Are you looking for educational and fun kindergarten activities to keep your students engaged? Engaging in kindergarten activities is crucial for laying the foundation of a child’s academic journey. Children are naturally curious and eager to explore the world around them at this stage. Activities designed for this age group are not merely fun; they are structured to stimulate cognitive development and encourage social interaction.
- ☀Download this BONUS Guide with everything you need to cultivate a positive classroom community.
- ➕Includes definitions, lesson ideas, mindset surveys for students and teachers, and printable posters.
- 🧠💪Research shows a link between a growth mindset and math success. Kids with a growth mindset about their abilities perform better and are more engaged in the classroom.
- 👉Includes everything you need to start cultivating a more positive math classroom and students who love math.
- Download and get started today! Click here to download the Bonus Mindset Guide & Survey.
I love teaching Kindergarten because it doesn’t take much to get the students excited. Add some fun counters or turn on the smartboard; they can’t wait to see what we are doing. I use a lot of activities involving technology and concrete math tools. Students need to be able to see and “do” the math.
Importance of Fun Kindergarten Activities
Kindergarten activities are instrumental in fostering creativity. Children can experiment and explore different materials, ideas, and concepts. This exploration nurtures their imagination and helps them develop critical thinking skills. Activities that involve problem-solving, whether through games or collaborative projects, teach children how to approach challenges and find solutions independently. Thus, the significance of these activities extends far beyond mere entertainment; they play a pivotal role in shaping well-rounded individuals.
Students at this age are curious and want to learn. Simple and fun activities will get kids excited about learning.
Fun Activities for Kindergarten at Home
Sensory activities are a fantastic way to engage kindergarteners while providing valuable learning experiences. These activities stimulate a child’s senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—allowing them to explore and understand the world around them. One popular sensory activity is creating a sensory bin filled with rice, beans, or sand. Children can engage in open-ended play by adding various objects like scoops, cups, and small toys while enhancing their tactile skills and imaginative thinking.
Another exciting sensory activity is water play. Filling a large container with water and providing different tools such as cups, sponges, and boats encourages children to experiment with pouring, splashing, and floating. This hands-on experience enhances their sensory exploration and introduces concepts such as buoyancy and volume. When combined with discussions about the properties of water, this activity can seamlessly integrate learning into play.
Finally, consider introducing scented playdough or aromatic herbs in your sensory activities. Children can knead and mold the dough while experiencing different scents, which evoke various emotions and memories. This sensory exploration can be tied to discussions about feelings and nature, enhancing their emotional literacy. Incorporating sensory activities into your kindergarten curriculum enriches children’s learning experiences, making them more engaging and memorable.
These activities can easily incorporate math by having students count, form numbers, and talk about shapes- there are many possibilities!
Math and Literacy Activities for Kindergarteners
Math and literacy activities in kindergarten are vital for building foundational skills that children will rely on throughout their educational journey. Engaging children in playful math games, such as counting with blocks or sorting objects by size and color, makes learning enjoyable.
One effective activity is a number scavenger hunt, where children search for items corresponding to numbers. For example, they might find three leaves or five rocks. This hands-on approach allows them to connect numbers with real-world objects, reinforcing their understanding of quantity and counting.
In addition to math, literacy activities play a significant role in developing language skills. Storytime is a cherished part of the kindergarten experience and can be enhanced through interactive reading. Encourage children to predict what will happen next in the story or ask them to describe their favorite character.
This engagement fosters comprehension and encourages them to think critically about the text. Combining rhyming games and wordplay can make literacy skills more enjoyable and accessible. I also like incorporating math into books and discussing how we use math in the real world.
Technology Resources for Kindergarteners
Lastly, integrating technology into math and literacy activities can provide an additional layer of engagement. Educational apps and interactive games can reinforce concepts while keeping children motivated. For example, apps focusing on phonics or counting can offer personalized learning experiences. By blending traditional methods with modern technology, educators can create a rich learning environment that appeals to diverse learning styles, setting the stage for a successful educational journey.
I use these ABCYA games with my students every day on our smartboard to practice different kindergarten skills. My favorite math game is the Number Bingo game. Students need to find the number that is said. What a great way to practice number identification! You can choose which numbers you want to work on.
Fun Number Activities For Kindergarten
Number sense develops over time through opportunities to explore and play with numbers. For students to understand math concepts, flexible and fluent thinking with numbers is necessary, so developing early number sense is essential.
To many adults, numbers seem like a simple idea. But numbers are a complex and multifaceted concept. To have a complete understanding of numbers involves many different ideas and skills. It is not just about counting or identifying the number. Although children may come to school with many ideas about numbers, it takes time and lots of experience to develop a complete understanding that will help them with more complex number-related concepts.
What is Number Sense in Mathematics?
Number sense refers to a person’s understanding of number concepts, operations, and applications of numbers and operations. Number sense is flexible thinking and intuition about numbers.
It is the ability to be flexible with numbers and have a variety of strategies to use. In addition, students know how to use and adapt the strategy to meet different situations.
Represent a Number
These Numbers to 20 activities have ten frames, matching cards, worksheets, and games for all the seasons. Are you looking for teen number worksheets to practice counting, representing numbers on a ten frame, and identifying numbers?
Show the Number
These 480 Google Slides have students show the number in a ten-frame frame. There are 120 slides for each season with 4 seasons= 480 slides. Students count and drag the counters to represent numbers on the ten frame. These slides have students practice numbers up to 20.
Numbers 1 to 20 For Kindergarten Worksheets and Slides
This includes Numbers 1 to 20 for Kindergarten Worksheets and Slides to practice teen numbers for all seasons (fall-winter-spring-summer). Slides and worksheets for each season with teen numbers in ten frames and counters. There are some slides for students to count and name the number, and others where students can use counters to represent the teen number.
How Many Counting Worksheets and Slides
There are 30 Counting 20 Slides with students counting the objects in the picture and 18 counting to 20 worksheets. Students count and represent the amount up to 10, then up to 20. 8 slides use numbers 1-5, 16 slides use numbers 6-10, and 5 slides for teen numbers in ten frames. 18 Slides, students type into the text box; 12 Slides, students drag and drop the number.
More and Less Kindergarten Activities
More and Less Kindergarten activities help students compare quantities of objects. Using hands-on materials is a great way to introduce comparing numbers to students. Students identify which set of objects has more and which set has less. These activities help students to count objects and then compare the quantities.
Fun Kindergarten Activities for Comparing Numbers
Young students need many opportunities to compare objects. Students begin practicing these skills early on and gradually move from comparing objects to using numerals. First, I like to start by counting objects and then comparing which set has more or less. Then, we move to pictures of objects to compare. Finally, students can compare using numerals.
Read more… 3 Best More and Less Kindergarten Activities to Use Right Away.
More or Less
Here are over 1,300 Google Slides to build number sense with students by comparing numbers. Count and compare numbers to 5, then count and compare numbers to 10. Students practice counting, representing the number of counters by entering the number into a text box. Then, compare the counters or numbers by circling the set with more and less.
Fun Addition Activities for Kindergarten
Using themed-based resources keeps learning fun, and the students engaged. I enjoy using books about snowmen with snowmen counters and mats to explore addition story problems. By setting the foundation for addition, you are preparing the students for more complex problems. Starting with concrete tools to model addition problems and moving to representational will help students develop a conceptual understanding of addition.
Decompose and Compose Numbers
Composing and decomposing numbers to 10 into multiple ways is a vital number sense activity. In preschool, students can count and use the “and” slides. Then, continue composing and decomposing numbers in kindergarten and first grade. These slides progress to using “+” and “=“ . Students practice counting, representing numbers on a ten frame, and entering the numbers into text boxes.
Decomposing in Math
Decomposing and Composing numbers is about breaking them apart and putting them together. This resource has 4 SETS of 120 Google Slides and 91 Printable Compose and Decompose Numbers worksheets. Students can practice decomposing and composing numbers 3-10 in several ways.
Beyond Addition Worksheets Kindergarten
First, we need to teach students what it means to add. Then, we begin teaching students that addition can be thought of as physically or conceptually placing two or more quantities together. We can show this by acting out different situations where we are joining or adding to a situation. At first, young children do not need the symbols +, 1, and =.
Eventually, we can introduce the symbols to students and continue to have them work on solving problems within context. Using real-world situations and literature is a great way to teach addition to young students.
Addition Kindergarten Lesson Plan Ideas
I like to read different addition books and have students solve addition problems using mats and counters related to the book. This is a great way to connect with reading and situations in the real world. In addition, we start with joining problems and then begin to explore the other problem structures.
Once students are in first grade, they are expected to learn addition facts to 20 (fluent to 10). Then fluency to addition to 20 by the end of second grade. When I work with our lowest-performing student,s, many need to gain knowledge of their basic facts. So how do we start to improve this? We must begin by building a solid foundation in decomposing numbers in the early grades and connecting them to addition.
Read more… 5 Best Winter Addition Worksheets Kindergarten Focused That Are Fun
Or 3 Awesome Addition Kindergarten Lesson Plan Ideas and Hands-on Activities
Kindergarten Addition Practice
This has Kindergarten Addition Practice Worksheets and Slides. Multiple formats for students to practice Addition facts within 5 and Kindergarten addition story problems. Adding with pictures for Kindergarten is an essential skill.
Fun Subtraction for Kindergarten Ideas
What simple and effective subtraction for kindergarten worksheets and activities can you use today? There are so many resources out there that can be overwhelming. Kindergarten is where students are introduced to the meaning of subtraction and begin to solve problems within 10. Hence, using concrete materials is crucial for developing a conceptual understanding of subtraction.
I love teaching Kindergarten because everything is so new and exciting for students. I like to begin by having students act out subtraction situations. Students love stories related to food because they can relate! For example, “You had 3 cookies, and then your sister ate 2 cookies. How many cookies do you have left?” Stories like these allow students to make connections to their lives and begin to understand what subtraction means. Because who doesn’t understand someone taking away your cookies?! I have broken down the standard to what needs to be taught and some effective strategies for teaching those skills.
Read more.. Top 3 Simple and Effective Subtraction for Kindergarten Worksheets and Activities
subtraction-kindergartenSubtraction Kindergarten Worksheets and Slides
Here are 336 Google Slides and 336 kindergarten subtraction worksheets with pictures. These resources introduce the minus sign, use five- frames to solve subtraction within 5 problems, and have subtraction story problems.
Fun Questions to Ask Kindergarteners
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
- If you could be a superhero, what would your magic power be?
- If you had a time machine, where would you go?
- What makes you laugh the most?
- Who is your favorite Disney character?
- If you traded places with our pet, what is the first thing you would do?
- What is your perfect day?
- If you could be an animal, which animal would you be?
- If you could grow wings and fly, where would you go?
- Which pizza topping is best?
- If you could be any toy, which one would you be?
- Which season is your favorite and why?
- If you could learn any language, which language would it be?
- What is your favorite holiday?
- How would you describe yourself?
Additional Questions To Use with Kindergarteners to Build a Classroom Community
- What is one thing that makes you unique?
- If you were given $50, how would you spend it?
- What are you thankful for?
- Do you have a favorite chore?
- What is your favorite candy?
- Do you have a hero?
- What is your favorite thing to do when it’s raining?
- What is your favorite outfit?
- If you could be on a TV show, what show would it be?
- What is the best smell?
- What is your favorite vegetable?
- Would you rather be as small as an ant or as big as an elephant?
- Do you have a favorite dinner?
- What is something you are good at?
- If you could invent something, what would it be?
- What qualities do you look for in friends?
- If you could buy anything, what would it be?
- If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- Can you show me your favorite dance?
- If you were the president, what rules would you put into place?
- What song do you know all the words to?
- What is your favorite fruit?
- Do you have a favorite drink?
- What is your favorite movie?
- Would you live on the moon?
- What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
- What meal is your favorite?
- Do you have a favorite family game?
- Tell me about a dream you had recently.
- What is one way you help your parents?
- What is something you like to do when you’re bored?
The Importance of Fun Kindergarten Math Activities
Engaging in educational activities during the kindergarten years profoundly impacts a child’s development. These activities promote cognitive skills and enhance social, emotional, and physical growth. By participating in various activities, children develop critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and creativity—skills that are essential for their future academic success.
- ☀Download this BONUS Guide with everything you need to cultivate a positive classroom community.
- ➕Includes definitions, lesson ideas, mindset surveys for students and teachers, and printable posters.
- 🧠💪Research shows a link between a growth mindset and math success. Kids with a growth mindset about their abilities perform better and are more engaged in the classroom.
- 👉Includes everything you need to start cultivating a more positive math classroom and students who love math.
- Download and get started today! Click here to download the Bonus Mindset Guide & Survey.
Moreover, the social interactions that arise from group activities foster a sense of community and belonging among children. Learning to collaborate, share, and communicate with peers helps them build foundational social skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. These experiences also contribute to their emotional development as children learn to navigate friendships, express their feelings, and develop empathy for others.
These activities lay the groundwork for a love of learning and exploration, encouraging children to be curious and confident learners. What are your top fun kindergarten activities?
