Skip Counting Teaching Resources
Explore printable skip counting worksheets and skip counting charts for your primary classroom to help students understand number patterns and build a strong maths foundation.
Created by Aussie teachers for teachers like you, every resource in this maths teaching collection has been reviewed by the expert teacher team at Teach Starter to ensure it's ready for your lesson plan and your students. Aligned with the Australian curriculum, each printable and digital resource has been carefully selected to be included in this collection.
Explore digital and printable resources designed around skip counting by 2, skip counting by 5, skip counting by 10, and more.
New to teaching this section of the maths curriculum, or just looking for some fresh ideas for how to teach skip counting? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is Skip Counting? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Are you teaching students how to skip count and looking for a simple way to explain the concept? Here's a definition from our teacher team to help!
Skip counting is a method of counting that involves adding or subtracting a specific number other than 1 to/from the previous number in a list.
It gets its name because we 'skip' numbers in this maths technique rather than naming off numbers one by one.
For example, when skip counting by 2s, we may start with 1, but we don't say 2 next. Instead, we move directly to 3, then 5, then 7, and so on. We counting, but we are 'skipping' over the numbers 2, 4, 6, and so on.
When skip counting, we can can count by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, 10s, and so on. This counting method can start at 0 or 1 or further down the number line.
How to Teach Skip Counting and Why It's Important
Skip counting may sound like it's meant to make maths fun — and there's certainly fun to be had in the engaging activities our teacher team has created for your classroom! — but this skill plays an important role in building number sense and laying the groundwork for young students to be successful at multiplication later in primary school.
The goal is to help students better understand the number system and how numbers relate to each other. By 'skipping' the numbers, kids can understand quantities increasing or decreasing by a constant value.
Skip counting is also crucial in helping students to recognise patterns in numbers and develop their fluency with numbers.
But how do you teach skip counting? Here are some of our teacher team's tips on how to teach skip counting:
- Practise Skip Counting From Different Starting Points — You can skip count from 0, from 1, from 5, or just about anywhere. By starting at different points in the number line, students become more familiar with a variety of numbers and start to recognise patterns.
- Count Backward and Forward — Counting isn't just a forward process. It can go backward too!
- Make It Fun — Practice skip counting regularly with your class using any of the fun skip counting activities created by our teacher team, from puzzles to scoot and counts. (Keep reading for ways to make this happen!)
Skip Counting Activities — Fun Ideas From Our Teacher Team
This collection is full of games, task cards and more to make skip counting fun, but we didn't stop there! Here are some more fun ideas from our teacher team to inspire you!
- Bring Out the Beach Ball — Play a game of passing the ball while students practise their skip counting. Assign one student to start, and hand them the beach ball. Provide them with a number and the multiple (for example, if you're practicing skip counting by 10s, you might start with 10). Students then pass the ball to one another, and the student who has the ball has to provide the next number in the sequence.
- Play a Count on Circle Game — Have your students stand in a circle. Assign a student to start the game. Call out a number, then have students go around in the circle, skip counting until everyone gets a chance.
- Take Advantage of Your 'Lost' Time — Lining students up to go to the tuckshop? Before you leave the classroom, you can practise skip counting — go down the line and have them skip count forward and backward.
- Pop It — Grab a popping bubble toy to reinforce their skip counting skills! Students can push down on the bubbles by multiples.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 2 - Frog
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
- Free Plan
Roll and Colour Worksheet for Ten More, Ten Less
Use this interactive worksheet to help students practise finding the number that is 10 more and 10 less than a given number.
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Counting by 10's Maze
Find the fun and learn to skip count by 10s up to 100 with this engaging maze activity!
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Counting by 1s Picture Puzzles
Use this fun sorting activity for your students to practice ordering numbers in sequential order, and improve their skip counting skills!
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Skip Counting by 10s I Have, Who Has Game
Use this fast-paced whole class game to help your students practise skip counting by tens.
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10 More 10 Less Sorting Card Game
Engage your students and have them practise reading statements about values 10 more or 10 less, then and determining if the statement is accurate.
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Skip Counting to 100 - Card Game
Practise skip counting by 2, 5 and 10 with this card game for small groups.
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Complex Dot-to-dot – Skip Counting by Sevens (Wolf) – Worksheet
A complex dot-to-dot where students demonstrate skip counting by sevens.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 3 - Kite
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Dot-to-Dot Drawing - Numbers by 10 - Rocket
Join the dots and numbers to make a picture.
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Skip Counting Number Line - 0-100
A number line with numbers 0-100.
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Skip Counting by 5s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 5s.
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Skip Counting by 2s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 2s from 0 to 100.
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Moving Mathematics Activity - Skip Counting By Twos
A fun and active way to develop confidence with number sequences.
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Skip Counting Fishing Interactive Activity
Assign this fun fishing game to help your students practise their skip counting skills using digital technology.
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Skip Counting Puzzles Interactive Activity
Complete the skip counting pattern and reveal the complete picture!
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Cinderella's Shoes - Skip Counting Worksheet
Count Cinderella's shoes using skip counting by 2s.
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Skip Counting by 10s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 10s.
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Skip Counting by 9s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 9s.
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Skip Counting by 8s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 8s.
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Skip Counting by 7s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 7s.
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Skip Counting by 6s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 6s.
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Skip Counting by 4s Dominoes
A set of dominoes to use in the classroom when skip counting by 4s.
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Interactive Hundreds Chart
An interactive hundreds chart with multiple colour options, automated skip-counting and more!
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Skip Counting by 5s
A 60 minute lesson in which students will skip count in 5s when telling the time.
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Skip Counting by 10s
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore skip counting by 10s.
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Skip Counting by 2s
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore skip counting by 2s.
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Introduction to Skip Counting
A 60 minute lesson in which students will skip count by 2s, 5s and 10s.
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Skip Counting by 5s
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore skip counting by 5s.