Free Number Flashcards and 16 Fun Number Activities

Unlock the world of fun and engaging basic math learning for your kids or students with the right tools and a dash of creativity. Our free flashcards cover numbers from 1 to 10, encompassing numbers, counting, and mathematical symbols. Additionally, I’ve compiled 16 exciting, imaginative games to infuse joy and effectiveness into math education. Your kids or students are sure to embrace this delightful learning experience!

What are the advantages of flashcards?

Do you know that the most effective way to educate your toddlers and preschoolers is by playing with flashcards? Through flashcards, you can introduce many different concepts that interest them such as basic topics like the alphabet and numbers, or more diverse subjects like colors, toys, unusual patterns and shapes, flowers, and animals.

Benefits of Flashcards for your kids, especially Toddlers and Preschoolers

• Makes connections between kids and their parents or educators during the time teaching them to communicate and learn languages.
• It enhances kids’ abilities in object identification and nourishes their creativity in the brain.
• Improves visual memory short term and long term.
• Enhances awareness of their surroundings and builds up their confidence.
• Develops knowledge and comprehension skills.
• Improves fine motor skills and stimulates independent thinking

How do you teach your children numbers with flashcards?

There are a variety of ways to play and teach with number flashcards. However, it really depends on your children’s ages and their recognition of numbers.

If your kid’s ages below 18 to 24 months and can not speak much, you can sit your child opposite you, present one flashcard at a time to your child, and read out the number as the flashcard appears. The key point here is you need to present the flashcards as quickly as possible. 

The faster you present the flashcards, the more likely your child will pay attention and enjoy the game. Besides, the faster you go, the more effective the lesson. An important point to keep in mind in this method of teaching is, that quick presentation engages effectively the right brain – where information can be absorbed holistically through imagination, holistic thinking, intuition, arts, rhythm, nonverbal cues, feelings visualization, daydreaming.

If your kids can recognize a little about numbers from 1 to 10 or feel exciting to repeat the numbers after you when you try to teach them but they still could not do counting or basic math activities yet, you can choose some fun activities here to introduce or review numbers to your children. 

As a homeschooling parent or a teacher at school, you are the only one who knows and understands your children/students best. Therefore, you will be able to know which activities might work for them.

Free Printable Number Flashcards

What I love about these Number Flashcards 

• You can print these cards as big as you like from A5 to A3 paper size, even smaller or bigger. The big flashcards make babies and toddlers easy to read, grab and play. The small flashcards are for kindergarten or handy to carry if you have outside activities.
• This set of flashcards was designed to meet all your requirements that you would need to practice a variety of math skills:
  • Number identification
  • Counting and one-to-one correspondence – this is the skill of being able to assign one number to one object as you count.
  • 1-10 numbers in a sequence
  • Reading the written word version of numbers
  • Basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division

How to Print

To print these numbers flashcards, follow these simple instructions.

• Step 1: Check your inbox and download the flashcards to your computer. 
• Step 2: Select all the cards you would like to print and select print. 
• Step 3: Once the images open, you can select exactly what paper size you would like and how many cards you would like to be printed on each page.
• Step 4: Click print!
• Step 5: Cut and laminate them to make sure they last a long time. It depends on which games you’re gonna play with your child, some activities need the flashcards to be laminated for reusing next time, some activities don’t really need it.

16 Creative Fun Activities with Number Flashcards

It is not hard to introduce numbers to your children. They learn fast through fun games and activities. If this is the first time you introduce numbers to your children, you should begin with only flashcard numbers 0-5. Later you can expand to more numbers when you feel that your child is ready to learn more.

Today I’m sharing 15 different games you can play, have fun, and spend quality time with your little one but they still have the main purpose that is helping kids to learn numbers. These activities are aimed at developing and supporting important skills for kids, from fine motor skills to higher-level thinking, ranging from toddler activities at home to upper kindergarten students in the classes.

You can choose any games and activities that suit your kids’ learning level. Play and having fun is the key to teaching children to learn new knowledge or skills successfully.

1. Number Hunter

Hide these number flashcards around your house and encourage your child to find all the numbers. You can give them some clues to help them find each card. 

Or, if you want to add a writing component, give your child a clipboard with a number tracing sheet, and have him/her trace each number as it is found. 

You can make the game more attractive and competitive by letting 2 or more kids play it together. They receive your glues and find all number flashcards. The winner is the one who can find all the cards and complete the tracing sheet first.

2. Number Monsters Coloring

Get These Coloring Pages Here!

Kids love coloring. Grab these Number Monsters Coloring Worksheets with 50% OFF now at Teachers Pay Teachers.

These Number Monsters Coloring Worksheets are ideal for children in Pre-K and Kindergarten who are learning numbers from 1 to 10. Your children will learn all about number tracing, number learning through coloring, and counting numbers from 1 to 10 with these worksheets.

Print these lovely Number Monsters Coloring Sheets and use them in your classroom activities or homeschool curriculum!

3. Count Down Song from 10 to 1

Learning Count Down Song and using these Printable Numbers Flashcards will be fun for you and your child. Teach your kids how to point at the numbers at the same time the numbers pop up in the lyrics.

This is not only to create the connection between rhythm and the face of the numbers, but this is also one of the best ways that your kid will impress and amaze their teachers and friends that they have their knowledge in a different and unique way. 

4. Odd vs Even

Sorting game – sorting odd numbers vs. even numbers. 

5. Playdough Number Tracing Activity

Print out with A5 or A4 size and laminate cards (optional) then let your kid trace each number with playdough, buttons, pebbles from your garden, or even beans and pasta in your kitchen. 

6. Memories Games – Which Number is Missing!

Show 3 or 5 cards in front of your children, asking them to focus and watch the cards in 5 seconds. Then they close their eyes and you hide 1 or 2 cards before your kids open their eyes. Ask them which number is missing? 

You can make it harder by decreasing the period of time your kids can watch the cards before you hide some of them. 

7. Number Dance

You and your kids can create a movement together and connect with 1 number. Do the same from numbers 1 to 5, so you have 5 movements. For example, number 1 – touch the floor, number 2 – jump up high, number 3 – do chicken dance, and so on. 

Then sing number songs together and try to do those movements while singing. Use the number cards while singing and dancing to increase number recognition for your kids. 

You can make the game more challenging by creating 10 movements for numbers 1 to 10. The more movements, the harder for kids to remember and dance. Kids love to sing, dance, and move!

8. Don’t Say It!

Players take turns in describing the number without using certain ‘forbidden’ words. The other players have to guess the word that’s being described. For example, describe the number 5 without using the words round and bouncy. This is the number of your age or the number of points of a star. 

You can make it more difficult by adding game rules, like prohibiting words with certain letters or sounds in them. This game will help your child to expand their vocabulary.

9. Jump On It!

Spread out flashcards on the floor. Call out a number and encourage your child to find it and jump on it as fast as possible. Repeat as many times as you want!

You can make it harder by finding the card, jumping on it and singing a song, or telling a story that is related to the number or the color of the flashcards.

10. Object by number! 

Go around to select things that are related to the number that the cards show. For example, your kid picks the number 3 card. He or she needs to quickly go around to find and select all objects that are related to the number 3, such as 3 pencils, and 3 books.

You can play this game outside with your kids, they can select 3 dry leaves or flowers, 3 stones, or even 3 balls.

11. Shopping with number! 

Give your kids a list of things and numbers how many of each thing you want your children to shop for, for example, to prepare for dinner tonight or a birthday party this weekend.

Give your child a clipboard with a shopping checklist. It can include 1 box of milk, 2 carrots, 3 oranges, 4 green apples, and so on. They will learn number recognition, counting, and also expand their vocabulary.

 12. Numbers Tell Stories

Encourage your kid to select a number that they like. Then they can create a story that is related to that number. They can tell true stories based on their real-life experience or create a new story with their imagination. 

You can make it more challenging by adding a new word or letter together with the number.

13. Guess what number! 

Your kid picks a number without looking. Then you trace that number in the back of your kid and have them guess what number it is.

If you have more than 2 kids at home or in your class. Ask them to line up and close their eyes. You trace that number on the back of the first child. After recognizing the number, the first child must keep silent and trace the number that he/she thinks is on the card on the back of the second kid. Keep doing until the last child and he/she will call out the number. They win if the number that they call out is the same as the number on the card that they pick at the beginning.

14. Sum It Up!

This activity is more suitable for elementary kids, which is a great way to help your children practice and access their basic skills in math. This free Number Flashcards set also includes math symbols cards which are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. 

You can print 2 copies of number cards and use them to instruct your children to create a number sentence. For example, 1+4=5. Or teach them how many ways to make 10. For example, 1+9=10, 2+8=10, and more.

Tips: It is important to have 2 sets of number cards just in case you need to use duplicate numbers, such as 5+10=15

15. More or Less?

Spread out the number flashcards and place them face down. You and your kids take turns, randomly choosing 1 card. Then instruct them which card is more or less than the other. 

If you want your child to practice more math skills, you and he/she take turns to pick more than 2 cards and then sum them up. After that, you instruct them to compare their result are either more or less than the other.

16. Missing Numbers in a Sequence 

A connected series of five numbers. Then you can choose 1 or 2 cards and upside down them. Then ask your kids to find out which numbers are missing in the number series. To assist your kids, remind them that they can count from 0 to 10 and find out which numbers are missing if they are unsure.

I hope you find this post useful for you and your young kids in the way to practice numeracy, math as well as short-term memory skills.

More Free Educational Printables

Free Alphabet Flashcards (English)
Free Weather Chart for Classroom or Homeschool

More Numbers Teaching Resources here!

Number Matching Cards in English
Bilingual Number Matching Cards Games in Spanish/Japanese/Vietnamese

Which idea(s) do you think your kids would like best?
Tell me in the comments below! Enjoy!

Please feel free to give us feedback, embellish, modify, and expand these activities for your child. Share with us the pictures that your children are playing with these flashcards on our communities on Facebook and Instagram as well.