Counting Activity Book: Numbers 1 to 20 with Ten Frames and Answer Key (Free PDF)

Who this book is for

This is a counting book for children from about age 3 to 6, from the first time a child counts three apples to counting a group of twenty. Counting looks simple, but a child has to learn several things at once: the number words in order, to touch one picture for each number word, and that the last number said tells how many there are. This book gives all of that practice in small steps, on pages that are friendly and not crowded.

The book is in order. The first six pages use only the numbers 1 to 5, and several of them need no writing at all: your child circles a number, colors pictures, joins a group to its number by drawing a line or draws counters in a ten frame. Numbers 6 to 10 come next, then pages on more and fewer and on the order of the numbers, then the numbers 11 to 20. After that come skip counting, adding and taking away with pictures, and three big scenes where your child has to find and count five kinds of pictures. Because each part is a little harder than the one before it, a child can finish a part, feel proud and move on when ready.

Every page has bright pictures to count, 22 different ones in all, such as apples, ducks, balloons, cupcakes, ladybugs, kites and sailboats. The pictures are the same on US Letter and A4. There is an answer key at the back, so a parent or teacher can check a page in a minute, and a certificate for when the book is finished. This is a counting book, not a number tracing book: if your child also needs to practice forming the digits, use it together with our Number Tracing and Counting Book.

What is inside the Counting Activity Book

The book has 44 pages, and every page is numbered in the bottom corner, so you can print one part at a time. Each activity page has a colored tab in the top corner with the name of the part, so a child can see where they are in the book.

Start here (pages 1–3)

The cover shows a sample question: four apples, and the numbers 3, 4 and 5 to choose from. Page 2 is a welcome page for parents and teachers. It gives six short steps for using the book, lists what your child practices and has a box for your child’s name. Page 3 is the contents, with the seven parts, the games page, the answer key and the certificate, and the pages they are on.

Numbers 1 to 5 (pages 4–9)

Six pages built around the numbers 1 to 5. Your child counts and circles, counts and writes, colors the right number of pictures, matches groups to numbers and meets the ten frame for the first time. A ten frame is a box with two rows of five squares, and it helps children see numbers as a group of five and some more.

Numbers 6 to 10 (pages 10–17)

The same kinds of pages with groups of six to ten, and two new ones. On the tally page your child counts tally marks, where every fifth mark crosses the other four, and draws tally marks for a number. On the dice page your child counts the dots on a die, from one to six, and draws dots for a number.

Compare and Order (pages 18–22)

Two pages compare groups, one for MORE and one for FEWER. In each pair the pictures are the same size, so your child has to count, not guess by looking at which group seems bigger. The number train, the before, after and between page and the biggest and smallest page teach the order of the numbers.

Numbers 11 to 20 (pages 23–26)

This is where the counting grows. The first page shows a full ten frame next to a second frame, so a child can see that 10 and 3 more make 13 without counting the first ten again. Then come groups of 11 to 20 pictures in rows of ten, and number paths with missing numbers.

Skip Counting (pages 27–29)

Three pages, one for each way to skip count. Each page has five groups with their running totals, with some totals left blank, and two number rows to complete. Counting by 2s goes up to 20, counting by 5s up to 50 and counting by 10s up to 100.

Add and Take Away (pages 30–34)

Adding and taking away begin with pictures that can be counted, not with sums on their own. On the adding pages your child counts two groups together. On the taking away pages your child crosses out the pictures that go away and counts what is left. The sums on these pages stay within 10.

Count Everything (pages 35–38)

Three big scenes, a birthday party, a sunny garden and a toy box, each with five kinds of pictures scattered around. Your child counts each kind and writes the five numbers in the boxes below. The last page is a challenge with six short activities that mix the main skills of the book.

Games, answer key and certificate (pages 39–44)

Page 39 has six quick counting games to play with everyday things: Snack Count, Stair Steps, Dice Race, Number Hunt, Sock Pairs and Bean Bag Tally. Pages 40 to 42 give the answers for every activity page, page 43 is a certificate for counting all the way to 20 and page 44 is the back cover.

How the numbers grow

The table shows what each part adds. Numbers 1 to 5 and 6 to 10 come first, because counting a group of three and counting a group of nine are different jobs for a young child. Only the three big scenes at the end ask your child to look at twenty or twenty-five pictures at once, and there the pictures are split into five kinds, so no single group has more than eight.

Every answer has been checked twice

A counting book is only useful if the answers are right, so we checked this one in two ways. First, every question, every picture and every answer in the book comes from one list, so the answer key cannot disagree with the pages. Second, we counted the pictures again on the finished pages. A program looked at the picture of every page, in both paper sizes, counted every group of pictures, counters, dots and tally marks, and compared the result with the answer key. All the counts matched. We also made sure that no pictures touch or overlap, so every picture can be counted on its own.

What children practice with this book

One number for each picture. The most important idea in early counting is that each picture gets exactly one number word, and no picture is skipped or counted twice. Many groups in this book are spread out and not in a line, so a child has to find a way to keep track, such as touching each picture or crossing it out. Our tip list below shows how to help.

The last number tells how many. Children often count correctly, then answer a different number when you ask “How many?”. The “How many?” boxes and the circle-the-number questions give your child practice at saying and showing that the last number counted is the answer.

Seeing numbers in groups. Ten frames and dice show a number as a pattern. After a while a child stops counting every counter and sees that a row of five and three more is eight. This is one of the most useful ways to get ready for adding.

Reading and writing numbers. Your child sees every number from 1 to 20 many times, in big, clear digits, and writes them in boxes. The pages that need no writing make the early part of the book easier for a child who is still learning to hold a pencil.

Comparing and ordering. More, fewer, biggest, smallest, before, after and between are the words of number sense. The pages that use them let your child practice the words with pictures in front of them.

Skip counting. Counting by 2s, 5s and 10s is a first step toward multiplication. It also helps with counting socks, shoes and mittens in pairs, as in the Sock Pairs game on page 39.

Adding and taking away. Putting groups together and taking pictures away shows what adding and subtracting mean before a child meets the sums on their own. The make-ten page prepares for number bonds, the pairs of numbers that make 10.

What it is not. This book is not a full math course, and it does not teach number writing step by step. For the stroke order of each digit, see our guide to teaching number writing and the Number Tracing and Counting Book.

Tips for counting well

• Touch each picture once. Let your child touch every picture while saying one number for each. Pointing with a pencil tip works well, and so does moving a finger along.
• Cross out as you count. On the pages where the pictures are scattered, a small line through each counted picture shows which ones are left. A different color for the second try keeps the page tidy.
• Use real counters. Buttons, coins, dry beans or small blocks make the ten frame pages much easier. Put a counter on each square and then draw it.
• Always ask “How many?”. After your child has counted, ask for the answer in a sentence, such as “There are seven apples.” It connects the last number said with the size of the group.
• Count again to check. If your child gets a different number the second time, do not say the first number is wrong. Count together and let your child see where the mix-up happened.
• Stay with one part for a while. If numbers 6 to 10 feel hard, repeat a page with a different color or play one of the games on page 39 before moving on.
• Short sessions. One or two pages a day, about ten minutes, is enough. Stop when the fun is gone.

Printing and using the pages

Set your printer to 100% (Actual size) and print on one side of each sheet. “Fit to page” can shrink the ten frames and the numbers. Both PDFs hold the same pages, pictures and answers, and only the shape of the sheet differs. Ordinary copy paper is fine for pencils, crayons and washable markers.

The pictures are in full color, and they print in clear shades of gray on a black-and-white printer, so a color printer is nice but not necessary. The two “Color the Right Number” pages (pages 6 and 12) use line drawings, so they print well in black and white and children can color them. To save ink, print the book in grayscale.

You can print only the pages you need. For example, pages 4–9 are the numbers 1 to 5, pages 10–17 are 6 to 10 and pages 23–26 are 11 to 20. If you print the answer key (pages 40–42) keep it for the adult in the room. Page 39 is a good page to put on the fridge.