Number games in English with children

Children learn numbers in English most easily through games, counting real objects, and short repetition. Starting with one to five, then moving on to ten and later twenty, and fitting numbers into daily life by counting stairs, toys, or fruit, works better than memorising a list.

Starting with counting

Create chances during the day: count the stairs as you climb, the plates as you lay the table, and the toys as you tidy up, all in English. You count first and your child repeats with you; then your child tries alone. The question “How many…?” can become a game: “How many apples?” – “Three!”

Number games to play at home

Hide and seek: the person with closed eyes counts to ten in English. Jump and count: jump as many times as the number said (“Jump four times!”). Shop game: buy things in a toy shop with “Two bananas, please.” Finger game: “Show me three fingers!” These games take a few minutes and can be played again and again.

Sounds to watch

For Turkish-speaking children, the “th” sound in “three” and similar numbers such as “thirteen” and “thirty” can be hard. In “thirteen” the stress is at the end (thir-TEEN), in “thirty” at the start (THIR-ty). Show the right pronunciation by saying it yourself; repeating the correct form is enough, without correcting the child.

A short activity

This week, play one number game for five minutes every day. At the end of the week, count ten things at home in English with your child and note which numbers were hard; start with those next week.

To keep going, see English games for children by age (3–7) and First English words for children: colours, numbers, animals, and the body.

Frequently asked questions

What if my child mixes up the numbers? That is normal; say the right number yourself and carry on playing. Playing often with a few numbers works better than playing once with many.

Should I also teach how to write the numbers? Before children can read and write, hearing and saying them is enough; spelling can come later.