Easy Hands-On Preschool Math Activities: Addition & Subtraction
Teaching addition and subtraction to a preschooler doesn’t have to mean sitting down with a worksheet and asking them to solve equations. In fact, some of the best early math learning happens when they can actually touch, move, build, and count the numbers they’re working with!
As a former classroom teacher, I know how important those foundational math skills are. But as a stay-at-home mom and homeschool teacher, I’ve also learned that they don’t need to come from a formal lesson. With a few simple materials and a little creativity, you can turn everyday play into meaningful addition and subtraction practice!
Teaching Addition & Subtraction Through Hands-On Play:
Preschoolers shouldn’t be expected to complete math worksheets and algorithms. Preschool math should be hands-on and fun! It’s an exploration of the numbers they will use for the rest of their educational careers.
Instead of focusing on getting to the answer, focus on the pieces that get them there. Skills like number sense, one-to-one correspondence, and working with quantities, these are the foundations of math fluency!
So take a look around your house, and find things that your kiddos can build with, move, count, combine and take away. It really can be that easy!
I talk about this more in depth in my Counting Made Fun: 3 Ways to Teach Your Toddler 1-10 post!
Addition: Putting Groups Together
After working to gain some number sense and counting skills, you may want to try your hand at simple addition problems. Here are some tips and some important verbiage to keep in mind:
- Use the part-part-whole method. This means counting one part, then the next, then all together to find the sum. This will help them remember each number is a separate quantity and the formula for finding new sums!
- Use words like “altogether,” and “in total” when talking about the sum. It seems more conversational (meaning less pressure).
Subtraction: Taking Groups Away
Following your practice with addition, you’ll want to begin practicing subtraction. Here are a few tips for tackling taking away:
- Since you are doing this hands-on, do yourself some favors with your resources. If you are working through a problem and need to “take away” a certain number, do it! Hide those balls of Play-Doh under the table. It will be a visual reminder that there are now less than when we started.
- Ask questions like “how many are left” and “how many remain?” when talking about the difference.
Apple Picking – An Example Early Math Lesson
One of my favorite ways to use our hands-on math materials is to tell a story! It keeps it super conversational and fun, while secretly practicing addition and subtraction. Plus, you can keep it going for way longer! Here’s how I did a 3 step addition and subtraction lesson using just Play-Doh apples and a white board.
1. Start With Counting
- Draw a tree and put your Play-Doh apples on the tree.
- Write out & say “How many apples are on the tree? Let’s pick them to count.”
2. Move Into Addition
- After they have their total, erase the board.
- Draw two baskets and put a specified amount in each.
- Write/say “If you picked ___ of those apples, and I picked ___, how many did we pick altogether? (it will be the same number as before.)
3. Finish with Subtraction
- After they count the total again, erase the board.
- Draw a pie shape and write/say “If I need __ amount of apples to make an apple pie, how many will I have left over?”
- As they count them out, have them put the apples in the pie shape to have a visual of the ones “left over.”
Everyday Objects for Preschool Math
Turning math lessons into hands-on experiences for preschoolers doesn’t mean going out and buying fancy math counters/resources. Here are everyday preschool items that I have used to build numbers, count numbers, add & subtract with my preschooler!
- Play-Doh – My personal choice for making counters. In fact, here are 5 skills you can teach with just using Play-Doh!
- Legos – Great for building numbers or visualizing adding.
- Magna-Tiles – Awesome for gamifying math! Here are some quick learning ideas you can do with just Magna-Tiles!
- Whiteboard – I use it everyday for all my short lessons! If you’re interested, here are some whiteboard activities I do for learning letters!
I talk about all of these items and more here! What We Actually Use for Preschool at Home (6 Daily Must Haves)
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Final Thoughts
Whether you’re using Play-Doh, Legos, Magna-Tiles, or whatever you have lying around the house, keep it conversational, hands-on, and fun. The goal isn’t just getting the right answer, it’s growing those foundational math skills through meaningful moments.
❤️ Until next time,
