Turn everyday math into a magical adventure with these enchanting unicorn number mats. These mats teach counting skills, number recognition, number words, and set building with the perfect mix of fun and function. Of course, the adorable unicorn theme will help to get your kiddos excited about learning!
How to Use the Unicorn Number Mats
These mats are easy to prep and packed with interactive learning! Each one is a full-page printable designed to be laminated or placed in a reusable sleeve. This ensures they will stand up to moldable materials like paydough and wax sticks.
To begin using the mats, have your kiddos point to the number word and say it out loud. This repeated exposure helps with word recognition and vocabulary development
Next, they will build the number out of a moldable material like playdough, wax sticks, or pipe cleaners. This step is a magical mix of motor skill practice and number formation.
Continuing on, a quick pick-the-number activity has students identify the correct numeral from a group of three. This helps to build number recognition skills and boost confidence.
Then, your kiddos get to count all the beautiful unicorns in the ten frame and use counters to create their own matching set. Small glitter pom-poms or unicorn mini erasers work great here. But, really, you can use whatever manipulatives you have available.
You can have your kiddos use dry-erase markers if they are prone to putting small objects in their mouths.
To wrap up the activity, have your students finger-trace the number word at the bottom of the page to reinforce recognition and practice pre-writing skills.
What You’ll Need for Your Unicorn Math Adventure
(There will be affiliate links to recommended materials throughout this post.)
- Printable Unicorn Number Mats (find the download at the end of the page)
- Playdough, wax sticks, or dry-erase markers
- Counting manipulatives (mini stars, glittery pom-poms, unicorn erasers, or gems)
- Laminator or dry-erase pockets (recommended)
Tips for Adapting the Activity
For students who find small manipulatives tricky due to motor impairments, you can use bingo daubers or dot markers to have them fill in the number outline and build the set.
For students who may be overwhelmed by too many tasks, we also have a simplified version of these mats that teach all the same skills with less visual clutter. You can check those out here.
For students answering via eye-gaze or AAC device, these simple number cards are great for using with felt boards and devices.
Another Fun Way to Use the Unicorn Counting Mats
Another great way to use these mats is by printing and binding individual copies for each student to create adorable counting books. These books are perfect for incorporating into morning meetings, whole group activities, and sending home to parents for additional practice.
No matter how you decide to use them, these unicorn number mats are sure to make learning feel like a fairytale. Happy counting!
Even More Number Activities to Multiply The Fun
Match and Count Math Game with a Fun Unicorn Theme
Adorable Apple Mats To Build Number and Counting Skills
