includes a set of finger counting cards.  Kids can select the correct card and place it on the finger counting space on the mat.  Encourage them to also hold up and count the same amount of fingers on their hands.

Finger counting with your number mat activity.

Ten Frame

There is a ten frame on the bottom of the number mat (11-20 have 2 ten frames).  Kids can place the correct printable ten-frame card in this section, or you can provide counters for them to use.  Younger kids may find it helpful to use the ten-frame card as a guide while they fill their frames.

Encourage kids to also look at the number of blank spaces that are left on the ten-frames.  How many more buttons do we need to complete the ten frame?

A ten-frame for your number mat activity.

You can use almost any type of small counter on the ten-frame.  Here are some ideas:

buttons
pennies
mini erasers
gems/glass beads
pom poms
washers
balls of playdough
small bottle caps

Add a pair of tongs….and you have a fun math and fine motor activity.

Provide kids with 2 different colors of counters so that they can work on constructing and deconstructing numbers.  See how many ways they can represent a number.  For example, they may represent the number 5 by using 3 red counters and 2 yellow counters, or by using 1 red and 4 yellow counters.

Add counters to your number mat activity.

Build a Number

The final section on the mat will encourage kids to build the number. Once again, kids can place a printable card in the “build it” section of the mat, but I like to use Unifix Cubes.  You can also use small blocks, legos, snap blocks, or beads in this space.  This just provides another way to represent the number.

Encourage kids to compare the block on one number mat to the blocks on another.  Which tower is taller?  Which tower is shorter?

Build a number as part of your number activity mat.

Challenge your kids by providing them with two different colors of cubes or blocks to make the number.  In the picture below we used 3 red and 2 blue to make 5.  Can they represent 5 another way?  How many different combinations can they make?

Challenge kids with your number mat activity.

No Need to Purchase Special Supplies

If you don’t have counters or blocks to use….it’s no problem.  The resource includes printable cards that can be used on the finger-counting, ten frame, and build-it spaces.  There is no need to run to the store to find special counters for this activity.

Number activity mat.

This is What Teachers Say

This resource has been one of my most popular resources for years.  This is what teachers have been saying about it:

“Kids loved these. Really got them thinking about each number.”

“This has been PERFECT for one of my struggling students. I needed something that was multi-sensory to help him visualize the numbers. He loved working with these mats and even asks me to use them during free time. It has helped improve his number sense and number writing so much.”

“My class loved these. They ask for them every day now”

“This is one of the best quantities to 10 activities I’ve seen so far! Thanks so much.”

Purchase the Number Activity Mats

Get started working on early math skills with your kids.  Visit my store to purchase the Number Activity Mats today.

number activities

Do you prefer to shop at Teachers Pay Teachers? You can also purchase the Number Mats in my TPT Store.

The mats can also be purchased as part of the money-saving Number Activity Super Bundle.

Do you prefer to shop at Teachers Pay Teachers? You can also purchase the Number Activity Bundle in my TPT Store.

7K Shares