9 Engaging Ideas and Activities for Skip Counting

Do some of your first grade or second grade students struggle to master skip counting?  Counting by 2s, counting by 5s and counting by 10s are core skills that most students should be able to master in these early elementary or primary years.

If you’re revisiting this skill throughout the year or tackling it in a dedicated unit, here are 9 ideas for hands on stations and independent tasks. These no prep ideas will keep your students practicing skip counting AND staying engaged – and you’ll be able to come back to them again and again.

Skip Counting as a Recurring Center

Many curriculums require students to be able to skip count by 2, skip count by 5 and skip count by 10 both forwards AND backwards, and sometimes from any starting point within 100. The skill is also viewed as a great introduction to multiplicative thinking and is a base for other math skills like coin counting – so it’s a great one to nail down in those early years. I’m also a big believer in revisiting core math skills throughout the school year.

Some call this spiral review, but in Australia I like to run these as regular skip counting maths stations (skip counting math centers) for independent work. Of course running these for 1st grade or 2nd grade can be challenging as attention spans but can be as short as a pug’s snout! So the key is to keep them fresh, fun and engaging – and I like to use a mixture of hands on skip counting activities, skip counting worksheets and partner activities.

Whole Class Teaching & Skip Counting Warm ups

Explicit teaching and whole class warms ups of course still have their place – you may wish to, for example, explore the numbers patterns in skip counting on the whiteboard, practice with songs or a little chanting (what is skip counting without a little chanting?)

My favorite skip counting songs from Youtube are the Jack Hartmann ones - a bit cringe 😬but work well with the kids! Or Scratch Garden are great too - here are a couple to try.

You could also try a couple of warm up games like Buzz.

So you’ve had a chance to get everyone thinking about patterns and they’re now ready for independent practice? Here are 6 of my favorite skip counting math center ideas to keep building that skill.

6 Engaging and Hands On Skip Counting Centers

1. Skip Counting Dot to Dots

If your students love puzzle pages and math coloring pages, then skip counting dot to dots could be a great place to start. Super easy to set up – just print and go and provide a bunch of colored pencils.

If you’re focused on pattern recognition you can use puzzles that extend beyond 100 or if you prefer to keep it simple, use puzzles that stay within 100. Here are a couple of my own resources that create fun images for coloring. I also like to challenge and extend some of my students to complete them backwards!

2. Skip Counting Pegs

This one requires a little more prep, but you can just buy a bunch of plastic pegs and get out a permanent marker and away you go. (Yes, I painted these but you know, sometimes you have time during summer break for that). Provide with pipe cleaners (chenille sticks) or paper straws and then they can get pegging. Just keep your expectations clear about what’s being pegged… and where the pegs end up. 😆 You know, they’re 6 and 7 year olds after all.

3. Skip Counting Mazes

Another one of my favorites – these are no prep and can go straight into plastic pockets ready to go with dry erase markers. Students find a way through each maze by reviewing adjacent squares and connecting the numbers in the correct pattern.

Perfect to wipe off and start again! Great for forwards AND backwards.

4. Skip Counting Boardgames

Ah, there’s nothing like a couple of first graders throwing dice around the room is there? But that said, students LOVE playing partner games and these can be a great option.

Stick to ones that have simple rules which are easy to explain, little prep (no cards! Who wants to be picking up those all afternoon?) and don't take too long to reach a winner.

Check out some of my own resources below which include a range of simple, short and long path games. You just need counters and dice!

5. Skip Counting Beads

A bit like the pegs, this one also requires a little prep, but can be as fancy or as simple as you like. If you can find large wooden beads in the craft or dollar store, all you need is a permanent marker and a set of pipe cleaners or chenille sticks/stems.

Kids love this one as there’s something satisfying about slotting the beads on one at a time. But a bit like the pegs, the challenge is keeping the sets together – so make your expections clear on this and have a few spare beads on hand if needed to replace ones that go missing.

6. Skip Counting Puzzles

This one is probably the most prep and maintenance, but can be great for practice as the puzzle image means it’s self-checking. Students skip count to place the narrow strips together in order (forwards or backwards), creating a colorful image.

You can get them for many skip counting intervals and either in forwards or backwards - here's a resource I have in my TPT store, but there are many available - or you can even easily make your own!

3 Ideas for Assessment and Consolidating Activities - Skip Counting Crafts!

So you’ve been practicing skills with your students for a while now, or maybe you’ve been working through a skip counting unit and you’re looking for an idea to assess and check in.

One way I like to finish a skill is with a consolidating activity – while not a formal assessment, it’s a great way to check in and see which students have mastered their skip counting skills and figure out which ones still have some grey areas. This can also be helpful for goal setting and report writing!

I personally like to involve a skip counting math craft because I reckon most kids LOVE them – and especially if it turns into a cute bulletin board or math display. Here are some of my favorite skip counting crafts for this:

Some Last Words - What about Skip Counting by 3s?

Some curriculums do require students to master skip counting by 3s. This one can be a little trickier as the pattern is less clear. Other strategies can help here like using repeated addition and a favorite song. Here’s a Youtube video my students found particularly helpful.

This skill can also be a great one to send “home” for practice. Skip counting is a perfect skill to get the parents involved – encourage them to practice counting in the car, while you’re waiting to pay, during bath time etc. There is always a place for a little chanting and home practicing!