Counting Crayons 1 to 20 | Numbers, Colors, and Math Games for Elementary ELLs

 This resource is also included  at the School Unit for Elementary ELL-Starters, at this link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/School-Unit-for-Elementary-ELL-Starters-1707072

Counting from 1 to 20 is a key early math skill. This resource helps children practice recognizing numerals, counting objects, and connecting numbers with quantities in an engaging way. This resource connects math (counting and numbers), art (crayons and coloring), and language (speaking, listening, and writing numbers), making it a well-rounded tool for elementary classrooms.

By linking crayons to numbers, students also strengthen their vocabulary for both numbers and colors. Use the crayon flashcards to review the colors. Also, review the school words using the flashcards. Ask: What’s this?
Students: It’s a crayon box.
Teacher: Is this a crayon?
Students: Yes, it is.

Students identify numbers from the flashcards displayed and choosing only 8 of them to their bingo grid, reinforcing numeral recognition. When numbers are called out during the game, students must listen carefully, understand, and check their grids—an excellent listening activity for English language learners.

The finger/hand signals make simple counting an activity with movement. Students learn to count forward using the pointing finger upwards, count backward using the finger down card, and hold a number in mind by repeating it using the thumbs up card. This builds a deeper understanding of number order and sequence. Print the cards and glue onto craft sticks for easy play.

Found this game in this book and adapted it to suit the resource: 100 games for teaching English by Agung Prihantoro.

Small cards let students manipulate the materials directly, which keeps them engaged and supports kinesthetic learning.

Line Up with Crayons small cards! Each student gets a small card (number or crayon quantity). The teacher says: “Line up in order!” Students must arrange themselves in a line from 1 to 20. When everyone is in place, the class counts together from the first to the last student.

Challenge the students to it activity but “Backwards!” → Students line up from 20 down to 1. Another challenge is to have the students line up in “Alphabetical order!” → Students line up in alphabetical order of the number words (eight, five, four…).

Place the small cards in alphabetical order.

Fold the words in each small card and have students write the numeral and words. Place them in order.

The worksheets provide a hands-on, quiet-time opportunity for students to practice and demonstrate their understanding.

Find and Match worksheet: have students draw lines to match each number to the correct number word.

Missing Number and number words Fill-In. Students fill in the missing numbers.

How Many? Write the Number word. Ask students to count and write the numeral and/or number word.

Listen and color worksheet. Teacher says the number and color: “Crayon number 5 is blue.”   Students listen carefully and color the crayon in the correct square.  Continue until all 20 crayons are colored. Students write the color word to describe each colored crayon. This activity reinforces number recognition, listening comprehension, colors vocabulary.

This Numbers Board Game is a fun way for students to practice counting, number recognition, and sequencing from 1 to 20. Each player starts at one of the four starting points and takes turns rolling a die to move along their path. The first player to reach the center “FINISH” wins! The colorful design keeps learners engaged while reinforcing math and language skills in an interactive way.

Say It in a Sentence: Each time a student lands on a number, they make a sentence such as: “I see 12 crayons” or “I have 7.”

These matching mats support number recognition, counting, and word association by giving students a physical and visual way to match and manipulate pieces. They’re especially useful to bridge visual and written language, reinforcing both vocabulary and concept understanding.

There is a coloring version of the mats. Each student gets a matching mat with crayons numbered 1 to 20 in random order.  A student spins the color spinner, lands on a number and names it for the group find it on their mat and color it.  Continue spinning and coloring until the mat is complete.

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Found wonderful clipart for the numbers at Creative Fabrica. Here's my affliate link: https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/alphabet-crayon-clipart-and-number/ref/2670802/?sharedfrom=pdp