Make counting to 100 less tedious for your students by breaking groups of numbers into sequences. 

With this set of task cards, students will practice counting by reviewing a number sequence and filling in the missing number on their recording sheet. The cards include missing numbers at either the start or end of a sequence counting up and some that count down.  

Practice Counting Forward and Backwards with our What’s Next? Task Cards

Students can work independently, in partners, or in their math small group to complete these task cards, writing their answers on the recording sheet. 

More Ways To Play Our Counting Forward and Backwards With Your Students

Looking for number pattern activities you can do with your whole class? We got you covered! 

Gallery Walk

Mix the cards up and hang them around the room to have your students complete a gallery walk. Working either alone or in pairs, assign a sorting card to each and have them rotate around the cards (on your signal), writing their answers on the recording sheet.

Group Lesson 

Using your smartboard or another projection device, work through the missing number sequences together as a whole class. Students can write their answers on a sheet of paper or the recording sheet provided. 

Exit Activity

After you go through your math lesson, pass out cards to students as a math problem they will answer independently. Provide them with a sticky note so that they can turn in their answer to give you as a formative assessment, making sure to include their names (or use our Sticky Note Printing Guide + Template). 

Change the Difficulty Level if Needed

To make this activity more of a challenge, ask students to list the cards in numerical order from least to greatest (or vice versa) on the back of their recording sheet or a separate sheet of paper.

If students find it challenging to count forwards or backward, they can use their hundreds chart or number lines to help.

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Print our missing numbers task cards on cardstock for durability and longevity. To make this game more sustainable, print recording sheets on cardstock and place them in dry-erase sleeves. Students can record their answers with a dry-erase marker, then erase and reuse.

Cut out the task cards and punch a hole in the corner of each to place them on a binder ring. Put the task cards, recording sheets, and answer key in a folder or large envelope for your math center. 

Before You Download

Use the drop-down icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. A recording sheet and answer key are also included with this download.

This resource was created by Allie Kleijnjans, a teacher in Pennsylvania and a Teach Starter Collaborator. 

You can count on us for more counting activities and games to get your students excited about numbers! 

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