Counting on Fun: Growing Number Sense in Young Minds
- Mrs. Briana & Mrs. Christine
- Oct 28
- 6 min read
Let’s be honest—teaching number sense in preschool is so much more than just counting to twenty! As early childhood teachers, we know that real math understanding starts when kids can connect numbers to their world—when “5” isn’t just a word they recite, but something they can see, touch, and build.
In our classroom, we’ve found that helping children make numbers 0–20 concrete sets the stage for everything that comes next in math. When preschoolers can compare groups, recognize patterns, and truly grasp what each number represents, they’re building the strong foundation they’ll need for future success.
In this post, we’re sharing our favorite hands-on strategies, games, and teaching tricks to bring number sense to life. These ideas come straight from our own classroom—where learning math is messy, playful, and full of “aha!” moments. So grab your counting bears, snap cubes, and ten frames… let’s make those numbers make sense!
Making Numbers Stick: Hands-On Ways to Build Number Sense
Preschoolers learn best when they can see it, touch it, and do it. The more we connect numbers to real experiences, the stronger their understanding becomes. Here are a few of our favorite ways to make numbers 0–20 come alive in the classroom:
1. Number Lines They Can Move!
A number line doesn’t have to be just something on the wall — make it interactive! Try a floor number line using tape and have children hop, step, or place objects on each number. You can play games like “jump to 8” or “what number comes after 12?” When kids move their bodies as they count, they’re building both number order and one-to-one correspondence in a way that sticks.
In our classroom, building a number line with number cards is a fun and familiar part of our morning meeting routine. Early in the year, we start small—just numbers 0 through 3—and gradually stretch our number line all the way to 20 as the year goes on. At first, the number line is already set up on the floor, and students take turns matching their number card to the correct spot. Once that becomes easy, we add a challenge! We take away the pre-built line and have the class work together to build it from scratch. Sometimes we spread the numbers around the room so students have to hop, crawl, or tiptoe to find the next one. Other times, each child gets a few numbers out of order, and they have to talk and work together to figure out where each belongs. These playful activities really help number order stick!
2. Ten-Frames for the Win
Ten-frames are a preschool teacher’s secret weapon! They help children visually see numbers, build an understanding of part–whole relationships, and prepare them for future addition and subtraction. Use counters, buttons, mini erasers—anything fun! Challenge students to show different ways to make numbers: “Can you fill the ten-frame to make 7?” or “What do you notice when the frame is full?” We love using ten frames with our students, and we've created some fun, no-prep activities to bring ten frames to your classroom. Check them out!
3. Tally Marks in Real Life
Tallies are a great bridge between counting and organizing quantities. Turn them into a class routine! Keep a daily tally for how many kids are at school, what color shoes are most popular, or how many days you’ve had snack. As students draw a tally for each item, they begin to see patterns in fives and start naturally grouping numbers. We introduce tallies to our class using popsicle sticks—because who doesn’t love a good hands-on activity? Each student gets their own little pile of sticks to practice making groups of five. As we count together, we teach them a fun rhyme to help remember the pattern: “One, two, three, four, number five shuts the door. Six, seven, eight, nine, number ten draws the line.” The kids love chanting it as they build their tallies! It’s a great visual and tactile way to show how tallies are grouped by fives, helping children see number patterns and connect counting to quantity. When they're ready we expand their tally practice in other ways; here are some of our favorites!
Comparing Numbers with Alligators
When it comes to comparing numbers, our preschoolers absolutely love learning about the hungry alligator! We introduce the symbols for greater than (>) and less than (<) by turning them into something fun and easy to remember—an alligator’s mouth!
We tell our students, “This alligator is so hungry that he always wants to eat the bigger number!” Then we practice with number cards or small manipulatives like counting bears or cubes. For example, if we show 3 and 5, we ask, “Which number will the alligator want to eat?” The children quickly catch on that his mouth opens toward the larger number—so the alligator would chomp, chomp on the 5!
To make it even more hands-on, we sometimes cut out a big paper alligator mouth and let students “feed” it by placing number cards or groups of objects on each side. You can even draw a friendly alligator on a craft stick to use as a pointer during lessons.
Comparing numbers is an important part of building strong number sense in young learners. When children compare groups or quantities, they’re not just recognizing numbers—they’re developing an understanding of how numbers relate to one another. This skill lays the foundation for future math concepts like ordering numbers, addition, subtraction, and even place value later on.
This playful approach not only helps students understand the concept of comparing quantities, but it also makes abstract symbols meaningful. Once the story of the hungry alligator clicks, those tricky greater than and less than signs suddenly make perfect sense!
5. Bring in the Manipulatives
Nothing beats hands-on materials for making numbers real. Young learners need to touch, move, and play with objects to truly understand what numbers mean. Counting bears, linking cubes, buttons, pom-poms, or even snack foods work wonders in helping children visualize quantity.
Encourage students to sort, group, and compare their materials—“Which has more?” “How can we make 10?” “Can you show me 7 in a different way?” These simple questions turn counting practice into rich number sense conversations.
Try graphing with manipulatives too! After a favorite snack or color activity, let students place their items on a simple class graph. For example, use colored cubes to show favorite fruit flavors or toy colors. This helps children connect counting, comparing, and data representation in a tangible way.
And for a high-energy twist, grab a fly swatter and get moving! Place number cards on the floor or wall and call out a number (or show a group of objects). Students race to “swat” the correct number. It’s an engaging way to practice recognition, counting, and one-to-one correspondence—all while getting the wiggles out!
By keeping math interactive and playful, manipulatives turn abstract numbers into something children can see, touch, and understand.
6. Make Math Part of Everyday Play
The best number sense practice often happens naturally during playtime! Young children are constantly exploring, building, and experimenting, and these moments are full of hidden math opportunities. Counting steps as you line up, comparing towers in the block center, or matching sets in dramatic play are all meaningful ways to reinforce number concepts without it feeling like “work.”
You can also turn routines and play into intentional math moments:
Snack time: Count pieces of fruit or crackers, compare portions, or ask questions like, “Who has more?”
Outdoor play: Jump, hop, or skip while counting steps or track how many times a ball bounces.
Use sidewalk chalk to turn the outdoors into a hands-on math playground. Have children draw shapes, numbers, or simple math scenes, like ‘draw three circles’ or ‘make a line of five squares.’ You can also create number lines, hopscotch with sums, or matching games, letting kids count, compare, and explore numbers in a playful, active way.
Dramatic play: Set up a “store” where children buy and sell items using counters, blocks, or picture cards (ex: this "hamburger" costs 5 cubes). Children can count out the right number of objects to “pay” for items, compare amounts, and explore concepts like more, less, and equal. This hands-on play helps build number sense in a fun, meaningful way.
Sprinkle number talk throughout the day—simple questions like, “How many blocks did you use?” or “Which line is longer?” help children see math in action. The more numbers are part of everyday language and play, the more natural and confident children become with counting, comparing, and reasoning
Making Numbers Come Alive
Building number sense in preschool isn’t just about worksheets or memorization (although these things also help)—it’s about giving children experiences with numbers they can see, touch, and talk about. When we use tools like number lines, ten-frames, tallies, and manipulatives, we’re helping our students make meaningful connections that will stick with them for years to come.
As preschool teachers, we have the privilege of laying that first brick in a child’s math foundation. The more we make math hands-on, playful, and connected to their world, the more confident and curious our little learners become. So let’s keep counting, building, and exploring together—because when numbers make sense early on, everything else in math just adds up!
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