An Interactive Subitizing Activity for Kindergarten

Looking for a way to teach your students to subitize to 5 and beyond? Break out this subitizing activity to give your students an engaging way to practice subitizing small collections. Students will subitize up to six while constructing skyscrapers with snap cubes to create a 3-dimensional cityscape. 

This resource contains five different cityscapes using the following number representations:

• Dice
• Tally marks
• Fingers
• Objects
• Ten frames

Have students try them all to learn to subitize with many number forms.

Using “Construct-a-City” in the Classroom

There are many ways to use this subitizing resource in the classroom. Here are just a few ideas: 

• Small Groups – Use this resource for direct instruction or reteaching. 
• Centers – Place this activity and a set of snap cubes in one of your centers so students can build all the cityscapes over time. 
• Rotations – Have students complete one cityscape and then rotate it to the next student until they have constructed them all.
• “Scoot” Activity – Ask small groups of students to “scoot” from one cityscape station to the next, working as a team to see which group can build the city the fastest!  

Instructions: 

Prepare for this activity in a snap!

1. Give students one cityscape and a supply of snap cubes. 
2. Students look at the number represented in one of the squares on their cityscape and then construct a “skyscraper” with the corresponding number of snap cubes.
3. Students place their “skyscraper” on top of the corresponding square on their cityscape.
4. Students continue constructing and placing “skyscrapers” until all squares have been covered.
5. Students admire their newly constructed city! 

Easily Download 

This subitizing activity for kindergarten is available in both easy-to-print PDF and Google Slides format. Use the drop-down arrow located on the download button to choose what format works best for your lesson.

Longevity Tip: Print on cardstock and laminate so students can enjoy this activity again and again. 

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This resource was created by April Tierney, a former teacher in Iowa and a Teach Starter collaborator.

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Seeking More Subitizing Resources? 

If you are on the hunt for more resources to help your students subitize, check out some others below!