Looking for a cheerful way to help your little learners grow their number sense? These sunflower number mats are just the thing! Perfect for spring, summer, or anytime you want to bring a burst of sunshine into your math lessons, these engaging printables use hands-on fun to teach number recognition, counting, set building, and more!
Setting Up and Using the Sunflower Number Mats
These mats are designed to be easy to prep and fun to use! Each one prints on a single page. For durability, especially when using materials like playdough or dry erase markers, it’s best to laminate these pages or slip them into reusable write-and-wipe pockets.
To use the mats, start by asking your kids to point to the number word and say it aloud. This step helps to build early literacy skills and recognition of number words. Over time, your kiddos will also begin to associate the number word with the numeral.
To continue, have your students fill in the large number outline using playdough, wax sticks, pom-poms, or dry erase markers. This is a great way to strengthen fine motor skills while reinforcing number recognition.
After that, they can practice number recognition by choosing the correct number from a set of three. Then, they will count the colorful sunflowers in the ten frame and build their own matching set using counters, like these mini sunflower erasers.
If your students tend to put things in their mouths, you can also use dry-erase markers to draw the set instead.
Finally, your little learners will finger-trace the number word at the bottom of the mat. Finger-tracing is an important pre-writing skill that will help your young learners memorize words and hone their fine motor skills.
What You’ll Need
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- Printable Sunflower Number Mats (download link at the bottom)
- Playdough, wax sticks, or dry-erase markers
- Small counters (buttons, pom-poms, sunflower seeds, or these sunflower mini erasers)
- Laminator or dry-erase sleeves (to keep things reusable)
Supporting Different Needs
If working with small pieces is tough for some students, offer alternatives like dot markers or stickers instead of counters. These provide the same cognitive benefits without requiring fine motor precision.
Have learners who need a simpler approach? There’s also a pared-down version available with fewer steps. Visual number cards can also be used alongside the mats to support non-verbal learners or those using eye gaze.
More Ways to Use the Playdough Mats
To take these mats to the next level, consider creating a personal number book for each student. Binder ring clips are an easy way to bind the pages together without an actual book binder. In book form, these mats are a great addition to morning meetings and are easy to send home with parents for extra practice.
No matter how you choose to use them, these sunflower number mats are sure to be a big hit this season!
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