Play this game while in the car with your 5-year-olds as a way to help them practice counting numbers. As you reach each light, have them count how many green cars they see if the light is green. Have them count how many yellow and red cars they see as the lights change. You may also have them count how many cars of other colors they see as well. Also, have them count how many cars they see on the road in between stop lights.
Arrange pick-up sticks in different shapes, like squares, triangles, trees and stars with your 5-year-olds. Tell them to count how many sticks they use for each shape. Next, give them a pile of sticks, and have them create shapes using the right number needed for each. Ask them what shapes they think they can create with different numbers of shapes. Next give them only three or four sticks and have them make shapes and count the sides on each shape.
Have your 5-year-olds cook with you to help them learn to count. Print out a recipe for baking chocolate cookies and highlight how many of each ingredient you need for the recipe. As you add the eggs, have them tell you how many more eggs you need after each other. Continue doing this as you go through the recipe together. Once you have finished baking the cookies, have them count how many cookies your recipe made.
Teach your 5-year-olds to count by playing a simple game of basketball with them. Tell them that each shot they make is worth either three or two points, but that they must count how many points they have made. If they miss a shot, they must subtract the number of points a shot was worth. To help them with the addition and subtract, use a chalk scoreboard where they can make tally marks of their points, which they can add or subtract from.