Clothespins are a popular accessory in any early childhood classroom or home so this post is all about learning to count with clothespins. One reason they’re widely used is the way kids get lots of fine motor practice without even being aware of it, which is brilliant for pre-writing development!
Count with clothespins ideas
1. DIY count and clip cards
- Apple tree counting activity from Mom Inspired Life. DIY with poster board and sticky dots.
- Counting ducks from It’s A Long Story. Uses yellow foam and markers.
- Butterfly counting cards from MPM School Supplies
- Dinosaur counting game from Glued to my Crafts.
2. Sunflowers
- Count and clip sunflowers from Raising Little Superheroes. Mostly DIY with free numbers you can download.
3. Animals
- A counting octopus from Reading Confetti. DIY with a paper plate, gift wrap ribbon and number stickers.
- Sheep counting from Mamas Like Me. Kids count the sheep (cotton balls) as they move them from one spot to another.
- The mixed-up chameleon from Buggy and Buddy. Count the flies as they’re swallowed by the chameleon. Free printable picture.
4. Missing numbers
- Winter missing number clip cards from Life Over Cs. Free cards to download. Kim also has other free missing number cards: fall-themed double digit numbers, Valentine-themed double digit numbers, skip counting by 2s.
5. Free count and clip printables
- 25+ free count and clip sets from The Measured Mom. Anna has links to lots of free sets.
- Number match counting wheel from Learning 4 Kids. Free printable… just add numbered clothespins.
- Dinosaur counting cards from The Kindergarten Connection.
- Silly monsters counting to 10 from Life Over Cs. There are also free silly monster puzzles in this download.
- Rainy day clip cards to 10 from Playdough to Plato.
- Road traffic clip counting cards 1-12 from Miniature Masterminds.
- Tally mark counting from The STEM Laboratory.
6. Doll pegs
- Counting with clothespins from School Time Snippets. You’ll need to scroll down the post a little to find this DIY activity. I like that the pegs can all be kept within the box ready to be used.
7. Number lines
- DIY number line from Fantastic Fun and Learning. Uses a paint stick, pegs and a permanent marker.
- T-shirt numbers from The Kindergarten Center. Free T-shirt printables, used over a clothes hanger with the pegs in a row of 10 across the bottom of the clothes hanger.
- Numeral clip kites from Making Learning Fun. Free printable numbered kites, just add a cord to hang from the bottom.
8. DIY counting props
- Ladybug number game from Housing a Forest. If you don’t have ladybug pegs you can just add ladybug stickers.
- Foam number counting from And Next Comes L. Make simple foam numbers.
- Dinosaur busy bag from Clare’s Little Tots. Uses cardboard to create a dinosaur.
- Fine motor leaf and peg counting from The Mud Kitchen.
- Clothespin math from Mess for Less. She uses plastic cups… quick and easy!
9. Glitter glue
- Fine motor activity from Powerful Mothering. Uses glitter glue, mini clothespins and mini craft sticks.
10. DIY fancy pegs
- Crocodile counting from Reading Confetti. DIY crocodile clothespins (they match the book Lyle Walks the Dogs) plus paint chips.
- Honeybee counting from Sugar Aunts. Uses pipe cleaners, googly eyes and wax paper to create bee clothespins.
Want to see more counting roundup posts?
- 10+ Ways to Count and Move
- 10+ Ways to Count with Play Dough
- 10+ Ways to Count with Fine Motor Skills
- 10+ Ways to Count with Snacks
- 10+ Ways to Count with Storybooks
Hey Liz, this is a pretty good resource. I know my daughter caught some ways to count from watching some of those stupid Youtube videos (they can be so annoying), but this is pretty creative and gives me some ideas to play around with this summer. Thanks!
I hope your daughter finds one or two activities that she ends up loving and does over and over! Thanks for commenting, Janene!