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Games With Skipped Counting by 2s, 5s, & 10s for the First Grade

Learning to count is a skill that elementary students will carry through the rest of their lives. Knowing not only how to count sequentially, but by skipping numbers and counting in 2s, 5s, or any other pattern will help with daily tasks, such as counting out money. While this might still be a developing skill for people at a young age, there are many games first grade teachers can use to help their students learn how to count in patterns.
  1. Ball Bouncing

    • Take the children to a gymnasium or a large open area outdoors. Ask them to stand in one row. Tell the class that they will be counting the numbers of students in the row together. Select a student to be a ball bouncer. This student will bounce a ball as the class counts. Help the class by leading them in counting by 1s while the student bounces the ball on each number. Then, lead them in counting by 2s, then followed by 5s and 10s. All the while, the ball should be bounced on each number and a different student should get a chance to bounce the ball during each round.

    Pass the Paper

    • This game will allow students to get written practice of skip counting. Put students into groups of four at tables. Hand each group a piece of paper and make sure everyone has a pencil. Tell the students there is going to be a written race to 100. The first person starts by writing the number 2, then they pass the paper and the next person writes 4, and this skip counting by 2s continues until the first group reaches 100. Then, repeat the game but tell students to skip count by 5s and then 10s.

    Missing numbers

    • This game works best in a large space. On a set of note cards or medium-size pieces of paper, label each starting with 1 through 100. Lay out the cards on the floor sequentially. Turn over some of the cards so certain numbers are not visible. Have the children sit down in a row and face the cards. Select a volunteer who will be the highlighter. Count together as a group in 2s, 5s and 10s, pointing at each card as you go. Have the highlighter student mark the cards that are part of the 2s, 5s and 10s counting patterns. When the class reaches one of the flipped over cards during counting, ask them to identify the hidden number.

    Counting Marshmallows

    • Have students sit down in groups of two to four students. Give each team about 30 to 40 small marshmallows. Ask some of the students to arrange the marshmallows into groups of two marshmallows. Another group should arrange them into groups of five. And another should arrange them in groups of ten. Visit each group and ask them to count the number of marshmallows in 2s, 5s or 1's, depending upon how they are arranged. When each group has counted, repeat and assign different numbers to different groups.

    Put It In the Bank

    • This game will require a collection of nickels and dimes as well as a coin bank that the money can be put into. Gather the children into a circle and ask for volunteers. Have each child put the nickels, one by one, into the bank until it reaches $1. As each nickel is dropped in, have the kids in the circle count the total value of nickels as they go into the bank. This will allow them to count in 5s. Repeat the same with the dimes so they can count in 10s. Repeat and allow as many children as possible the chance to put the coins into the bank.

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