"Fish Out of Water" is a creative game to teach children to count. Draw a fish bowl on a sheet of paper for each child. These become their game boards. Give each child 20 "fish" (goldfish crackers, fish candy, figurines or sponge cutouts). Players roll the dice to determine how many fish they must put onto their boards. The first player to return all the fish to his bowl wins.
Most board games promote counting and early math skills. They often incorporate counting marks on dice and moving the correct amount of spaces. Such games include Sorry, Trouble and Monopoly Junior. Other board games involve the ability to recognize and understand quantitative concepts. Hi Ho! Cherry-O, for example, requires players to identify quantities on cards and count out the corresponding amount of cherries. Whether you are strengthening early math skills or basic number recognition, playing board games is an effective and enjoyable teaching tool.
Interactive counting games are available on the computer to aid in counting development. "Count the Bananas" and "Count the Carrots" are Internet games that involve children clicking on the number of fruit or vegetables the monkey or rabbit eats based on the number on the screen. Another game is called "Numeral Matching." Players are instructed to count the number of objects present and connect them to the matching number.
Traditionally, academics are taught in the classroom. However, sometimes students learn best using unconventional methods. Incorporate physical activity into counting lessons to heighten student interest. Have the students play hopscotch. Players throw a pebble onto the sidewalk game board. They must hop across the board in consecutive numerical order, while skipping the numbered square that contains the pebble. Another outdoor counting game is hide and seek. The child that is "it" must count to 20 before coming to find the others. Based on student skills, you can adjust the number they are to count to.