Number Mats – Build and Write!

Learning number recognition and formation is tough for little learners. Number build it mats are a fun, hands-on way to teach counting and number formation (aka handwriting). Students need frequent, repeated, and varied practice to learn the numbers. We know students learn best through play, which makes number mats an easy, low-prep way to teach numbers in the classroom. Make sure you grab the FREE Number Photo Mats later in this post.

Use the number mats for morning table time, small group, in a center, and/or place the number mats on a ring in the tub of manipulatives. Many of the number mats have a number tracing piece to them as well, so now students can also practice writing the number either with a dry-erase marker, finger trace or with a marker or pencil. Handwriting can be FUN and not painful for students and teachers. 

ALL of these number counting mats also build fine motor strength and dexterity. As students manipulate the small objects to create the numbers, they are strengthening those small muscles in their wrists, hands, and fingers that are needed for writing! 

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Number Mats

Sticker Number Build! Practice writing and building the numbers with stickers! I like to have students draw one large number on the page and then use small stickers to cover the lines. Then, practice writing more numbers on the page.

Sticker tip: Peel the background sticker off the paper so that students can easily grab the stickers to put on their paper.

FREE Photo Mats! Practice counting real objects, tracing numbers, and building fine motor strength with these FREE counting mats. I love these because they use real photos to help build student vocabulary and knowledge. They also come with small mats (3 to a page, pictured above) and a large mat (a full page), making them versatile for your classroom needs.

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Road Counting Mats! Use little cars or manipulatives to drive on the number road. Then, count out the manipulatives in the ten frames for more one-to-one correspondence practice. These would be a fun math center!

Pattern Block Number Mats! Build numbers with pattern blocks for a great way to practice spatial reasoning while developing number recognition and formation skills. There are color and blackline (pictured above) options available. Plus, practice number sense in different ways. 

Pop Its Number Mats! Use pop its for a fun math activity! Students can pop the number into the pop it or use manipulatives to fill the pop it to form the number. Then, trace the number with a dry-erase marker or pencil and count the dots in the ten frames to complete one number mat.

Hammer It Number Mats! Use these small dot number mats to hammer golf tees into a piece of foam or cardboard to build muscle strength and get out lots of extra energy. My students LOVE doing this activity! If you don’t want to use hammers in the classroom, you can use qtips to paint these number mats!.

Big Brick Number Mats! Duplo blocks fit almost perfectly on these number mats! They are great for little hands to be introduced to numbers and what they look like while working with a manipulative that is user-friendly. Drop these in your morning tubs to practice a number word, fine motor skills, and more!

Dot It Number Mats! Use magnetic bingo chips to build the number and count out that many “gumballs”. Students can use a magnet wand to clear their mat for the next friend. Young kids can practice teen numbers, too!

Dot It Number Mats! Print your dot it mats on regular paper and make them a worksheet to take home. Students can use dot it markers to stamp the number and then fill the jar. Write these in your lesson plans for a great idea for early finishers or independent work. 

Play Dough Number Mats! Get the perfect number activity mats for your play dough area! Build the number with play dough snakes or smooth the play dough to cover the numbers. Then, add play dough balls to the ten frame to complete the playdough numbers mat. 

Geoboard Number Mats! Build numbers on the geoboards for another fun way to practice number recognition and formation with little learners. There is so much fine motor practice stretching the bands and placing them on the geoboards while they learn numbers. Drop these in your fine motor tubs with some small manipulatives!

Make It Number Mats! Use any manipulatives in your classroom on these make it number mats. Some ideas: buttons, pom poms, mini erasers, shells, pasta, stacking math counters, gems, beads, etc. These hands-on activities are perfect for an arrival activity in a preschool classroom. 

Snap Cube Number Mats! Build numbers with snap cubes, and then fill a dump truck with the matching number of objects. Your students will have so much fun filling the dump truck and counting!

Brick Number Mats! Use small Legos to complete the number mats. The Legos fit almost perfectly and are great for little hands to build fine motor strength.

Stick Number Mats! Use popsicle sticks to build numbers on these fun number mats. I have short and long popsicle sticks for students to use. Also, practice tally marks on these number mats.

Train Number Mats! Do you have a train lover? I feel like I have one or two every year, and these number mats would be perfect for them. Drive little trains on the number and count out some coal to place in each train car in the ten frame.

Manipulative Number Mats! Use any manipulatives in your classroom for these number build-it mats. Laminate them so students can trace the numbers with dry erase markers.

Try out these number build-it activities with your students for lots of number recognition and formation practice. Young children will also strengthen their fine motor muscles while completing these math mats. Grab one set or the whole bundle!

Looking for the letter build it mats? Check those out!

Get more number activities here!

Check out more ways to practice math skills!

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