Place value
Kindergarten · Math
Explore numbers, spot patterns and explain how you worked it out.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
How many can you see?
See 3 ladybugs at a glance, without counting. Sort pictures of 1 to 5 things into number boxes in this
Play How many can you see?Count to 10
Count a row of up to 10 animals and match it to its number in this
Play Count to 10Count beyond 20
19, 20, 21, 22: put numbers in counting order past 20 in this
Play Count beyond 20
Learning about place value
These Kindergarten Math games practice How many can you see?, Count to 10, Count beyond 20. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Use counters, a drawing or a number line before moving to a mental method. Ask your child to explain a choice, then change one number and try the method again.
Ask: “How could you show the same answer another way?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
How many can you see?
Some small groups can be recognized all at once. Three ladybugs look like three before anyone counts them one by one.
Try an example: 🐞🐞🐞
Three ladybugs sit in a row. You can see three at once.
Show the answer
3
What to look out for
Counting every time, even for 1 or 2 Praise quick looks. Flash a card for a second and ask how many.
Count to 10
Counting means saying one number for each object, in order, until every object has been counted once.
Try an example: 🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢
Count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The last number is 9.
Show the answer
9
What to look out for
Skipping or counting a picture twice Point to each picture once, moving left to right.
Count beyond 20
The count does not stop at 20. After 19 comes 20, then 21, 22 and so on.
Try an example: 21, 19, 22, 20
Count on from 19: 19, 20, 21, 22.
Show the answer
19, 20, 21, 22
What to look out for
Saying "twenty-ten" after 29 After 29 comes 30. Say the tens together: 10, 20, 30.
Practice away from the screen
- Roll a dice and ask how many dots before your child counts them.
- Count stairs as you climb them, saying one number per step.
- Count steps or jumps past 20 on a walk.
Curriculum connections
How many can you see?
Suggested Kindergarten enrichment for seeing a small number of objects without counting them one by one. This is not a Common Core counting standard.
Count to 10
Supports part of Common Core K.CC.B.5. Children count groups of up to 10. The game does not ask them to count to 20, and it does not cover the entire standard.
Common Core connection: K.CC.B.5. This is focused practice for part of the standard.
Count beyond 20
Supports part of Common Core K.CC.A.1. Children continue the count past 20. The game does not ask them to count to 100, and it does not cover the entire standard.
Common Core connection: K.CC.A.1. This is focused practice for part of the standard.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with place value?
Start with How many can you see?. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. These games provide focused practice. Grade suggestions do not replace your school’s curriculum, and any Common Core connection applies only to the skill described.