26 Engaging Skip Counting Activities for Kids
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Skip counting is an essential math skill. Help your child master it with these play-infused learning activities.
What is Skip Counting?
Skip counting is a method of counting forward or backward by a number other than one. It involves “skipping over” a specific number of places in the counting sequence. For example, to skip count by 5, you start at 0 and skip to the fifth number, which is 5. You then continue counting every fifth number, such as 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and so on. Common multiples for skip counting include 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s.
When kids practice skip counting, they build number sense, developing a deeper understanding of number relationships and patterns. It also helps increase mental math skills and agility, preparing them to learn and understand multiplication. Plus, skip counting is something most of us use on a regular basis, so it’s easy to help your child see its real-world applications.
When to Introduce Skip Counting
- Kindergarten: Skip count by 2s first, since the concept of even and odd numbers makes this fairly easy and natural.
- First Grade: Skip count by 5s and 10s, up to at least 100.
- Second Grade: Skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s should be automatic. Introduce skip counting by 3s and even 4s, to prepare students for multiplication.
General Skip Counting Activities
Use these skip counting activities and ideas for counting by any number. You’ll find active options as well as worksheets, hands-on practice, and more.
1. Color a Hundreds Chart
Print a few copies of a hundreds chart (find them in our free printable bundle here), and gather some crayons or markers. Then, assign different colors to different skip count numbers and color in the charts. You can also have your child mark the numbers with counters, dot markers, or small toys.
Example: Start at the number 2 and color it red. Then skip count and color all the following count-by-two numbers red. Do the same thing with blue for 5s or pink for 10s, etc.
2. Skip Counting Worksheets
ABCmouse’s free printable skip counting worksheet collection includes several different pencil-and-paper activities to get in some practice. Children will enjoy the skip counting connect-the-dot sheets, as well as the color-by-number pictures that use skip count numbers!
Try It: Get free printable worksheets for skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s.
3. Group Items and Count
Draw circles with sidewalk chalk on the driveway or use painter’s tape to make circles on your floor inside. Choose your skip count number, then ask your child to bring that number of an item to place in each circle. Once they’re all collected, skip count to find the total.
Example: Make 10 circles and ask your child to put three leaves in each. Then skip count together: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30.
4. Number Line Jump
Draw a life-size number line with sidewalk chalk that kids can hop along to reach a designated item at the end, such as a favorite toy, snack, or even a parent or sibling. Choose a starting number and skip count amount, then hop hop hop along to the item (or person) at the end!
5. Number Card Lineup
Use your number flashcards for this activity, or write numerals on a set of notecards. Mix them up, then give them to your child and ask them to select and lay out the numbers to count by your chosen number.
Example: You give your child number cards up to 50, and ask them to lay out the numbers to skip count by five. They lay out 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50.
6. Egg Carton or Muffin Tin Counting
The empty wells of cartons or tins are excellent for holding small collections of items. Fill each well with three crackers, and skip count as you eat them. Or, place five beans in each compartment of an egg carton, then count them up!
7. Building Brick Stacks
Most kids welcome the chance to play with building bricks, and they’re the star of this activity. Choose a number to skip count by, and then build individual block stacks of your skip count number, using a different color for each stack. Then, stack them all together, skip counting as you go.
Example: Build a stack of three red blocks, three yellow blocks, three green blocks, etc. Then, stack them together and count: 3, 6, 9, etc. to the top of the tower.
8. Fill in Missing Numbers
Write a skip count series, leaving some empty blanks for your child to fill in. You can try this indoors with paper and crayons or outside with sidewalk chalk.
Example: 10, 20, ___, 40, ___, ___, 70, 80, etc.
9. Buddy Counting
Gather some friends or family members and take turns skip counting, with each person saying the next number in the sequence. See how long you can keep the count going!
10. String Beads Into Necklaces
Assemble some colored beads along with string or pipe cleaners. Then, make skip count necklaces or bracelets by stringing groups of colored beads onto the string or pipe cleaners. You can incorporate pattern recognition too by repeating the color patterns as you string.
Example: For a count-by-fours necklace, string four red beads, four pink beads, four yellow beads, four blue beads, etc. Repeat the pattern after you run out of colors.
Activities for Skip Counting by 2s
11. Shoot Hoops
Take turns tossing a basketball through a hoop (or into a basket), awarding two points for each successful throw. Kids will love this easy and fun way to practice counting by 2s!
12. Pairs of Wheels
While you’re out and about, count the pairs of wheels on cars, trucks, shopping carts, and more. Use the front two wheels as one pair and the back two as another. You can also count the two wheels on a bike.
13. Shoe Store
Let your child gather up all the shoes in your house and lay them out in pairs. Then, skip count to find out how many shoes you have altogether. Finish by letting your child run a “shoe store” to sell them all off!
14. Sock Pairs
Turn laundry day into a fun learning activity! Have your child help you by gathering all the socks and matching them in pairs. Hang them on a hanger, then practice skip counting by 2s to find out how many socks there are. It’s a great way to involve your child in the chore while building their math skills!
15. Sing Counting by 2s
This catchy little tune will have your child comfortable with counting by 2s in a snap! (Don’t be surprised if you find yourself singing along too.)
16. Play Professor Hester’s Ice Cube Tester
In this ABCmouse online game, players help cool the professor’s drinks by dropping in pairs of ice cubes, counting by 2s as they go.
Note: This game may require an ABCmouse subscription to play.
Activities for Skip Counting by 3s & 4s
17. Triangle Line Count
Draw a series of triangles (or cut them out of construction paper), then touch the sides of each one as you count by 3s, totaling up the number of sides. This also works for squares, pentagons, and other shapes.
18. Traffic Light Tally
Most traffic light units have three lights, so take advantage of that when you’re on the road. As you wait for the lights to change at an intersection, count the lights by 3s to see how many there are altogether.
19. Animal Parade
Round up all of your child’s toy animals with four legs and lay them out in a big parade. As they “march” by, count by 4s to find out how many legs are in the parade in total.
20. Color and Count Shamrocks or Four-Leaf Clovers
Draw (or find clip art) of shamrocks with three leaves or four-leaf clovers, then color and skip count the leaves on each. You could also try this by drawing trees with a set number of leaves or flowers with multiple petals.
Tip: You can find a few shamrocks and four-leaf clovers in our free St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages.
21. Play Marvin’s Magical 3s
In this online game, kids help Marvin the Magician complete his card tricks by choosing the missing cards from the sequence. Abracadabra!
Note: This game may require an ABCmouse subscription to play
Activities for Skip Counting by 5s & 10s
22. Total Up Nickels and Dimes
This real-world way of practicing skip counting is always a hit with kids! Gather up all your loose change and let kids count up the nickels and dimes by 5s and 10s. Make it even more fun by letting them drop the coins into a piggy bank or jar as they save up for a special treat.
23. Count by (High) Fives
Try this one of two ways: in a group or on your own. If you’ve got a group of students, they can take turns giving each other high-fives, counting by five each time. For kids on their own, pull out the washable paint and make handprints on a big piece of paper, then skip count them to tally up all the fingers.
24. Sing Counting by 5s All Day Long
Here’s another catchy skip counting song to croon along with! Be sure to check out all the educational and entertaining songs and videos on the ABCmouse YouTube channel.
25. Play Bernie’s Library Maze
Help Bernie the bookworm track down his favorite book by counting your way through the library shelves by 5s. Change the difficulty level to start the maze at higher numbers for a bigger challenge.
Note: This game may require an ABCmouse subscription to play
26. Play Mighty Dinosaur Chomp
Feed the hungry plant-eating dinosaurs the right leaves by counting the water drops on the leaves by 10s. (This one is excellent subitizing practice too!)
Note: This game may require an ABCmouse subscription to play
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