Number Sense in First Grade – Ideas and Activities

Number Sense Activities - Number Sense First Grade - number sense routines - Number Sense Worksheets

At the beginning of the year in first grade, we spend the first several weeks exploring numbers and building number sense skills. Number Sense in first grade is so important and something we work on all year long! In this post, I’m sharing tons of hands-on activities and ideas that will engage your students in building number sense to 20 and lay a solid foundation for the year.

From ten frames to skip counting, we’ll cover it all and provide you with practical strategies for implementing these activities during your Guided Math time! 👏🏻 Plus grab a free Guided Math Launch Guide for my step-by-step process for starting Guided Math at the beginning of the year!

You can find all of the lessons, activities, worksheets, and anchor charts from this post in my Numbers Sense and Launching Guided Math Unit here!

Number Sense Activities - Number Sense First Grade - number sense routines - Number Sense Worksheets

Math Lessons for the Beginning of the Year

Our Number Sense Math unit typically happens during the first 3 weeks of school! It is the perfect way to kick off our guided math block and build math community in our first grade classroom.

Besides teaching number sense skills, my goals for the unit are:

  • ⭐️ Develop Guided Math procedures and routines
  • ⭐️ Help students develop a math mindset and build our math community

During our unit, students learn important classroom management procedures such as sitting on the rug for our classroom mini lessons, how to turn and talk to a partner to share ideas, and how to participate in our lessons.

Want to read more about Launching Guided Math at the Beginning of the Year? Check out this blog post!

Our first lesson of the year is always on how in first grade, we are mathematicians. We learn about the character traits of a mathematician and brainstorm ways we can show these traits in our classroom.

Number Sense Activities - Number Sense First Grade - number sense routines - Number Sense Worksheets - beginning of the year math lessons in first grade

Exploring Math Manipulatives

In our next mini lesson, students learn about the common math manipulatives we have in our classroom. We take some time to learn about the different types of manipulatives and how they can be used appropriately. For our guided practice time during the first week, students have the opportunity to explore and build with each of the different math manipulatives.

Number Sense Activities - Number Sense First Grade - number sense routines - Number Sense Worksheets - beginning of the year math lessons in first grade

We always make an anchor chart to learn the procedures for using math tools appropriately! We make it together and review it each day.

Launching guided math centers in 1st grade beginning of the year setting up FIRST GRADE

Want more help Launching your math centers at the beginning of the year? Grab this free Guided Math Launch Guide!

In this guide, I’ll walk you through step by step how to start Guided Math and math centers at the beginning of the year in your classroom!

It includes:

  • ⭐️ A Guided Math Resource Library
  • ⭐️ A Breakdown of the Guided Math components
  • ⭐️ Tips to create the perfect schedule
  • ⭐️ Tips for grouping students and gathering supplies
  • ⭐️ Weekly and Daily plans for the first 3 weeks of Guided Math
  • ⭐ ️ Everything needed to establish strong routines that will last all year long!

Guided Math Launch Guide - starting math centers at the beginning of the year in first grade

Number Sense Mini Lessons

After these foundational lessons, we are ready to move to number sense skills! Each day, we have a short mini lesson together on the rug where we explore a number sense skill or concept. I try to keep these mini lessons between 10-15 minutes!

During our mini lessons, I love using interactive slides to teach concepts. I like having the large visuals for all students to see. We have some direct instruction and modeling along with a quick practice activity.

Number Sense Slides Mini Lesson First Grade guided math curriculum Happy Math
Number Sense Slides Mini Lesson First Grade guided math curriculum Happy Math

Number Sense Math Mats for Guided Practice and Small Groups

Math mats are my favorite for hands-on practice during small group time!

number sense activities for small groups and math centers

I simply print and slip them into a dry erase pocket. Then I just add manipulatives for engaging, hands-on practice of math skills. Each of my Guided Math units includes math mats so that you have low prep activities to use all year long!

Number Sense Math Mats Small Group Activities for First Grade

Number Sense Skill #1: Ten Frames

The first number sense skill we usually work on is recognizing and building numbers on Ten Frames. These simple yet powerful tools provide a concrete representation of numbers, helping students visualize and understand quantities.

In our first lesson, we investigate what a ten frame is, how to represent numbers on ten frames, and how to look for patterns on ten frames to recognize numbers quickly!

You can see a sneak peek of the mini lesson here! 💗

After our mini lessons, I always like students to have some hands-on practice with the skill. Normally, we would complete our daily Guided Math Rotations and Math Centers. At the beginning of the year, before we start our rotations, I like doing whole group or partner practice activities!

For this Ten Frame Math Mat activity, I give each student a 10 Frame and counters. I put a number card under our document camera for students to see and they build it on their mat. I also use the ten frame cards to give students practice with recognizing numbers quickly! Students look at the card, say the number, then build the number on their mat!

Ten frame practice activity first grade guided math number sense

After practicing with ten frames, we move onto building teen numbers on Twenty Frames! Eventually, once we work on skip counting by 10s, (I’ll talk more about this later!) we’ll practice counting bigger numbers on ten frames. I introduce the partner game Ten Frame Fill (you can grab it for FREE inside my Guided Math Launch Guide here!)

Ten Frame Fill Math Partner Game

A few more ideas for practicing Ten Frames:

💗 Make a life-size Ten frame using painters tape on your classroom rug. Have students build different numbers by sitting in the Ten Frame!

💗 Use these magnetic ten frames to practice building numbers.

💗 Play Ten Frame Memory Match!

Ten frame memory match math center

Number Sense Skill #2 Number Lines

The next skill we work on is counting and ordering numbers on a number line! Number lines are important tools that will later help us to add and subtract!

For this unit, I want students to understand:

  • ⭐️ Numbers on a number line go in order (they can’t be all mixed up!)
  • ⭐️ Numbers on a number line get bigger from left to right
Number Sense Number Line Activities for First Grade

During our mini lessons we practice building number lines, counting forward and backward on number lines and identifying missing numbers on number lines!

I like to introduce the concept of “hopping on a number line” This will be super helpful for students once we start our Addition Strategies Unit.

Number line activity first grade number sense activities

We start with number lines to 10, then move on to number lines to 20!

Number Line Math Mat first grade number sense activity

Students get tons of hands-on practice with number lines as well as independent practice!

I love using blank number lines (just the lines, no numbers!) for a partner activity! For this activity:

  • Prepare number cards (either to 10 or 20)
  • Students will choose a card and figure out where that number should go on their number line.
  • Continue choosing cards until all numbers are filled in

Number Lines First Grade Number Sense to 20

I also love doing this Number Line Solve the Room Activity with students!

Number Line Solve the Room First Grade Math Center

Number Sense Skill #3 Subitize 

The next skill we work on is subitizing!

Subitizing is the ability to instantly recognize the quantity of a set of objects without counting. It is an important skill in early math development and building number sense. When students can subitize, they can quickly identify the number of objects in a group by relying on visual patterns or arrangements.

During our mini lesson, I explicitly model how to look for patterns to recognize the amount quickly. Then to strengthen these skills, we practice subitizing daily! Each day for a math warm up, I use these Subitizing Cards. I flash a card under our document camera and challenge students to figure out the amount. Students share their strategies.

Subitizing cards number sense activity for first grade guided math

We use our subitizing cards for lots of different hands-on activities to practice our subitizing and build number sense! Here are a few of our Subitizing activities!

Subitize and Sort:

We use these subitizing cards and mats to sort by quantity! Students choose a card and subitize. Then place the card in the correct box on the mat!

Subitize and Sort Math Game Math Center for Number Sense First Grade Activity

Subitize Showdown

This game is played like the war card game. Students work with a partner and quickly compare dot patterns and determine which card represents the larger number.

Subitize math activity number sense subitizing

Subitize Solve the Room

This is the first Solve the Room activity I teach my students. This is a math center that we play all year long! 

Each week I tape a new set of math task cards around the classroom. When students visit this center, they grab a clipboard and a recording sheet and walk around the classroom solving the math problems. After they finish, they visit the Grading Station and check their work!  This Solve the Room Activity is a bonus activity included in my Number Sense Unit!

You can also grab the whole bundle of First Grade Solve the Room for activities to use all year long! Find it here!

Subitize Solve the Room Math Center Number Sense Task Cards for first grade

Number Sense Skill #4: The 120 Chart

Oh how we love the 120 chart in first grade! We use this thing DAILY to practice counting, skip counting, and understanding number patterns and relationships. While we’ll go way deeper into learning about these bigger numbers during our place value unit, for now I want students to have exposure and familiarity with this tool!

120 Chart First Grade Number Sense lesson activities for Guided Math

When I introduce the 120 chart to students, we explore and learn how the chart works and how it can help us! Students learn about rows and columns and look for patterns.

120 Chart Lesson First Grade Number Sense

120 Chart Number Sense Activities

We do a ton of hands-on activities to practice with a 120 chart! I like to give each of my students their own chart to keep in their math folder. I also use 120 all the time in my small groups throughout the year!

We do things like:

  • Practice counting by 1s, 5s, and 10s
  • We hop forward and backward
  • We count on from a given number
  • Give students a manipulative (like a cube or mini eraser) and they can “hide a number” Then their partner can figure out the hidden number
120 Chart Small Group Math Activity First Grade Number Sense

120 Chart Hidden Numbers

These hidden number activities make great math centers or math partner activities!

Roll and Race to 120

This is another math partner game I teach at the beginning of the year when launching our math centers!

I love it because it is simple, it’s engaging, and students are getting number sense practice and all students need to play are dice and game pieces. You can find it for FREE inside my Guided Math Launch Guide!

Roll and Race to 120 Math Partner Game Freebie

120 Chart Puzzles

These differentiated 120 Chart puzzles are an amazing math center for the beginning of the year!

120 Chart Puzzle Number Sense Activities

To make these, simply print 120 Charts on different colors of paper. Then cut the charts into pieces. Make them different levels by cutting some into smaller pieces! I like to put them in rainbow order to challenge students to complete them all!

120 Chart Puzzles for number sense in first grade

Number Sense Skill #5 Skip Counting

After introducing the 120 Chart, we work on skip counting by 5s and 10s! Skip counting is an essential skill that helps students develop number sense and fluency in counting. By skip counting students can count larger numbers more efficiently and quickly.

Number Sense Skill #6 Number Patterns

After working on skip counting by 5s and 10s, we take this skill a step further and work on Number Patterns! Students become Number Detectives and work to solve missing number mysteries! Students figure out the rule a number pattern is following and complete the pattern by filling in a missing number.

Number Pattern Detectives Number Sense Activity
Number Pattern Detectives Number Sense Activity

After the mini lesson, students practice with these Number Pattern Mystery task cards!

Number Pattern Detectives Number Sense Activity

Representing Numbers in Different Ways

To review all of the number sense skills we worked on throughout the unit, in our last lesson students become Number Sense Superheroes! They work together to represent numbers in different ways!

Number Sense Lesson First Grade

Number Sense Math Craft

We celebrate the end of our unit with this Superhero Number Sense Math Craft! These are perfect to display in the hallway or on a bulletin board to share learning!

Number Sense Math Craft First Grade

I hope this post gave you tons of ideas for Number Sense activities and lessons for the beginning of the year in first grade!

You can find all of the lessons, activities, anchor charts, worksheets, assessments and more in my Number Sense Guided Math unit for first grade! Find it here!

Number Sense Activities - Number Sense First Grade - number sense routines - Number Sense Worksheets

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