Preschool Activities For The Number 13

Teaching preschoolers about numbers is essential for building their academic foundation. It helps them understand how to count and gives them a head start for kindergarten math. Start with the number one and work through the rest of the numbers. When you get to number 13, which is the first "teen" number, prepare some fun activities for your students.

Preschoolers welcome the chance to use crayons and markers. Print the outline of a large number 13 in block numbers at the top of a page. The number should be three to four inches big so that students have an adequate amount of space for coloring. Draw 13 empty squares underneath the number. Instruct students to color in the number 13; they are free to draw their own pictures inside the 13 squares. Give students the option of gluing 13 small objects onto the squares, such as buttons, rocks, leaves or yarn.

Teach preschoolers how to count to 13 using Fruit Loops cereal. Give each student a cup of 13 Fruit Loops. Instruct them to empty the cereal onto their desk or the floor. As a class, count the Fruit Loops out loud and ask students to follow along by putting one Fruit Loop at a time back into the cup. Pass out string. Repeat the counting exercise, but this time instruct students to string the Fruit Loops onto the string each time a number is called out. The end result is a necklace for students to wear around their necks.

Teach preschoolers to write the number 13 through tracing exercises. Prepare a worksheet with five horizontal lines that each contain 10 dotted outlines of the number 13. Print an additional five horizontal lines and leave them blank. Instruct your students to trace the number 13 every time they see it. The second part to this exercise involves students gaining practice with writing the number 13 freehand on the blank lines. Make sure students write at least three number 13s on each blank line.

You can teach preschoolers how to spot the number 13 out of a group of other numbers with a worksheet activity. Create rows and columns of numbers on a sheet of paper. Give the worksheet to students and ask them to circle the number 13 each time they see it. You can also conduct this activity as a class by writing a list of numbers on the front board. Ask students to come up and circle the number 13 with chalk.

Use simple number cards to teach students how to count from one to 13. Begin by giving each student a set of number cards labeled with a number between one and 13. Students shuffle the cards and set them out face up. Tell the class to arrange the cards in sequential order from the smallest number to the largest number. Help your students succeed in this activity by guiding them along the way. When each student has the cards in order, count from one to 13 as a class.

Teach preschoolers about the number 13 through rhyming games, such as "One potato, two potato," with a variation of the rhyme that goes up to the number 13. Practice repeating the rhyme every day during the week that your class is learning about the number 13.