15 fun and creative ways to use number cards!

We LOVE number cards. It’s a fun and interactive way to help kids practice number sequence, number recognition, and counting! Learning basic math can be fun with the right tools and creativity.

Counting with carrots, Miffy’s learning activity

Mix and match counting cards, printable

Animal counting cards printable

We designed some awesome number cards and added these to our printable shop. We love the design a lot, and we hope you’ll love it too. 

We created three different sets:

• Mix and match animal counting cards 1-10 in color and black and white. You get the animal cards with and without the number (40 cards total). 
• Animal number flash cards 1-20 in color and black and white (40 cards total).
• Counting with carrots from 1-20 and counting with tens from 10-100. You can glue our silly number carrots on clothes pins for some extra counting fun. 

To ensure you use your number cards to their full potential, we came up with 15 fun, creative and interactive ways to use them.

1: Mix It up 

Mix the number cards and ask your child to lay them in order from 1-10 or 1-20. To make it harder, ask your child to lay them down in the opposite direction, 10-1 or 20-1. To make it more difficult, ask your child about neighbor numbers. Place the cards in a line and turn a couple of number cards upside down, and let your child guess the upside-down numbers.

2: Odd and even 

Ask your child to make a line with only the even numbers: 2-4-6-8, etc., and the odd numbers: 1-3-5-7. 

3: Match and color

Print out the colored number cards and the black and white (color page) cards. Give your child crayons and hand over one colored card; let them pick and color the matching black and white card.

4: Memory match 

Print out the colored number cards twice. Place number cards facedown and on the table and shuffle them. Take turns flipping over cards and try to find the matching number. You can use all the numbers or only a couple, for example, 1-5, or if your child has to practice 10-20, you can only use these numbers. To make it harder, you can use the colored number card and the black-and-white ones; this way, your child has to focus more on the number. 

5: Copy with objects

Place the number cards in a line and let your child copy the numbers with small objects. You can use buttons. For example, place down card number 5 and let your child place five buttons underneath the card. You can also use beads, pom-poms, marbles, coins, fruit loops, pasta, etc. It helps to include objects your child loves; if your child is crazy about cars, you can consist of small vehicles. 

6: Clap and grab

Clap in your hands and let your child pick the right number card. For example, you clap six times, and then your child has to find the card with the number 6. You can also turn it around, give your child a number card and let your child clap the number; for example, if you provide the card with the number 3, then your child has to clap three times. 

7: More or less

Pick a number card and show the card to your child. Instruct your child to choose a card that is either more or less than the card you have chosen. 

8: Roll the dice

Place the cards 1-6 in a line, roll the dice, and let your child crap the card that matches the number. You can also print out the black and white number cards and roll the dice; now, your child can color the matching number card. You can use multiple dices to make it extra tricky and include some math.  

9: Race the clock

Spread all cards over the entire table (or living room) and let your child place them in the correct order as fast as they can; start with the card/number 1, then grab numbers 2 and 3, etc. You can clock the time and repeat the activity to see if they can beat the previous time. 

10: Hunt the number

Hide the number cards around the room and encourage your child to find all the numbers and place them correctly on the table or floor. 

11: Trace the number 

Laminate the cards and give your child a sharpie to trace the number on the cards. You can also use black and white (color page) cards; these are perfect for coloring and tracing. 

12: Write the number

Instead of tracing the number, you can also let your child copy the number on a blank paper or write it on a tray with sand. Let your child copy/recreate the number with play dough or other materials. Think about: blocks, sticks, pencils, crayons, etc. 

13: Guess the number

Make a line with number cards. Pick one number in your head and let your child guess what it is by asking questions. For example, is it more than five? 

14: Sum it up

Print out all the number cards and pick a card, for example, number 10. Let your child make the number 10 with two cards, for example, cards 2 and 8 or 4 and 6. 

15: Number action

Take a number card, show the card to your child, and give your child an action, for example, jump. If you show the card with the number 5, your child has to jump five times. Consider different steps: frog jumps, rotations, sprints, sit/stand, throwing the ball, etc. 

Make sure you check out our number cards in our shop. They’re creative, engaging, and hands-on—perfect for serious counting fun.

Follow Oceanchildcrafts on Instagram to stay updated with our newest craft, play and learn ideas for kids! 

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