Counting Vehicles 1 to 20 | ESL Number Words, Numerals, & Quantity Activities

 This resource that connects math + vocabulary and ties into this larger unit  is included in the Transportation theme for Elementary ESL at this link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Transportation-Unit-for-Elementary-ESL-4049752

The resource helps students review essential transportation-related words (e.g., bus, car,) to improve their vocabulary. The topic allows integration with math such as counting vehicles with multiple kinds of activities.

The ESL Numbers Flashcards are a versatile teaching tool to be used in various activities as seen below.

Counting practice using the flashcards. Show a flashcard with vehicles on a road. Ask: “How many cars are there?” Students count and answer: “There are three cars.”  This builds confidence in forming complete sentences.

Place any quantity flashcard and have the students count how many of each vehicle they can count.

Show a flashcard with several vehicles of different colors. Have students make sentences: “The mail truck is white.”

Review Adjectives with Flashcards. Show transportation flashcards and ask students to sort them: The limousine is big!

Practice adjectives related to transportation. Review the comparatives (faster, slower, bigger, smaller).

Flashcard Comparison: Hold up two flashcards and ask students to compare them using comparatives.

Students can practice prepositions of place such as: in front of, behind, next to, between and use them in complete sentences like: The white limousine is behind the red car.

Where’s the Vehicle? Practice prepositions (on, under, next to).

Flashcard Grammar Activity: “I like… but I don’t like…”

Students practice asking and answering questions about transportation using the correct structure and preposition “by.”

Small Cards

Labeling helps EFL students expand their vocabulary. This is especially important because vocabulary is the building block of language proficiency.

Students match the quantity small cards with the corresponding numeral flashcards, reinforcing number recognition from 1 to 20.

Transportation Bingo. Give students a bingo grid to write any number from 1 to 20. Call out the names of vehicles using the small cards. Students mark or cover the matching number.

transportation vehicles count to 20 ESL worksheet

In this interactive activity, students color the vehicles according to how you dictate, then cut them out and fold the flap provided to glue them onto the road worksheet. Students can decide how many vehicles to place and where to position them on the road. After creating their road scene, they write a short description using complete sentences. They describe the vehicles, their colors, their locations using prepositions, and add adjectives to make their sentences more descriptive.

Assemble like this!

 Read and Color the Vehicles worksheet where they read a phrase and color each vehicle according to the text.

Matching exercises Worksheet: Match transportation words to pictures.

Labeling activities Worksheets: Students label vehicles and the number on these two worksheets.

Games

A board game with four paths to encourage speaking. Players talk during the game using full sentences like “This is number twelve!”. Use the it as review.

Matching mats give students a clear visual framework to sort and match different representations of numbers.

Students color the vehicles on their worksheet according to the number they spin on the spinner. They must count and color the correct quantity based on the spinner result. Use it to practice number recognition (1–20)

Airplane Prepositions Activities is also included in the resource:   https://eflelementaryresources.blogspot.com/2025/11/airplane-prepositions-activities-eslefl.html

Visit my blog for preschool teachers here: EFL Preschool Teachers Blog. You'll find practical activities, tips, and resources designed to make learning fun and effective for little ones!