Are you ever in a pinch when it comes to lesson planning? You know what I mean, you planned everything out, prepped your materials but somehow found yourself without enough content to use throughout the day. I think we have all been here before. In the primary world, things don’t always go to plan – which is exactly why I like to have some no-prep math games and activities on hand at all times! Whether it is extra time, a schedule change, or last minute sub pans, these activities will come to the rescue! Not to mention, the kids love them too!
Making No-Prep Math Games Fun
I know what you’re thinking… no prep = boring worksheets and zero engagement. This is the common thought when referring to no-prep activities. But what if I told you that no-prep doesn’t have to be boring? Yes, that’s right! You can have easy to use activities at your fingertips without sacrificing student engagement! I promise it’s possible friends. In the past, we’ve talked about no-prep phonics games, but today the spotlight is on primary math skills! Let’s walk through 9 of my favorite no-prep math games and activities that are perfect for kindergarten!
1. Color by Code
Color by code activities are the MVP when it comes to no-prep activities, right? I certainly think so! Students love the gamified feel of following the code to fill in a secret picture as they solve math facts, practice counting on, or even get some subitizing practice in. Plus, these activities are literally print-and-go!
Color by code is versatile too! Use it as a morning work activity, fast-finisher option, homework, in your sub plans, or extra lesson anytime you find yourself with time to fill!
I always have a few of these pages on hand and ready to use in a pinch! Here are some of my favorites:
- Counting On Worksheets – These are great for learning the basic operations of addition.
- Color by 2D Shapes – Help your students learn shape names and recognize them instantly!
- Color by 2D Shapes Seasonal Bundle – These seasonal worksheets will make learning shapes throughout the year fun and engaging.
- Subitizing Color by Code – Do your students need an easy way to learn to subitize? These color by code pages are the perfect solution!
- Addition within 10 – As your students level up and begin working with addition facts, these math games will come in handy!
2. Themed Math Games
I’m a big fan of using themes in the classroom because it allows me to practice the same concept more than once, while still feeling new and fresh for the kiddos. Plus, it’s just plain fun to tie everything together with one central theme right? The kids love this, and so do I!
This is exactly why I created themed counting games like these for Fall or Winter. Each set focuses on numbers 0-10 with 5 different activities. Inside you’ll find no-prep math games and worksheets that will not only make counting practice fun but really easy to facilitate too! These print and go pages are a go-to for center time in my room since they’re so simple and effective.
Students will practice counting to 10, graphing, using tally marks, counting and clipping clothespins, counting and coloring, and using scissors to cut and paste as they count. I like that there is some variety in these pages too. It helps keep those kiddos engaged and eager to learn!
3. Seasonal Shapes BINGO
You can’t talk about primary math games without BINGO right? BINGO is a classroom favorite for kids of all ages, and for good reason! It’s super low prep, easy to use in small groups or whole groups, and just plain fun! In my kindergarten classroom, we’re focused on learning 2D shapes and BINGO is a fun and engaging way to do so.
We use these Seasonal BINGO Cards to line up with our theme and play all year long. There are tons of fun themes included such as:
- Back to School
- Fall
- Halloween
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- Winter
- Valentine’s Day
- St. Patrick’s Day
- Spring
- Easter
- Summer
While these can be quickly printed and used right away, I like to laminate them to make them last longer. Plus it means we can use them all throughout the month or season. I store the laminated materials in a bin along with some festive mini-erasers to use as BINGO markers. Then, if we have time towards the end of the day, we can play a fun math game all together before dismissal! If you’re trying to avoid laminating, don’t worry – there’s a black and white option too! Just print them out and use BINGO daubers or crayons to color spaces as you go!
4. Number Play Dough Mats
Playdough is a hot commodity in kindergarten. If you’re having a hard time snagging attention, getting your kiddos to settle down after recess, or combatting behavior issues – play dough is often a great way to reel everyone back in. The sensory aspect of play dough makes it super appealing to students. They love tactile learning and I love how their engagement soars when we bring it out. For this reason, playdough makes the list as a go-to tool to use alongside no-prep math activities!
I like to pair play dough with these print and go Number Mats! You can absolutely laminate them if you’d like to make them last longer, but they work just fine without too! On each mat, students will build the number with dough, then find and circle the number. In the next space, students will trace and write the number. Then they will rainbow-write the number. Finally, they will build the number on the ten frame. I love that there are multiple steps in the process to keep my kiddos focused! I like to keep these on hand at all times just in case we’re having one of those days and need to turn it around quick!
5. Snap Cube Mats
Speaking of tactile learning materials – manipulatives are one of my favorite ways to make worksheets more engaging. Choosing worksheets that are easy to prep – just print and go, and are designed to be used with manipulatives will make your life so much easier. Not only will you reduce your prep load, but you’ll find that your students are actively engaged the whole time they work!
For example, around here, we love snap cubes, so I like to incorporate them into our no-prep math games anytime I can! These Roll, Snap, and Graph math activities are the perfect way to practice a variety of math skills in a hands-on format.
To play these math games, students will use dice to roll a colored snap cube. The student will then find a matching snap cube and place it on the mat. The student will then color in one square on the graphing recording sheet above the matching color. Students will keep rolling, matching, and graphing until the mat is full. Once the mat is full, students can compare each column of the graph to see which color is the greatest and the least.
If your kids aren’t working on graphing yet – try these Roll, Snap, and Frame mats instead! The concept is the same except students will fill in a tens frame instead of a graph. This is great for kids who need lots of practice counting and representing numbers. The best part about both of these no-prep math games though is that they come in a variety of fun seasonal and holiday themes! No matter what you’re working on in class, there’s bound to be a great option for you.
6. Pattern Block Mats
Another manipulative option that we use all the time in my room are pattern blocks. Just like snap cubes, these offer a fun, hands-on approach to learning that my kids really enjoy. Plus when paired with these no-prep worksheets, they create engaging math games that everyone loves!
First up, let’s talk about these Roll and Match Math Games for numbers 0-19. These activities are great because they will have your students working on a few different things. They will roll dice and count, match their number to the correct shape, and then match it up again on their worksheet to build the number. After they have finished, they even count how many of each pattern block was used. I love that this activity covers so many different skills in one place! These math games are non-themed, so they can be used all year too, which is a total win in my book!
I also like to use these Seasonal Roll and Match Math Games too! These use the same skills and concepts but with the added fun of seasonal shapes. Students will love building fun pictures that relate to the current season such as snowflakes in the winter and apples in the fall.
7. Cover it Up Math Games
Next on my list of no-prep math games are something that I use all the time in my room. There are many benefits to Cover it Up activities! These no-prep wonders are simple for students to use independently, cover many different skills and topics, and are really fun too! These worksheets ask students to identify the number or concept at the top of the page and then cover up all of the circles that match. I have options for:
These are so great to use as a math warm-up in your small groups. Just lay the pages down and let your kiddos get to work while you prepare/organize the next activity. I love that this fosters independence, allows me a few minutes to get settled with a new group, and is super simple to differentiate! These no-prep math games check all the boxes for me!
8. Addition to 10 Math Games
Next up, this is a fun partner game that your students will love! These Make a Square Math Games are great partner games for early finishers, morning work, or even for math centers if you’d like to have students work together. To play, students will take turns drawing one line at a time to connect two dots side by side, either vertically or horizontally. When one student completes a square, they are able to claim that square and color it in if they can correctly answer the math fact inside of it. If they cannot solve the math fact, their partner can “steal” the square by correctly answering and coloring the square.
Students will continue to take turns drawing lines and claiming squares until all squares are claimed. The player with the most squares colored wins! There are 54 total sheets included for addition to 10 with varying levels of difficulty. This also means that these math games are super simple, and discreet, to differentiate by skill level!
9. Digital Math Games
Alright friend, we have come to the end of the line and no post about no-prep math games would be complete without the mention of digital activities! I love using digital activities to add more opportunities to practice, use technology in a fun way, or even informally assess my students!
One of my favorite ways to use digital activities is as a follow up or review of a paper activity we have already completed. For example, this Fall Counting Bundle includes both printables and boom cards so that once students have completed the hands-on pages, they can practice again with digital activities. This makes for a great, independent practice activity that integrates technology too!
When it comes to digital activities, once you find the format that works best for your class, the options are endless! In my room, we use both Boom Cards and Google Slides as I like to have both options. I know we are talking about no prep math activities, but these digital activities can be used in so many ways. One of my favorites is as a practice during our math mini-lesson.
Take a peek in my store to find tons of great digital math activities that are perfect for center time, whole group learning, fast finishers, and even homework! You can see all of my math Boom cards here, and all of the Google Slides activities here. Using these no-prep math games in my classroom has been a game-changer. I hope the same is true for you too!
Even More Math Games and Activities
So what do you think? Are you amazed by how engaging these no-prep math games are?! I hope you found something fun to try with your kiddos. The bottom line here is that if you’re looking for ways to reduce your prep load, while keeping engagement high – there are options out there for you! You can find all of these fun math games and activities in my TPT Shop, along with many more! Have fun crafting a math routine that appeals to your students and lightens your load!
Save These Math Games
This post is jam-packed with many of my favorite no prep math games and activities. Be sure to pin it on Pinterest so that you don’t lose sight of all the great options to try!
