Counting to 20 Activities for Preschoolers: Hands-On Ideas That Work

What you'll need

• - 20+ small countable objects (pom-poms, dried beans, buttons or blocks)
• - Painter's tape or chalk
• - One empty egg carton, plus a muffin tin or small bowls
• - 20 crackers, cereal pieces or fruit pieces
• - 20 wooden clothespins and a length of yarn
• - A large soft die with dots
• - A bucket or basket, a plastic pitcher and cups for water play

How to do it

1. 1

   **Step 1 — Build a teen tower.** Do these games one at a time, a few times a week — your child probably rattles off 1–10 already; the real work is the teen stretch from 13 to 19, so slow the teens down and attach each one to something they can touch. Stack blocks one at a time, counting each as it lands. Keep going past 10, slowing down at 11 — exaggerate the teen names: "THIR-teen, FOUR-teen." Towers rarely survive to 20 on the first try, and that's fine: the crash is the reward that makes kids want to count again. Rebuild and count on from where you left off.

   
2. 2

   **Step 2 — Walk the tape line.** Lay a long strip of painter's tape on the floor. Your child steps along it, one number per step, all the way to 20. One foot, one number — the stepping spaces the words out and stops the classic preschool rush through the teens. For extra teen practice, start the walk at 11.

   
3. 3

   **Step 3 — Count on with an egg carton.** Fill an egg carton with pom-poms, counting 1–12 together. Line up 8 more beside it: "We've got 12… count ON: thirteen, fourteen…" to 20. This teaches that 13–20 are just "ten plus some more" — exactly how the numbers work.

   
4. 4

   **Step 4 — Count your snack.** Count 20 crackers onto a plate, touching each one: 1 to 20, no skipping. Then eat them — counting that ends in a snack is counting kids beg to repeat. Pause at the teens and let your child say them alone; if they stumble, count those three together again.

   
5. 5

   **Step 5 — Hop to twenty.** Outside, draw chalk circles or lay down cushions as landing pads. Your child hops pad to pad, one number per landing, to 20. Each landing gives its number a thump of emphasis — perfect for the slippery middle teens. Tired legs? Big stomps for 13–19 only, then hop the rest.

   
6. 6

   **Step 6 — Nature collection count.** Take a bucket on a walk and collect 20 treasures: pinecones, leaves, pebbles, sticks. Count each one as it drops in. At 10, announce "ten!" and keep going — hearing the count continue into the teens is what makes 13–19 click.

   
7. 7

   **Step 7 — Roll and build to 20.** Roll a dot die and add that many blocks to a pile, counting each one. Keep a running total out loud: "We had 7… plus 4 more… 8, 9, 10, 11!" First to exactly 20 wins. This practices counting on — the skill hiding inside the teen numbers.

   
8. 8

   **Step 8 — Clip the line.** String yarn across a room or between two chairs. Your child clips 20 clothespins along it, counting each clip. Clothespins fight back a little, which slows the count — and slow counting is accurate counting. Ideal for the child who blurs 13, 14, 15 into one breath.

   
9. 9

   **Step 9 — Pour and count.** At the sink or tub, pour cupfuls of water from a pitcher into a big bowl, counting each pour to 20. Pouring is slow by nature, so the teens get full airtime. Mark the waterline at 10 and 20 pours with tape.

   
10. 10

    **Step 10 — Hide and count to twenty.** You hide; your child counts to 20 — slowly, out loud — before seeking. The long count is the whole point: twenty seconds of steady teen-number practice disguised as the best game ever. Then swap roles. Terrible hiding spots are traditional.

    

Other ways to play it

• - **Teen-only round:** do any activity counting just 11–20.
• - **Partner count:** you say the tens, your child says the teens.
• - **Record it:** your child draws 20 circles and crosses each off as you count.

How it changes by age

• Built for ages 4–5, when most children rote-count to 10 and are ready to attach meaning to 11–20. Younger siblings (3+) can join as echo-helpers. If your 5-year-old already counts to 20 smoothly, use the "make it harder" options or move on to our [addition games for kindergarten](https://brightplaydays.com/activities/addition-games-for-kindergarten/). Still on 1–10? Start with our [counting activities for toddlers](https://brightplaydays.com/activities/counting-activities-for-toddlers/).

What they're learning

- Rote counting to 20, with accurate teen numbers 13–19 - One-to-one correspondence (one touch, one number) - Counting on from a known number — the foundation of addition - Cardinality: the last number said tells how many there are - Fine motor control (clipping, pouring, placing)

Questions parents ask