#1. Use a Pre-made 100's Chart

For this numbers to 100 activity, students are going to build number sense, match colors, problem-solve, identify number patterns, and work together as a team. Aren't these multi-skill activities the best? All you need are colored plastic math cubes and circle stickers (like those used for garage sales). This numbers to 100 activity is great for small groups or math centers.

To prep, all you need to do is grab a pre-made hundreds chart and use small sticky notes to cover most numbers, leaving random numbers blank. To begin, have students work together using colored plastic math cubes to make 10 sets of 10, each set in a different color. Students will work as a team to line up the sets of math cubes, making a 100s chart pattern on either the carpet or a table.

Next, students will take turns labeling each row of cubes with the stickers. When the whole chart is labeled, students will take turns finding a missing number and using the 100s chart to determine what the number is. They'll use a marker to fill in the missing numbers and complete the 100s chart.

To differentiate, you can leave more or less numbers blank. You can also work on number patterns by leaving the counting by 2s, 5s, or 10s numbers blank and discuss number patterns as students solve.

#2. Number Chart Riddles

Next up on the list of numbers to 100 activities is Number Chart Riddles. Students love solving riddles and acting as number detectives, so this activity is sure to grab their attention and keep it. To prep, simply write number riddles on notecards, such as “Find a number greater than 56 but less than 60. What number did you choose?” or “I'm less than 98 and 2 greater than 94. What am I?”

You can get creative with your number riddles and make them easier or more challenging for your students. If you use these number chart riddles as a small group warm-up game, you can make different leveled sets of riddles to differentiate for your students.

Students will use a 100s chart to determine the number, write the number on a sticky note, and cover the number. You can use a pocket chart 100s chart that you already have in your classroom, draw a 100s chart on the whiteboard, or use the math cube 100s chart from the previous activity.

#3. What's Missing?

This numbers to 100 activity is a simple, DIY math game that will help your students identify patterns in the 100s chart as they build number sense. Simply draw a 100s chart or write a string of numbers on the whiteboard. You can also use a 100s pocket chart and numbers to 100 cards. Write or fill in numbers, leaving several spots empty. You can differentiate the amount of numbers you leave blank or leave different number patterns blank.

Students will take turns choosing a blank space and either writing in the missing number or finding the number card that is missing to fill in the missing number. This is a great opportunity to identify numbers, discuss number patterns, practice counting, and work on writing larger numbers.

#4. Numbers to 100 STEM Challenge

Your students are going to have a blast with this STEM challenge. All you need are 100 plastic party cups. Students will work together in partners or small groups to build a tower structure using all 100 cups. As they add cups to the tower, they must count together to ensure they use all 100 cups.

You can also have students write numbers to 100 in marker on the cups as they add each cup to the tower. This is a great way to encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, cooperative learning, and creativity.

#5. Skip Counting Surprise

Break out your fun pointers for this numbers to 100 activity, because your students are going to be the teacher for this math game. Using a 100s chart either in your classroom or drawn on a whiteboard, students will take turns coming up to the chart, closing their eyes, and using a pointer to point to a number.

They'll open their eyes, say the number they landed on, and lead the whole class in skip counting by 10s down the chart. You can differentiate this activity by skip counting by 2s, 5s, or simply counting on by 1s to 100 from the number they landed on. This is a great whole group math or calendar time activity for practicing different counting patterns.

#6. Numbers to 100 Boom Cards

Are you looking for a digital, self-checking way to practice numbers to 100? Numbers to 100 Boom Cards are sure to be a class favorite. Begin by having students use the digital 100s chart to identify the 3 missing numbers and type in the correct numbers next to the pictures.

Once they're confident with this skill, they can move on to the Seashell Numbers to 100 deck where they'll drag and drop 9 different seashell number tiles onto the 100s chart to fill in the missing numbers. This is the perfect addition to your math centers to encourage independent learning.

#7. Spill the Beans

This numbers to 100 activity doubles as a sweet treat for your students. To play, fill plastic party cups with different amounts of jelly beans. You can also use dry beans or mini erasers. Students will take turns choosing a cup. They'll dump their jelly beans on a paper plate and count them, organizing them into groups of 10.

Once they have all of their groups of 10 and leftover ones, they'll place the beans back into the cup, counting as they go. You can add a fine motor element by having them use jumbo tweezers to place the beans back into the cup.

After determining the number of beans, they'll write the number on a sticky note and stick it to the outside of the cup. After all students have written their number, they'll work together to arrange the cups in order from least to greatest. This would be perfect for small groups or math centers.

#8. Groups of 10

To play this game, create 10 large squares on the carpet using painters tape. You can also place 10 baskets on the floor instead. Have students work together to collect groups of 10 objects from around the room to place in each square. For example, they can fill one square with 10 markers, another with 10 blocks, and so on. After each square is full, practice counting by 1s and 10s to 100 as a class.

I hope you enjoyed reading about these 8 numbers to 100 activities and will incorporate them into your math lessons. Comment below which activity you're trying first with your students.

#1. Teen Number Ten Frame Fill

I may be biased, but I truly believe ten frames are one of the best manipulatives to teach numbers 11-19. They give students such a great visual for breaking teen numbers down into groups of tens and ones.

For this activity, build a double ten frame on the carpet using painter's tape or duck tape. (You can find fun colors and patterns of duck tape at the craft store). You can also use number mats for this activity. 

Next, fill up the top ten frame with 10 colored party plates. You can also use bean bags, mini erasers, pom poms, or anything that you have in your classroom. Write teen numbers on notecards or use number flashcards that you already have and mix them up, laying them face down.

Students will take turns drawing a teen number card and using the party plates to count on from ten, filling the second ten frame to build the teen number. All students will write the teen number on a whiteboard and say the number sentence aloud. For example, “10 and 5 makes 15.”

#2. Act It Out!

This activity for helping you teach numbers 11-19 is a 2-for-1 teacher deal as it serves as a great number sense activity AND a brain break! To play, write down different moves on notecards, such as hop, jumping jack, arm circle, squat, etc. You will also need a stack of notecards with teen numbers written on them.

Each student will take turns drawing a move card and a number card. They'll read the number aloud and lead the class as they count and act out that many moves together as a class. This gives students the opportunity to learn kinesthetically and get their wiggles out. Active learning at it's finest.  

#3. Base Ten Teen Numbers

Another great strategy to help teach numbers 11-19 is to break them down with base 10. You'll need those same teen number cards from the previous activities and base 10 blocks. You can get creative and use pretzel rods and marshmallows for the tens and ones also. After math class, your students will have a sweet treat to enjoy.

Have the students take turns drawing a number card, reading it aloud to the class, and building the number with their base 10 manipulatives on either their desk, a paper plate, or a place value number mat. This would be a great whole group activity to practice the skill or a small group activity to help students grasp the concept and work on the numbers they need to focus on most.  

#4. Base 10 Teen Number Boom Cards

Working with teen numbers using the base 10 strategy is a deep concept for kindergarteners. Therefore, giving them several opportunities to work with this strategy is key. Incorporating technology into the learning with base 10 teen number Boom Cards is an interactive way for students to practice and get instant feedback with these 27 self-checking digital task cards. 

They'll practice looking at the base 10 blocks and determining the teen number shown as well as looking at the picture and determining how many tens and ones there are and how many there are in all.

#5. Number Chart Mix Up

Kindergarteners love playing a good game of “fix up the mix up!” Good news for you, it's simple prep, too. As in, you can get this ready during their recess time and STILL have time to run to the bathroom. #teacherproblems right?!

Use any number cards that you have and place them in counting order, either in a pocket chart, on a table, or on the carpet. If you have a 100's pocket chart in your classroom, that would work great. Then, mix up a few numbers so they're out of order. Have students take turns finding the mix up and fixing it up to put them back in order.

As their skills grow, you can mix up more numbers and add bigger numbers. You could eventually work up to 100. After each round, have your students close their eyes as you mix them up again. 

#6. Mystery Teen Numbers

The last idea to teach numbers 11-19 will have your little detectives begging for more mystery math! To play, give students a hint as to what the number is, such as, “I'm larger than 12 but smaller than 14. Who am I?”

They'll use their critical thinking skills to determine what the number is. This would be a great small group or math center activity to do at a table near a number line or number chart in your classroom. Once they determine the number, they'll use jumbo tweezers to count that many marshmallows or pom poms into a plastic cup for a little fine motor practice.

Do you have an extra pep in your step now that you have 6 fresh ways to help your students learn those tricky teens? If you liked any of the resources found in this blog post, you can check them all out plus more in my numbers 11-20 bundle. This might just be your tricky teen best friend!

#1: Ten-Frame Fill

Ten-frames are the ultimate way to practice number sense. Students flip over number cards and fill in ten-frames with the proper number of counters. There are so many fun things you can use as counters, such as lego cubes, counting bears, bottle caps, colored marbles, cotton balls, shells, mini erasers, etc. By rotating materials often, you can keep this activity fresh and fun for your students, as it will feel new each time.

As your students progress, you can use multiple ten-frames to practice larger numbers.

If you want a done-for-you activity, check out this year-long ten frames unit. There are over 25 themes included, which is sure to keep ten frames fun and fresh all year long.

#2: Domino Match

Dominos are another great manipulative to use with kindergarten. This activity requires a deck of number cards (remove face cards) and a supply of dominos. First, students flip over a number card. Then they find a domino that has that same number of dots and match them up.

Another activity students can use dominos for is matching the ends of the dominos according to number. Challenge them to see what creation they can come up with by matching numbers and turning their dominos in different directions. This is also great for problem-solving!

#3: Play Dough Numbers

Using play dough is another great way to practice number sense along with fine motor skills. Before this activity, model how to roll out long “snakes” and form small balls with play dough. Allow your students to practice doing this. Once they're good and ready, have your students use the play dough “snakes” to form the numbers 1 through 10.

You can also have them make and match the correct number of balls with each number. If you're looking for some ready-made play dough mats, you can check out these Numbers to 10 Playdough Mats – just print and laminate!

#4: Bingo Dabbers

Using bingo dabbers with counting activities for kindergarten is a ton of fun! There are so many ways to incorporate them as well. One idea is to have students roll a dice and dab that many dots on a large sheet of paper. You can also use a spinner or number cards to select the number.

Another idea is to have students form the number using bingo dabbers. Simply write the number in a large print on a piece of paper. Have students use bingo dabbers to trace or dab over the print to form the number. You can also use pre-made no-prep number pages, designed specifically for bingo dabbers. For more ideas on how to use bingo dabbers in the classroom, click here!

#5: Number Puzzles

There are tons of great number puzzles you can find at the dollar store, but you can also make them in just a few simple steps! To make your own, use mini paper plates to create number puzzles. Cut each plate in half using a different pattern. For example, cut one plate using a zig zag pattern, another using a curved line pattern, etc.

For each puzzle, write a number on one half of the plate. On the other half, draw that number of dots. Mix up the pieces of 6-8 puzzles and have students solve the puzzles by matching them up.

#6: Build a Tower

Students love to build, and luckily building with manipulatives is great for counting, fine motor skills, problem solving, and spatial awareness! Students can roll dice, flip a number card, or spin a spinner to select a number. Then, they use plastic counting cubes to build a tower that matches the number. To take this activity one step further, have your students arrange the towers in number order.

#7: Magnetic Numbers

Magnetic numbers come in handy for several counting activities for kindergarten. One idea is to put them in a container or basket. Have students select them, one at a time, and put them in order on their desk or a magnetic board.

Another way they can use magnetic numbers it to practice counting on with number mats. Students will look at the first number on the mat and count on using magnetic numbers (or they can use the printable number cards included).

#8: Number Link-Up

This activity uses plastic links, which are fun for kids and also is great for building fine motor skills and coordination.  Students select a number card and count out that number of plastic links. They will then link them together to show the number. If you have different colors, students can also practice patterns while doing this activity.

#9: Make the Recipe

This is such a fun counting activity for kindergarten! First, line muffin tins with paper liners. Mark each paper liner with a different number. Students will take a tin and a supply of magnetic numbers and match the magnets to the correct muffin cup. There are a lot of variations you can do with this activity, too!

Instead of writing the number, you could mark different numbers using dots on each paper liner and have students match the magnetic number to the dots. You could also have students count out the correct number of plastic bears, mini erasers, large beads or buttons, etc.

#10: Number Grab

Kids love this activity, and as a bonus, it's great for building strength in those little hand muscles. Prepare a stack of paper plates by writing a number in the center of each.

Give students a basket of small pom-poms. Students will choose a plate and use tongs or chunky tweezers to pick up the correct number of pom-poms and place them on each plate.

#11: Stringing Up Numbers

For this activity, you will need pipe cleaners and plastic beads. Before the activity, model how to curl the end of the pipe cleaner so the beads don't fall off.

Have students curl one end of their pipe cleaner. Students will then draw a number card and string that many plastic beads onto the pipe cleaner. They will curl the other end when they are done and move onto a new number and pipe cleaner.

#12: Deal the Cards 

This would be a fun partner activity for students to play to work on counting. All you need is an ordinary deck of playing cards and a number mat for each player.

Students take turns flipping over a card and placing it on the number mat. If a number already has a card on top of it, the student puts the card face down in front of them. Once the mat is completely filled with numbers, students count up their cards to see who has the fewest cards left.

#13: Make a Deposit

For this activity, you will need used paper towel and toilet paper tubes. You can ask families to donate these or save them from your home.

Once you have a large supply, write a number at the top of each tube. Put a basket of small items on the table. You can use pom-poms, plastic counting cubes, plastic bears, colorful discs, etc.

Students will look at the number on the tube and count out that many items. They will drop them into the tube. They love hearing the different sounds the objects make!

When they think they have deposited the right amount of items, they can pull the tube up and count the items on the table, practicing the concept again.

#14: Digital Task Cards

Boom cards are digital task cards that are fun, interactive, and self-checking! This set of interactive, self-checking Number to 10 Mini Deck Boom cards work on a variety of number sense skills.

These digital activities can be used with many learning platforms or as a technology center. Students will listen to the audio directions and complete the task on the digital card by dragging and dropping the objects on the screen. Kids love these!

I hope these counting activities for kindergarten will inspire the young mathematicians in your classroom. Rotate these activities into your independent practice stations, math centers, or early finisher activities.  You can adapt each activity with different numbers and materials to meet the needs of your students.