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Race to 100: An Awesome Counting Game For Kinders

Are you looking for activities to help you count to 100? Check out our free printable “Race to 100” math game. We’ve also got counting activities and games that will practice double-digit number recognition.

I think we can all agree that counting is an essential math skill. In fact, children’s counting skills form the foundation for mathematics learning.

This resource works well with

When you can count, you will know what number comes next in any given sequence. It sounds so simple doesn’t it? But those of us who teach Kinders to count know that it can be anything but.

race-to-100

A DISCUSSION AMONGST TEACHERS

Recently, we had an interesting discussion in the Simply Kinder Facebook group. Teachers were exchanging ideas for teaching counting to 100. Some were also looking for activities to help with double digit number recognition.

It takes a lot of practice for children to learn the number words to 100, the names and order of the decades, the cycling of one to nine through each decade.

counting to 100

PROBLEMS THAT YOUNG LEARNERS ENCOUNTER WHEN LEARNING TO COUNT TO 100

  • Saying numbers out of order or even skipping them altogether.
  • Difficulty counting forward from a number that isn’t 1. For example, starting at 12 and counting on from there.
  • Difficulty with decade transitions- Interestingly, one study indicated that bridging 40 was the most problematic decade transition.

And there is only one way to help our students learn. And that is to give them lots of opportunities to explore that patterns and relationships between the number words in a sequence.

Teacher’s Tip: Have you heard of the mathematical learning disability Dyscalculia? My son has it and one of the first symptoms was difficulty learning to count. He lost track when counting and continued to skip over numbers despite lots of practice. If you have students that are really struggling with basic math, they may have this learning disability. Learn more here.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES TO PRACTICE COUNTING TO 100

Use Videos

Make counting fun by using some of the free counting videos on YouTube. Here is a list of our teacher approved favorites

Use manipulatives

to help students recognise the patterns. Invite children to count while making a collection of 10 then 20 then 30 up to 100. The collection can be grouped in tens to help children start to understand decades. Draw attention to the way

  • Each number word increases the collection by one
  • How each new decade name increases the number of tens by one.
  • Also, mention how the decade names relate to the number of tens in the decade name, so that children can begin to understand what the number-words mean.

Here is an activity that uses pumpkin seeds to count to 100

counting activities

Count around the circle

Have fun counting around the circle. You can start the year by going from number 1 forward. Once your students have got the hang of it start counting from different numbers. Make or buy a set of number cards and invite students to take turn drawing one.

Beach ball Game

(Bernice Garcia) Write numbers to 100 on a beach ball. Let kids take turns tossing ball and they must say the number that their thumb touches each time they catch it

Count to 100 by 5’s

Here is a DIY game and a free printable to help.

Play monster squeeze

(Keri Kangas ) Pick a number and ask the children to guess what it is. When they guess cross the number off the chart and tell them if the number is too high or too low. If the number is too high, cross out all the numbers higher. If it’s too low, cross out the numbers less It gets its name because in the original version there is a monster that keeps moving  and squeezing the numbers until the only number left is the target number.

How to Use a 100 Chart

5. A 100’s chart This is a handy tool and very versatile. You can

  1. Invite students to look for patterns(Bernice Garcia). How many can you find? They may notice that it follows a 0-9 pattern or that each column has the same number. Have students share the patterns they notice, record what they say and share their findings with the class.
  2. Ask kids to use highlighters or crayons to color in the numbers (Bernice Garcia). For example, ask them to color number 37. Then ask what 37 looks like. What is  ten more than 37?
  3. Use it to count by 5’s or 10’s
  4. Cut the chart into 4 or 5 pieces and ask the kids to put it back together again.
  5. Print the chart on white paper and then on colored paper. Cut the colored paper into columns or into rows. Have the kids pick up one strip at a time and lay it over the corresponding row or column of the white copy.

There is a 100 chart in the free printable.

FREE PRINTABLE GAME

We’ve created a free printable activity that will help your students with counting a number recognition. This game can be played in 2 different ways. The games are available in color and black and white.

Materials Needed

RACE TO 100 (GAME ONE)

Getting The Game Ready

Playing The Game

  • Play alone or in pairs.
  • Each student places a counter on the number 1.
  • Take turns to roll the dice and move the corresponding number of spaces forwards.
  • The first person to reach 100 wins!

RACE TO 100 (GAME TWO)

The set is the same, but this time you will use the blank chart. Place it in a plastic protector and provide dry erase markers.

This time to students will roll to 100, but instead of moving a counter they write in the numbers as they progress.

free printable

The downloadable files also include a 100’s chart. If you only have access to black and white printing, try printing on brightly colored paper to liven things up.

YOUR TURN

What games or activities do you have to help your students count to 100? Please share in the comments below.

race to 100
race to 100
race to 100
At Simply Kinder we work together to bring you ready-to-use resources to partner with great teaching for any curriculum, a Facebook community where teachers talk all things Kindergarten, and low-prep learning ideas that your students will love. Be sure to stay up to date with all things kindergarten on InstagramFacebookPinterest, and through email. Simply Kinder: where teaching Kinder is definitely better together!

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