Counting Math Game for Kids

Here’s a counting math game for kids perfect for practicing one-to-one correspondence. It’s super easy to make and lots of fun for the kids!

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Theo, my preschooler, has been showing a huge interest in counting! He loves counting orally to ten, and I’ll often overhear him trying to count different groups of items in his picture books.

I decided to build on his interest in counting by creating a simple math game that’s perfect for practicing one to one correspondence. (This post contains affiliate links.)

Counting Math Game for Kids: Roll & Count

This game is super simple to set up. You’ll only need to gather a few materials and then you’re ready to play either in groups, pairs, or even on your own!

Materials for Math Game

Dice
Small items to count
Paper or foam sheets to mark the playing area
Small bowls or cups

Setting up the Math Game

Start by setting up your playing area.

Use foam craft sheets to mark each child’s space. (I love that the foam muffles the noise of hard items on the table, but you can also use sheets of paper.)
Place a bowl for each child next to the playing space, as well as a die.
Give each child 20 small items for counting. (We started off using small glass gems, but you can use just about anything- beans, buttons, pennies, etc.)

How to Play Roll and Count

The object of the game is to be the first person to get all your items in your bowl.

The first player rolls the die and places that many of his/her items in the bowl. Then the second player does the same thing. Play continues back and forth until one person gets all of his/her items in the bowl!

Variations

– Children can also play this on their own. Theo had lots of fun just rolling the die and counting his gems by himself!

– The game could also be played cooperatively by having a pair of children share one set of materials.

– Change up the materials to give the game a new twist! We later played the game using magnetic wands and chips. The new materials added a whole new element of fun to the game!

Even Lucy couldn’t resist joining the game!

Tips

-Think about the dice you are using. Theo is still practicing one to one correspondence using small numbers so I made him a die with only the numbers 1-3 using a wooden block and a Sharpie. A die with dots representing the numbers is more challenging for a child since the child has to first count the number of dots on the die and then count out items. Be sure to use dice that fit your child’s learning level.

– Do not use small items that can be choking hazards around children who are still mouthing items.