Ocean Counting Mats

These ocean counting mats are such an inviting way to practice counting and number recognition this summer! It’s the perfect addition to an ocean theme.

These ocean counting mats are perfect for summer and your ocean theme lesson plans. They are a great way for kids to learn number recognition, one to one coorespondence and counting! You can even use them as play dough mats.

I am beginning to teach my toddler how to count and using manipulatives is great way to do that. Themed counting mats are just another way to spark her interest. My five-year old thinks they’re pretty cool too.

Related read: Ocean Play Dough Invitation

Because summer is approaching, ocean activities are popular. My kids are very intrigued by all things ocean and ocean animals, so I knew these counting mats would be very well-received. I was definitely right.

Setting Up the Counting Mats

Supplies Needed:

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** The printable pack also includes a sheet of ocean animals that you can cut out and use as manipulatives in place of the beads.**

  1. Print out the counting mats on cardstock.
  2. Laminate them for extra durability, if you would like. I plan to use them as play dough mats as well, so I will laminate mine.

Learning with Ocean Counting Mats

I put a pile of the beads on the table next to the counting mats and invited the kids to check them out. They were pretty excited when they saw the ocean animal beads. I can tell they are going to be used quite often this summer!

Learning numbers and counting with fun ocean counting mats! Plus, the ocean animal beads are such a fun manipulative!
Teaching kids to count with these ocean themed mats is super fun!

I showed them how each mat had a number on it and then modeled how they could put that many beads in the ocean and on the ten frame. My 5 year old quickly got to work doing this with the number 7. He counted out seven ocean animals and placed them in the ocean. Then he added seven ocean animals to the ten frame.

A fun counting activity for summer or your ocean theme lesson plans!

You can just have them place the animals in the ocean or only in the ten frame, but my kids enjoyed doing both.

A fun ocean counting activity for toddlers!

My toddler worked on counting small numbers like one, two and three. She also enjoyed just playing with the beads on the mat and “pretending” to count out random numbers.

These ocean counting mats are perfect for summer and your ocean theme lesson plans. They are a great way for kids to learn number recognition, one to one coorespondence and counting! You can even use them as play dough mats.

Eventually both kids just used the mats and beads for lots of fun pretend ocean play. Playing with the beads was great fine motor practice for both of them. I can’t wait to use the beads for lots of other fun activities this summer!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE OCEAN COUNTING MATS

Check out all of these other awesome ocean activities for kids!

Tons of fun ocean activities for kids!

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:

(NOT SHOWN) Ocean Size Sort: Small, Medium and Large // Liz’s Early Learning Spot

Odd and Even Number Fishing // Adventures of Adam

Ocean Animal Beginning Sound Clip Cards // The Letters of Literacy

Ocean Felt Busy Box // Teach Me Mommy

Free Ocean Flip Books for All Ages // Simple Learning Kids

Shark Roll and Cover Game // Playdough to Plato

Octonauts Hermit Reef Oil Spill // Tuff Spot Play

Write and Wipe Addition Cards // The STEM Laboratory

DIY Ocean Counting Clip Cards // Life Over Cs

Color Word Clip Cards // The Simplified Classroom

Ocean Sensory Bottle // The Pleasantest Thing

Subitising Fish Game // Fairy Poppins

Salt Water Experiment | Ocean Science for Kids // Science Kiddo

Diving Fish Science Experiment // Schooling a  Monkey

Ocean Animal Count and Clip Cards // The Kindergarten Connection

Five Little Fishies Song and Counting Printables // Stay at Home Educator

Ocean I Spy Printable // Powerful Mothering

Color Matching Fish Puzzles // Modern Preschool

Ocean Sensory Bin // Play & Learn Everyday

Looking for more Ocean Printables?

This Ocean CVC Word Mats activity is a fun way for kids to practice with CVC words!

Help your students work on recognizing rhyming words with this great Ocean Fish Clip Strips printable!